Armed Forces Family UK Peer Support

In 1977, Tom, our Chairperson, left the Army; he had been serving in 3RGJ, most of the time in Northern Ireland.  He met Maria in 1982, and they married in 1983. Almost as soon as they met, she noticed that Tom had some 'odd' behaviours: he would always sit with his back to the wall, watching everyone in the room; if he heard a loud noise he was on edge, sometimes throwing himself into a hedge if they were out in the street; he could never stand still...She realised he had combat PTSD.  

This was quite isolating, for both of them, as others would find his behaviours and reactions 'off-putting'. 

This eventually led to Tom starting up two Facebook groups: Armed Forces Family UK, and Armed Forces Family UK PTSD & Mental Health Support, as a way to try to bring together those who, like him, were suffering from service-related PTSD, and other mental health problems.  He wanted to create a safe space for them, and their families, to chat with others who were going through the same kinds of challenges. Tom also found that there were members of the Blue Light community who were suffering in much the same way as the veterans' community. 

From the moment he started his Facebook groups, he understood that by working together these challenges could be met much more efficiently, and that is why he ultimately decided to launch Armed Forces Family UK Peer Support. He is striving to make a positive change to the lives of Veterans, and members of the Blue Light Community, their families and carers/supporters, in the Littlehampton area, by working to overcome the social isolation caused by service/work-related PTSD and other mental health issues. .