Social value is something close to my heart and something we at Littlefish have taken seriously before it was fashionable or encouraged by buying organizations. That's why I was grateful to spend some time on Friday with Billy MacLeod MBE at his Veterans in Action Charity. The statistics he shared were eye-opening. Between 2000-2021, 33.8 Armed Force members, per 100,000, committed suicide, compared to c22 per 100,000 in the general population. That's 53% more. Younger veterans, under 35, are 2-4 times more likely to commit suicide, and sadly, more serving British service personnel have killed themselves since 1984 than have died in combat.
But it doesn't have to be this way. The key to helping our veterans is in specialist support, provided by veterans, for veterans. And that's exactly what Veterans in Action has been doing since its inception. The thousands of veterans, and their families, that they have supported can attest to this. Listening to the veterans on Friday, really opened my eyes, including listening to one medic who had to carry back a bag of colleagues' limbs to the medical facilities in Afghanistan after an explosion.
However, none of this specialist support happens without donations. So, if you are looking for a new charity partner, or even have charitable contributions available to offer, Billy MacLeod MBE would love to hear from you. Together, we can make a difference and support those who have made great sacrifices for our country.
#asrealasitgets #armedforces #veteransinaction #veterans #mentalhealthawareness #ptsd
