Combat Stress

Autumn is officially here, and we’ve got some brand new hoodies and sweatshirts in the Combat Stress shop to mark the cooler weather. Click here to view our full range, and buy yours today: https://lnkd.in/eXTahuFU #GivingBack #SupportOurVeterans

What is a Secret Postcard Auction? Our Secret Postcard Auction offers our supporters the chance to bid on artwork from some of the UK’s leading artists, who will be auctioning pieces in support of our charity. All art submitted will be entered into an anonymous auction which gives all bidders the chance to secure a unique piece of art. Artists can donate up to three pieces of art each. Submissions will also include artwork from veterans who undertaken art therapy and other creative sessions at Combat Stress. Enter our Secret Postcard Auction now for early bird access to our exclusive online galleries and the chance to win two free tickets to our live launch event in London*, plus more exciting perks for 2024. Don’t miss out - click here to sign up today: https://lnkd.in/g5BSSpDE *Terms and Conditions apply. #PostcardAuction2024 #ArtForACause #BidForGood

On 12 September, Office for Veterans' Affairs launched a new directory and a set of online guides to help UK veterans and their families easily access services and resources, including mental health support and advice about employment and housing. The online guides provide veterans with quick links to advice and support, with an option to filter organisations using topic and location. Click here to view the guides, where you can also click through to the directory: Support for veterans and their families - http://GOV.UK (http://gov.uk)

In honour of Gift Aid Awareness Day, we’re encouraging our supporters to #TickTheBox when donating to our charity. Did you know that when you make a donation to charity and say ‘yes’ to Gift Aid, the government adds an extra 25% to your donation at no extra cost to you? This means that when you donate £1 to an eligible charity, the government donates an extra 25p on top. Sign up to Gift Aid here: https://lnkd.in/euTaMx74 and click here to learn more about Gift Aid and how it can help charities such as Combat Stress: Tax relief when you donate to a charity: Gift Aid - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) #GiftAid #CharitySupport #GivingBack

Professor Dominic Murphy, Head of Research at Combat Stress, has written an editorial reflecting on his paper, ‘Living alongside military PTSD: A qualitative study of female partners’ experiences with UK Veterans’, which was the Journal of Military, Veteran and Family Health’s most read and downloaded article in 2017. Dominic’s original article formed part of a series of research projects that explored the needs of partners of veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The findings of the study informed our specialist support programme for the partners of veterans – The Together Programme, which we first piloted in 2018. Click here to read the full editorial: https://ow.ly/UxNI50TBihl

For some of the veterans we treat, their individual experiences during their military career or after leaving the military, have led to strong feelings of shame and a tendency to think about themselves in negative, highly critical ways. This is where Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT) comes in. Click here to read about why we use CFT to treat veterans at Combat Stress: https://ow.ly/9SXy50TyFBy #compassion #compassionfocusedtherapy #veteranscharity

On Saturday, our team conquered the Yorkshire 3 Peaks Challenge to raise funds for Combat Stress. We’re thrilled to announce that together, we've raised an incredible £11,041 (Including GiftAid) to support veterans facing mental health struggles. These donations will have a lasting impact, helping veterans get the help they need to overcome PTSD, anxiety, and depression. A massive thank you and well done to everyone who took part and made this event such a success. A special thank you as well to Carcomm Coachworks Ltd for lending us there beautiful van for the event. #SecureCloudPlus #SCPlus #Yorkshire3Peaks #CombatStress #MentalHealthMatter

On Saturday we took part in an event at Imperial War Museums. We were honoured to partner with the museum for their ‘Conflict Café’ which took place to support the opening of a major new exhibition ‘War and the Mind’. The exhibition explores the psychology of conflict and its impact on service personnel and civilians. At the Conflict Café, museum visitors could meet and hear from some of our specialist staff as well as veterans with lived experience of war and conflict.   During the course of the day many experiences and insights were shared, helping to build awareness and understanding about the impact of military trauma. It was a great opportunity to share our 105 years worth of veteran mental health expertise.  Thank you very much to Army veterans Clare and Dean who shared their experiences of complex mental health issues as result of their military experiences.    #ImperialWarMuseum #ConflictCafé #VeteransCharity

Today marks the end of #CycleSeptember, and we want to say a huge thank you to everyone who took part in the challenge! Your hard work and dedication have helped us raise an incredible £27,508 for our charity. If you weren’t able to join, or if you’re looking for your next fundraising challenge, head to our website to see the exciting ways you can raise money for veterans' mental health: https://lnkd.in/dHPhZUhm #VeteransCharity #FundraisingEvent #SupportOurVeterans

At Combat Stress, we use art therapy to help veterans express emotions and thoughts that are too difficult to verbalise. Listen as RAF veteran Tom discusses how treatment from Combat Stress helped him discover his passion for art. Tom is now an artist himself, and will be among the many fantastic creators taking part in our 2024 Secret Postcard Auction. Click here to learn more about the auction, and how you can take part: https://lnkd.in/g5BSSpDE #PostcardAuction2024 #GivingBack #ArtForACause