When David* was just 19 years old, he was raped while serving in the Royal Navy, in a place where he should have been safe.
It took decades for him to tell anyone what happened to him. He was terrified and traumatised. So when the time came and he found the courage to speak up, he needed to share his experience with someone who would listen, and who would believe him. That’s what we do at Forward Assist, a veterans charity that I founded in 2013. Our remit is to support all veterans who are struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder.
I’m a veteran myself. I served in the Marines, before leaving to become a social worker, probation officer, and a Home Office adviser working on issues around addiction. Through my work, I kept meeting veterans who were struggling to transition into civilian life. That inspired me to develop a service that was shaped by the needs of veterans, so that the needs of those living with post-traumatic stress were met.
