Photo: Geoff Pugh @GeoffPix
During the festive period, the Help for Heroes Choir will be singing at a number of venues to raise awareness amongst other sick or wounded veterans of the wellbeing benefits of singing in a choir – especially at Christmas time. The choir is made up of veterans that have been injured or become ill as a result of their Service.
The festive period can be a very lonely time for those that have been medically discharged from the Armed Forces. Many struggle to cope with mental and physical health issues and their loss of purpose, and they miss the fellowship they used to enjoy as part of their military life. This loss of camaraderie is a huge issue for many veterans, with new research carried out by Help for Heroes amongst 403 beneficiaries that were medically discharged from the British Armed Forces revealing that 45% of those surveyed were worried about losing friends and their military family as a result of leaving service. It also shows that 63% said the main reason for seeking support from Help for Heroes was to find community and fellowship.
Members of the Help for Heroes Choir have experienced for themselves the life-changing benefits of singing with others, finding that it lifts their mood, decreases depression and anxiety and creates a strong emotional bond and the comradeship they find lacking in civvy life.
Chris Farrell, a member of the Help for Heroes Choir, served in the Royal Military Police before suffering brain damage caused by a mosquito bite in Hong Kong and a spinal injury following an incident in Northern Ireland. These two factors ended her career in the Armed Forces. She says, “The Help for Heroes Choir is my family. It’s my oasis and comfort blanket, and it has brought me together with a brilliant, like-minded bunch of people that give me the sense of belonging and banter I have missed so much since becoming a civilian. Christmas can be a difficult time for me, especially as I don’t like being around lots of people; yet when I’m with the choir, even when we’re performing in front of a big audience, it feels safe.” (Full case study below)
Caroline Rawlins, Choir Lead for the Help for Heroes Choir, explains, “For many members, joining the Choir is their first step in contacting Help for Heroes and it’s like becoming part of a family. It provides a safe space to be with people that understand what you’ve been through, and a sense of belonging and purpose that is often hard to find outside of military life.
“By performing over the Christmas period we hope to get the word out there to other veterans in need that singing is an important recovery activity for wounded, injured and sick veterans – and any member of the public who donates when they see us this Christmas will ensure that we can keep supporting veterans so that they can live a happy and fulfilling life.”
The Help for Heroes Choir was performing at Victoria Station as part of the Charity’s Transport for London (TfL) collections and will be at the Salisbury Cathedral Carol Concert on 20 December. Members of the public who see the Choir performing are being encouraged to donate via the collection buckets or to go online to https://shop.helpforheroes.org.uk/collections/donate-to-help-our-wounded-stand-strong where, for a suggested donation of £5 or more they can obtain a limited edition Help for Heroes figure – one of the 40,000 models created as part of the charity’s 40,000 Strong campaign which highlights the fact that almost 40,000 men and women have been medically discharged from the Armed Forces in the past 20 years.
Chris Farrell Case Study
Chris Farrell was a proud member of the Armed Forces, serving in the Royal Military Police, before two incidents changed the path of her life, ended her career and sent her into a dark place. She was bitten by a mosquito in Hong Kong which led to brain damage caused by a tropical disease called Japanese Encephalitis. She also has a spinal injury received during her time serving in Northern Ireland. These two factors ended her career in the Armed Forces.
She hadn’t wanted to leave, and for 20 years she struggled to cope with civilian life until she contacted Combat Stress who put her in touch with Help for Heroes and its Band of Brothers Fellowship. As part of this she got in touch with a friend who she had served with who had joined the Help for Heroes Choir.
She says: “I couldn’t believe how easy it was to join the Choir. The weekend after I had signed up I was singing at Canterbury Cathedral and it was amazing. Since then I’ve sung all over the place, from Morrisons supermarkets to the Royal Albert Hall.”
“It felt like a big step to turn up to the first rehearsal, but I felt accepted straightaway. Now the Choir is my family. For me, it feels like singing with the angels and It makes me feel part of something bigger.”
“It’s my oasis and comfort blanket, and it has brought me together with a brilliant, like-minded bunch of people that give me the sense of belonging and banter I have missed so much since becoming a civilian. Christmas can be a difficult time for me, especially as I don’t like being around lots of people; yet when I’m with the choir, even when we’re performing in front of a big audience, it feels safe.”
