Speech given by Fiona at St Mary's Congleton at a service in recognition and appreciation of Servicemen and with particular reference to the remarkable work of the Congleton-based LOL Foundation charity with which supports ex Servicemen.
Fiona said:
"It is an honour to speak here today as we remember and commemorate those who give so much in service of our freedom. It would only be fitting to begin by paying tribute to all branches of our Armed Forces, past and present, that work on our behalf and to reflect on the enormous sacrifices they make so that we may continue our lives as normal.
Speaking of that sacrifice I wanted to take the opportunity in front of you all today to talk about some of the work done locally here in our town to help service men and women who return to a civilian life very different to the one they remember. War does not necessarily end for our veterans on the battlefield and sacrifice is not only loss of life or physical injury.
As Jill Dolman, founder of the LOL Foundation, reminded me the recognition of PTSD is only very recent. If we go as far back as the First World War so called ‘shell shock’ receives short shrift with the suggestion that only soldiers they were weak suffered from it. Some were even tried and convicted of cowardice for which they were shot. As time progressed and it began to become apparent that shell shock was not caused by physical blast or injury, physicians began to refer to it as ‘combat stress’. It wasn't until what we would call modern wars in the Gulf that we came to recognise PTSD as we do now and understand that treatment of this requires humanity, compassion, understanding, and as the LOL Foundation offers, occupational therapy.
Congleton’s own LOL Foundation has recently helped is 100th ex-servicemen to get his life back on track. This man's name is Darren and he has written a letter about how LOL has helped him:
'My name is Darren and I am 49 years old I spent 188 nights on the street and the only way to get a shower was taking an overdose of paracetamol and go to hospital. I was introduced to LOL by streetwise. LOL have helped me in a big way as I am ex RAF by giving me a home and food and overcome alcohol. They are now helping me to get in touch with my wife and children, I am now hoping and praying things can only get better and I’ll get my own place and family back in my life. This is thanks to support from LOL.'
Darren was living in a tent at the back of the town hall in Macclesfield when Jill Dolman was contacted about him by the council. She found him buried under his belongings and debris sleeping rough. He had been in one or two different places was a severe alcoholic, had medical issues, double incontinence, and so all the places he had been found had ‘booted him out’. When LOL made contact they put him on a drink down and insured he had a week’s detox at Leighton hospital. He is now three weeks sober, no longer incontinent, is out helping with this year’s British Legion Poppy appeal and I look forward to meeting him on parade tomorrow. These are the success stories it is a pleasure to hear.
The LOL foundation helps ex-servicemen find a purpose in life again. Many that pass through arrive as alcoholics and so LOL ensure that the Canal Road property is a designated dry house and residents go through drink down before they enter. The LOL foundation ensures that the lads have a structure to the day with many decorating or gardening for elderly people in Congleton many veterans themselves. This not only gives structure and purpose to the day something these men who have simply been surviving and not living life have not had the sometime but also helps local people and gives back to the community.
Veteran and LOL co-founder, Andrew Dolman-Bayley, and veteran, Leon Thomas, are working together on adventure training. Adventure training takes place in Wales near Snowdonia on public land, they take tents and get back to nature; they collect water from the stream, there is no access to phones, and they all have to rely on each other. This physical outdoors work can reduce stress, improve mental health and well-being, and build confidence and team work. This has now been trialed four times and every time the team comes back they can't wait to go again, they say it is the hardest thing but also the most rewarding; to feel like a team, to feel like they have achieved something, in fact it is almost like going back to basic training! The intention is to trial this with some of the other services like police officers, firemen and women, and NHS staff - those who've been off work for a long time or are suffering from stress. From then the five year plan includes the hope that they can reach out to local children. They hope to run something every Saturday morning and have enquired at schools so the kids can start to get exercise and can be sent home every week with cost-effective healthy recipes for the whole family.
The mental health of our young people is exceptionally important many of the lads that are helped by the LOL foundation have experienced or are experiencing PTSD. It is thought that this PTSD is not always solely caused by their experiences during war but because of serious traumas in childhood. Tt is the war and the things that happen in theatre that bring this back.
Those helped by the LOL foundation often go on to settle in Congleton or the surrounding area many with their families, others have met people and formed new relationships, had children and they are keen to give something back.
Originally the intention was that the men would stay with the LOL foundation for a maximum of two years before leaving, getting jobs, reuniting with family, and living independently, often in private rented accommodation. It became clear overtime that some men were not ready or equipped for life with bills and responsibilities that they haven't experienced for a while and these men would simply end up in trouble again. Now the LOL foundation is working to create a halfway house where lads can live whilst they are working and the LOL foundation will help them with learning how to manage money and pay bills. As LOL’s mission states they want to - ‘reduce poverty, distress and suffering to the homeless, working together with veterans and civilians giving them the platform to independence.’
Check against delivery.