About

I joined the Army at 16 years of age back in December 2001. I left my hometown of Wednesbury in the West Midlands to join the Army Foundation College and then The Household Cavalry.

I completed 23 years of service with the Army – 16 years with the Household Cavalry Regiment (the Armoured side) during which time I served on three Operational tours each involving events and experiences that affected me in ways I did not recognise at the time. You don’t – not when you are trying to stay alive and keep your buddies alive.

Serving in some of the most brutal and de-humanising environments I struggled with my mental health as the years passed. Those closest to me witnessed my decline.

I took a break from the Operational tours in 2012 and went to the HCR’s brother regiment – The Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment – which is the ceremonial face of the Household Cavalry, conducting mounted state and public duties in London. I served there for 7 years.

Though it was not an easy thing to do, I eventually sought help in 2022. This led to a diagnosis of complex PTSD – subsequently ending my career with a medical discharge.

With the clock ticking I had 12 months to navigate the prospect of losing a job I had loved and having to relocate my home. To add to my distress my wife told me she was leaving me with our three children.

At rock bottom I moved back to the West Midlands. I moved back in with my parents – to a bedroom I had left aged 16 and was now returning to at 38. But I was thankful to have a roof over my head.

I reached out to various services in the local area for help and support. I found very little of use. Bewildered by the misinformation and sheer lack of understanding I found in the services and people I engaged with, I thought something needs to change.

I have a vision for a service run by veterans for soldiers and veterans which will fill the void that comes with the ending of a career in the military.

I have a vision for a service that provides genuine support – the sort of support that does not switch off at 5pm.

If I can make it work in the West Midlands, I’ll work to make it available throughout the UK.

My own journey through the darkest of hours and days has motivated me to create Mental Fortitude – to build resilience in soldiers and veterans going through similar experiences.

We want to connect veterans with one another in their local areas. We want to share knowledge and experiences, to offer support and advice, and to listen when they want to talk.

In the process, we want to explore together the opportunities for learning new skills.

The talking bit is important. Soldiers, trained to fight, are not always good at talking. We provide a safe space to encourage them to do just that.

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