Help for Heroes is opening the doors of its recovery centre in Catterick Garrison to the public for the first time to show how it changes the lives of injured and sick veterans, serving personnel and their families.
A community open day is being held on Saturday, June 22, at Phoenix House on Richmond Road from 10am to 4pm.
Visitors will be able to find out about the diverse range of services on offer from welfare and career support to counselling and sports activities as well as having a go themselves at adaptive sports.
The charity, which relies on donations for 98 per cent of its income, has helped more than 21,000 people since it launched in 2007.
Veterans will be talking about the exciting opportunities available at Phoenix House including Invictus Games training and cycling at speed down a mountain in the middle of the night as part of the Snowdon Starlight Struggle team.
Other highlights include sports massage demonstrations, a one-minute cycle challenge, Bake for Heroes cake stall and children’s entertainment.
It will be the last big event at Phoenix House for recovery centre manager Melanie Dickinson who is retiring at the end of the month after five years. She is being replaced by David Walker who is currently Psychological Wellbeing Team Manager.
Melanie said: “We are very excited about welcoming visitors to the recovery centre to show off what we do and why we are needed as much now as when we opened here six years ago.
“Every day, seven men and women are medically discharged from the Armed Forces, their lives changed forever. Some have injuries so severe they would previously have been fatal, and their full impact may take years to understand.
“Others have psychological wounds that sometimes do not surface until years after they have been discharged. We provide support for these veterans, and their families, for as long as they need it.”
She added: “We hope visitors will leave our community open day feeling inspired, surprised and willing to support us, so that we can continue to give injured and sick veterans and Serving military personnel one less battle to fight.”
