Soldiers suffering from PTSD reveal how charity helped them get back to work

The number of war veterans ­needing job support after being ­diagnosed with PTSD has doubled in four years, according to a charity.

Since 2010, The Poppy Factory has helped more than 1,100 ex-Forces men and women with mental and physical health problems find work that suits them.

Four out of five veterans who approach the charity for support have mental health conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder, a rise of 50 per cent since 2015.

Chief executive Deirdre Mills said: “Leaving the rigid ­confines of the armed forces to start a new civilian life is always ­going to be tough, but factor in PTSD and other health conditions, and finding suitable work can be almost impossible.”

In 2017/18 its team helped 214 veterans into work – up from 172 the previous year and 127 the year before.

Deirdre said: “Many ­veterans’ mental health conditions don’t manifest for years. Finding the right job with support in the early stages can make all the difference.”

Here three veterans with PTSD explain how the Poppy Factory helped them.

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'They gave me the kick I needed'

Vicki Harris, 45, from Birmingham, served as a staff sergeant in the Army for 22 years, working in logistics in the Falklands, Kosovo, Iraq and Afghanistan.

In 2016 she was diagnosed with PTSD, shortly before being discharged.

Vicki said: “Just picking myself up and asking for help was a massive issue. I couldn’t hold down any job and really struggled financially.

With the charity's help, Vicky was able to secure two jobs (The Poppy Factory)

“My confidence was going downhill by the day.

“She’s given me the kick I need and said, ‘You can do this.’ We tried it, and it worked.”

With the charity’s help, Vicki secured two jobs.

The first was as a duty hotel manager, and later came a move back into logistics, managing imports and exports for international shipping firm JAS Worldwide.

'Now I'm giving to society, not taking'

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Chris O’Donnell, 51, From Bishop’s Waltham, Hampshire, spent 15 years in the Royal Navy until 2002.

He said: “When I left I wondered if I’d made the right decision. I didn’t know it then, but I was suffering with PTSD. I hated not being in control of my feelings.

“Accepting that PTSD diagnosis that was the turning point. With the courage to ask for help, I was introduced to Rachel from The Poppy Factory.

Road crash role is good fit

Glen Dellow was medically discharged in 2015 after 25 years (Glen Dellow)

Glen Dellow, 51, from Guyhirn, Cambridgeshire, developed PTSD after serving with the Army in Northern Ireland, Bosnia and Iraq, finally being medically discharged in 2015 after 25 years.

The ex-corporal said: “I was slightly aware of having PTSD when I was still serving but managed to suppress it.

“I was put in touch with Keiron at The Poppy Factory. He was fantastic, giving me lots of good pointers and acting as a go-between with employers.

Glen found a job that was a really good fit with his military background (Glen Dellow)

“It’s thanks to him I got my job with HW Martin, going out alongside traffic officers after an accident has happened. I check the safety of the road, make sure it’s clean and that all the signs and cones have been placed correctly. It’s a really good fit with my military background.”

“She helped me reach out to companies which would appreciate my skill set and military background rather than see it as a hindrance.

“Now I work as a quality assurance engineer at Siemens, a job I love. For the first time in years I feel like I’m giving to society rather than taking.”