A factory that makes remembrance poppy wreaths has helped save the lives of veterans working there, two ex-soldiers say.
Veterans Jamie Micklefield, 43, and Alex Conway, 62, say they would not be alive today were it not for The Poppy Factory helping them into employment.
It makes the tributes laid at the cenotaph by royals and politicians each year.
Both men were diagnosed with PTSD years after leaving the force.
And Jamie admits he was suicidal after a murder near his home in Parsons Green, West London, sparked terrifying flashbacks of his time in service.
Jamie, originally from Castleford, West Yorks, drove tanks for the Royal Dragoon Guards for 17 years and was posted to Iraq in 2004.
A lower back injury meant returning to civilian life was extra-tricky.
He said: “The factory has given me structure back. I was lost, suicidal. It’s also a place you can go and have a laugh and I’ve made friends with Alex.”
Alex, who has made wreaths there since 2017, admitted: “I don’t think I’d be here today if not for the Factory.”
He was struggling following a 15-year military career – first with the Royal Green Jackets, with whom he served in Northern Ireland, then the French Foreign Legion Parachute Regiment.
He said: “We lost a lot of men and that stays with you. I left in 1989 and was married ten years, but I had periods of uncontrollable anger.
“I was drinking a lot and my marriage broke down. It was my counsellor at St Pancras Hospital in London who recommended the Poppy Foundation for support, to help with the anxiety. In the Army you are surrounded by people – but when you leave the support falls away.”
Since 1922, the Factory has employed countless veterans with health conditions, as well as some of their dependents.
A 24-strong team now makes 116,000 wreaths a year at its site in Richmond-upon-Thames, South London. Among them is Peter Wills, 59, who was born deaf, and helped make Prince Charles’ wreath for today. Androcles Scicluna, 72, works there too, while wife Rosa, 71, volunteers. “It’s like therapy,” Rosa said.
The Samaritans is available 24/7 if you need to talk. You can contact them for free by calling 116 123, email jo@samaritans.org or head to the website to find your nearest branch. You matter.
