NEWS
Read the latest updates and view archived articles from Walking With The Wounded's 'Walking Home Home For Christmas' December campaign.
Ally's Story
By Walking With The Wounded on
Ally was born and raised in North London and after school he went on to college to study for a degree. He got married and had 2 children and worked hard to support his family. As a young man with ambitions, he set up his own close protection company. It was whilst at work that he suffered a significant injury that left him feeling bereft, as if he had lost a part of himself. Ally wanted and needed a new role in life, one that offered support and reliability. He chose the Army.
In 2009, Ally joined the Honourable Artillery Company (HAC) and served in the Reserves whilst continuing to maintain his business commitments. He later transferred to 7th Battalion The Rifles and in 2013 he was deployed on active duty to Afghanistan as part of Op Herrick. It was a precarious moment in the war, and a few months into his tour, Ally’s duties changed radically - from active conflict into a peacekeeping role. The situation on the ground was unpredictable. Although he safely completed countless patrols, Ally did not come away unscathed. One day he witnessed the full force of a large explosive device when it detonated just outside the gates of his camp. It resulted in casualties and loss of life and for many years after, Ally suffered from Survivor’s Guilt and was left angry and traumatised. Even when he returned home to England, there was no respite, and he was immediately thrown into a new fight – the fight to keep his children. It became an all-encompassing battle. He went to court several times and spent all his savings on lawyers until there was no money left. He lost his business and became homeless. For 2 years he and the children relied on the generosity of his close friends for accommodation. Ally then represented himself in court and ultimately, he won the day and the right to keep his children. They have now been living with him for 10 years.
Ally later became a caseworker for SSAFA, advocating for veterans and their families. Having helped others for so long, it was now time for Ally to get his own help and support. He had been carrying his emotional distress for many years and at times it had led him to some very dark places. He approached NHS Op COURAGE (the NHS veterans mental welfare support team) who helped him address these longstanding issues. He was then referred to Jonathan, an Employment Advisor at Walking With The Wounded to get advice and support to begin the next steps in his career.
Initially, Jonathon managed to secure Ally several job interviews working in close protection, and he also recommended Insight Days and recruitment events for him to attend. More recently, Jonathan has sourced the £1400 Ally needed to complete a PRINCE2 Training Course in Project Management and then secured CIC funding for £390 to register Ally’s new company Matglen Veterans, as a limited company.
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Carl's Story
By Walking With The Wounded on
Carl served in the Duke of Lancaster’s Regiment for five years. Carl was in Poland, completing his pre-deployment training exercises (prior to a tour of Afghanistan) when he fractured his spine. Unfortunately, his injury was not investigated immediately and this led to Carl developing Scheuermann’s Disease, a deformity of the lower vertebrae. After 9 months of extreme discomfort, he finally received an x-ray, and the spinal fracture was revealed. He was sent to Headley Court for treatment but by that time, it was too late to repair. Carl now permanently suffers from intermittent severe and debilitating lower back and leg pain.
Carl did not want to leave the military; he would still be serving now if he was physically able to do so. The...

Bryn's Story
By Walking With The Wounded on
Bryn served as an Infantryman in the elite 1st Battalion Parachute Regiment (1 PARA), part of the Special Forces Support Group. He was regularly deployed on operations - to Kosovo, Sierra Leone, Northern Ireland, Iraq, and Afghanistan – and he was fulfilled by his achievements as a soldier.
After 10 years of active duty however, the physical demands of the role took its toll, and he experienced pain and damage to both his ankles. As he was no longer able to train or go on operations, he accepted that it was time to hang up his Army boots.
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Kane's Story
By Walking With The Wounded on
After Kane’s military career came to a sudden end, he had no idea what to do next. Without any direction in life, he felt stuck and increasingly disillusioned. Over time, he decided that he was most suited to working outdoors and he focused his energy into achieving his goal. WWTW supported Kane into a new career in Arboriculture. They provided him with help, encouragement, and the funding that he needed to get his professional training and apply for work. Now Kane has a great job as an Arborist with a leading utilities service company.
“Upon leaving the Army I was really stuck in a rut and didn’t know what to do. The turning point was meeting Lynsey at WWTW. She gave me so much help and support along the way and now I have landed myself...