NEWS
Read the latest updates and view archived articles from Walking With The Wounded's 'Walking Home Home For Christmas' December campaign.
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 situation changed his life, all his military goals and ambitions were gone, and he was forced to move on.
After struggling with low-paying jobs due to his condition, Carl also faced mental health challenges and unemployment.
In 2019, he sought help from WWTW, where Employment Adviser Steve supported him in finding work suited to his needs. Despite setbacks, Carl completed a fully funded cyber security course and, with Steve’s help, secured a remote role as a Digital Forensics Technician at Sedgwick’s International. This job has transformed Carl’s life, restoring his confidence, financial security and optimism for the future. Now working from home, Carl and his family enjoy a better quality of life, and he is set to receive his military pension soon.
"I had been on disability benefits for a few years, but I desperately needed to get a full-time job to boost the family income. I got in touch with WWTW for help and Steve came to see me at home and we had a chat about my job aspirations and requirements. He put together my CV and started to look for jobs for me, ones that would be achievable for me. After I had completed a 3-month Cyber Security course and the job at Sedgwick’s came up, everything fell into place. It was perfect and working for them has changed my life completely. It has boosted my mood and my confidence. I have purpose and fulfilment once again and that’s all thanks to Steve’s hard work."
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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...
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.
Unphased by the transition to civilian life, Bryn quickly transferred his military expertise into a career in private security. He secured contracts to protect senior US government officials as they...
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...