Do a Walk this December to Serve those who have Served us

• Military charity Walking With The Wounded (WWTW) is estimating it will treble the number of ex-servicemen and women it supports in 2018, following a 97% increase last year to more than 1,000.
• WWTW hoping to raise vital funds this Christmas for our wounded ex-servicemen and women.
• Those who sign up to the Christmas appeal will be supporting our wounded as well as reducing their own risk of developing depression and anxiety.

Military charity Walking With The Wounded (WWTW) is estimating it will treble the number of ex-servicemen and women it supports in 2018, following a 97% increase last year to more than 1,000. With Christmas fast approaching, for many a time of financial pressure and loneliness, more ex-service personnel than ever require support.

This time last year I was living in the woods. Thanks to WWTW, this Christmas I am in a job and have a roof over my head"

says Richard, who served 4 years as a Trooper in the 13/18th Royal Hussars.

This December, Walking With The Wounded is asking the British public to sign up to their Christmas appeal, Walking Home For Christmas, to raise vital funds for those wounded who have little to look forward to this upcoming festive season. The charity hopes to raise a quarter of a million pounds which will enable the charity to change the lives of more than 400 men and women. The campaign is proudly supported by Wolsey, who during World War 1 supplied over 18 million woollen jerseys, scarves and pieces of underwear to the British Armed Forces.

Evidence shows that there are still thousands of ex-service personnel like Richard who are struggling or haven't yet sought the support they require. Walking With The Wounded's mission is to support all ex-servicemen and women with physical, mental or social injury to gain the skills and qualifications necessary to develop new careers outside the military, re-integrate into society and provide long term security for themselves and their families.

In Richard's case, he spent 9 months travelling on foot and sleeping rough, having gone through a 'dark spell'. At one point, he was living in a 'basher' (a military shelter) in the woods for 15 months.

Andy Sloan, Events Manager at WWTW said:

Too many of our ex-military have little to look forward to this Christmas. They've walked in far more dangerous environments for us, so it is the least we can all do to organise a walk for them.  We want people to throw on a Santa hat, call up old friends and raise some funds so that we can support these men and women back into work, back into independence and into a place where they can look forward to and enjoy Christmas with their families."

This Christmas, Walking With The Wounded is asking the British public to do a walk of any sort between Friday 8th – Sunday 17th December for our wounded ex-servicemen and women, those who without our support could be on the streets, without a job, isolated from their family, in debt or in prison.

Richard said:

I am looking forward to spending Christmas with my godson and his family. I'll be able to buy them presents, something I never thought possible."

In addition to supporting these vulnerable men and women, Rod Eldridge, Clinical Lead at WWTW, reminds us that:

Walking as a form of physical activity is well known to be associated with improving mental health, particularly lowering rates of depression and anxiety across all age groups."

It's medically proven that people who do regular physical activity have up to a 30% lower risk of depression and up to a 30% lower risk of dementia. Some scientists think that it can improve mental wellbeing because it brings about a sense of greater self-esteem, self-control and the ability to rise to a challenge. Thus contributing another reason why WWTW are urging the great British public to get out and about this December, get active and in turn serve those who have served us.

For more information, please visit wwtw.org.uk/Christmas

How your office could get involved….

• Team outing – Walk to a dinner, Christmas party, gig or sporting fixture
• Challenge clients – Walk between offices, to a client – anywhere that gets you unique, memorable time with them
• Employee well-being – Encourage staff to ditch the tube, car or bus and try walking home or get off the train a stop early
• Business development – Create an industry walk event for targets and clients old and new to engage with while highlighting your CSR commitments
• Incentivise – Get competitive and reward staff sign ups/fundraising with a draw for extra holiday, Christmas hamper or bubbles
• Corporate Covenant – Use the event to activate or spark your firm's signature of the Armed Forces Covenant

HOW TO SIGN UP

• Sign up to Workplace Challenge, create your own personal profile (don't forget to download the mobile app too) and join the challenge at https://www.workplacechallenge.org.uk/challenges/walkinghomeforchristmas
• Go to www.WalkingHomeForChristmas.com and sign up to do your own walk, organise a big group walk for others to join, or join a public walk.
• Receive your pack with a branded Santa hat, bag and wristband, get fundraising and planning your walk for anytime between Friday 8th December and Sunday 17th Dec.
• Log your miles on the Workplace Challenge!
  

WAYS YOUR COMPANY CAN TAKE PART:

• Sign up as an individual walker, get your pack and lead your group on a walk encouraging them to donate to your JustGiving page or collect cash. If they want an official Santa hat of their own then send them to wwtw.org.uk/Christmas.
• Sign up as an individual and get a pack for each member of your group – you have the option to buy up to 35 packs when you register.
• Sign up as an organiser to get an organisers pack and create an official walk that anyone can join and that is listed on the WHFC map. You can then invite your group to join your walk. It will group all their JustGiving fundraising pages together to give you a total raised by your walk.

FUNDRAISING:

Serve those who served us by raising funds to ensure our wounded can support themselves and their families next Christmas. Walking With The Wounded is keeping veterans out of jail, helping veterans access mental health care faster and supporting veterans back into work.

We challenge each walker to raise £50? That's £10 from 5 colleagues… and your pack includes a sweepstake sheet that could do this for you. Set up your JustGiving page here.

GET ACTIVE and GET LOGGING:

Use this challenge to inspire your workplace to get out walking and log your miles on the Workplace Challenge.

Your totals will be added to the leaderboard below. https://www.workplacechallenge.org.uk/challenges/walkinghomeforchristmas

If you have any questions about the event, please email whfc@wwtw.org.uk or call Viveca or Andy on 01263 863 902.

Thank you.

More information: http://www.walkinghomeforchristmas.com

Inspiration:

Last year Tom (age 9) walked to school with his dad, Wendy (age 62) walked everyday in December in her local town, dressed as Father Christmas and Adam (age 36) ran from Bath to Belfast to join his family for Christmas Day. Whatever you decide to do, your steps will make a difference to the futures of our wounded.

Have a question?

Email whfc@wwtw.org.uk or call 01263 863902