VETERANS looking for a fresh start are being offered a unique opportunity to take part in our new programme, which starts in the autumn.
With lockdown restrictions eased, we are looking at safe programme relaunch with the appropriate health and safety measures introduced. One of our first to come back on stream will be exclusively for unemployed veterans. Funded by The Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust, it is open to anyone who has been in the Army, RAF, Navy or Reserve units at any point in their life.
With a residential sail on our 72ft challenge yacht a highlight (that will be scheduled in for next year with the rest of the programme taking place this year), participants take qualifications and are offered one-to-one support and mentoring with bespoke coaching to gain new skills and confidence.
Former Hull serviceman Richard Ward (pictured right with our Delivery Officer David Andrews), completed a similar course with us last year and encourages others, like him, to take part. For Richard, the effects of leaving the Forces have been long-lasting – he returned to civilian life 30 years ago and admits having struggled over those three decades.
“When I left the Army, I found myself in a bad place, getting into a lot of trouble. My life slowly went downhill. But I believed that I had made my bed, and I tried to lie in it and did so without any light at the end of the tunnel,” explained Richard.
“But things were going the wrong way and they had to be repaired, for me when I had reached that point Combat Stress, a registered charity offering therapeutic and clinical treatment for veterans, was my first port of call in trying to get back on track. The people there recommended the CatZero programme, as a way to rebuild my life for a better future.”
The team at CatZero and the experience provided a turning point, said Richard.
“When I first met the team, my feeling was that these guys wanted to help me and that is why I went with it. My confidence rocketed as we were learning without being spoken down to.
“That gave all of us an instant boost, these people were listening to us. It was good to feel that value of life, which puts you on a steady and even keel. I am in a better place, I can now see light at the end of the tunnel, and I have the confidence to go and find that light,” he added.
Richard is currently in work in the south of England, with his home still in Hull.
To apply, or speak to our Programme Manager Pete Tighe phone 01482 333303 (leave a message and we will call you back) or email [email protected]
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