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Our Story
On Census Day (21 March 2021),
1.85 million people in England and Wales reported that they had previously
served in the UK armed forces.
That’s 3.8% of our population, aged 16 or over – not accounting for Scotland and Northern Ireland.
What our ex-veterans experience in the chapter of their lives beyond service is hard for them to explain and hard for many us, as civilians, to understand.
They face many complex issues - one of which and, perhaps, the most pertinent being
- their mental health and the impact that has upon them and their families.
One of the most devastating conditions is PTSD - Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and the range of mental health conditions within and beyond this.
We are a Social Value Enterprise and Community Interest Company (CIC) which aims to empower front-line service leavers and veterans who are suffering from PTSD and associated mental health issues, to help them reclaim their lives.
Our purpose is driven by a passion, and commitment to, helping veterans and their families to adjust to the transition into and beyond the realities of civilian life after active service, whilst also managing and coping with the exigencies of PTSD and other transition-related mental health conditions, such as severe anxiety and depression.
Understanding the devastating impact of PTSD and other associated mental health issues which occur when someone leaves active service can be utterly unquantifiable.
Our four-nation approach aims to value every veteran and every family member affected by the impact and experience of conflict-related trauma.
The impact of these kind of issues, not only upon the veterans themselves, but also upon their family and friends, can be devastating.
The transition into civilian life, after a several periods of active service within the armed forces, poses a number of challenges, including finding new employment, financial pressures, re-educating, lack of physical and emotional support and sometimes, homelessness, which is then, very much compounded by profound mental health struggles such as PTSD.
In serving their country, the aftermath and impact upon our veterans can truly destroy, and sadly, end lives.
As noted by The British Medical Journal,
‘Military-related trauma can be difficult to treat’.
Similarly, The British Journal of Psychiatry, estimates that the rate of PTSD among UK Veterans of all conflicts to be 7.4% compared to the rate of 4% among the general population.
Additional statistics reveal, that veterans deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan, over the last two decades sits at 9.4%, compared to a lower rate of 5% among those that did not deploy to either conflict. The trauma endured during this tours is harrowing and will have lasting and horrific effects about our veterans and their families. (Link to source needed)
So many times, their trauma and its impact is overlooked, not seen and not identified.
In so many cases, it's simply too late to help.
We have lost friends and colleagues to the horror of war,
we know the pain of conflict-related trauma like PTSD.
Many veterans need specialised, individual treatment, which has been designed and catered for them based on clinical engagement.
This is why we founded VTRN RESET.
Our Mission
The ‘Reset’ is about holistically healing from within, through support, therapy and understanding of the trauma that has occurred as part of active service.This is not always an easy or transparent process.Often those affected by PTSD and/or transition-related mental issues (hyperlink to research page) don't know how or where to access support and help to manage these conditions.
This may be just the beginning on the path to recovery or another major step within their individual healing process, to help them reclaim their lives in the wake of severe conflict-related trauma. Find out more below how our VRTN RESET programme can offer much needed respite, support and a path to rebuilding the lives of our veterans affected by PTSD and other associated mental health conditions.
At VTRN RESET CIC, our mission is to empower military veterans and front-line service leavers who are suffering from PTSD or other transition-related mental health issues, to reclaim their lives.
What is the ‘Reset’ and how do we help?
We offer a comprehensive healing experience through a Joint Service Partnership model (hyperlink), which, at its core is an intensive 10-day retreat in a group setting in Costa Blanca, Spain.
The programme is designed by a global team of experts in psychotherapy, neuroscience, mindfulness, relaxation techniques, nutritional science, and physical and somatic therapy.
Working closely with mental health professionals specialised in PTSD, we tailor our programme to each individual veteran’s needs, preferences, and stage of healing providing them with a beacon of hope and a clear vision for a brighter, more fulfilling future.
Our passion for helping veterans, combined with our personal and professional experience, allows us to deliver this life-changing programme.
Help us, to help many others, reclaim their lives from the impact of transitional mental health struggles.
What is PTSD?
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (hyperlink to research page) is a mental health condition that arises from exposure to or witnessing a traumatic event.
It is highly prevalent among front-line services and military veterans, causing a range of symptoms, such as acute anxiety, traumatic flashbacks and nightmares.
There is also a high likelihood of addiction in PTSD cases. While most veterans may initially struggle with adjusting and coping, they typically recover with time and proper self-care. However, some individuals experience worsening symptoms that can last for years, impeding their day-to-day functioning and leading to suicide, in some cases.
Sadly, between 1996 and 2018, 1086 veterans took their own lives.
Therefore, timely and effective treatment is crucial in managing PTSD symptoms and improving functionality, but this is often challenging to obtain in the UK.
What are transition-related mental health issues?
Along with the impact of PTSD, many veterans will experience severe and profound mental health issues including depression and anxiety, substance abuse, isolation, loss of their sense of purpose and possibly traumatic injuries to their brain and loss of limbs.
Learn more about PTSD and the impact of transition-related mental health conditions here (hyperlink to research page)
Quantifying our Impact: The real cost of change
Our programme prioritises the development of coping skills, resilience building, and confidence-boosting to empower individuals and promote their overall well-being. The success of our programme is evidenced by individuals who have risen above their trauma and become confident, resilient members of their communities. These individuals possess a strong understanding of their condition, are involved in the decision-making process of their care, and exhibit healthy behaviours and a higher quality of life. In short, success in our programme is characterised by empowered individuals who are equipped with the skills and resources to lead fulfilling lives filled with purpose and meaning. Our programme can help reduce the burden on the current health care system and provide veterans with the much-needed care they require.
Our programme offers progressive healing and a reduction in cost over time, as the veterans engaged within it are given the tools to support and sustain their healing process and overall recovery.
Our team of global experts is comprised of veterans, some of whom, have served in active duty and have been directly impacted by conflict-related trauma and also civilians who have experienced trauma throughout their lives. Click on link below to read their stories to understand more about what motivates and inspires them to deliver this life-changing programme.
Why should you support us?
A Veteran’s Journey
Within the burdened NHS system, those veterans who do reach out, are facing many challenges to access the help they need.
Pressurised health provision and particularly, mental health services, combined with fragmented regional delivery of services across the four nations (hyperlink), has resulted in the growth of over 2000 military charities (double check just England and Wales), who have had to ‘plug the gap’ on our mental health system in order to support the recovery of our veterans.
The lack of services and provision of care for those impacted by PTSD and transition-related mental health issues, has left many veterans, and their families, bereft of the help they desperately need to reclaim their lives.
Currently, the national mental health crisis in the UK, costs the economy at least £118bn a year, equating to 5% of the UK GDP. The financial cost of prolonged treatment is phenomenal. (Source?)
Our Ambassadors
Learning how to live and adapt as part of the transition to civilian life post-conflict is often compounded by the adversity of complex mental-health issues such as PTSD, clinical depression and even suicidal thoughts, which can have an utterly devasting impact on many veterans and their families.
This can be greatly reduced by implementing a comprehensive, coordinated national programme that effectively supports veterans through their PTSD recovery journey.
Which is what we are offering through the VRTN RESET.
Our programme aims to remediate, reduce and resolve the impact of these experiences.
- Ambassador for VTRN Reset
Learn more about what we do from one of our Ambassadors below and why we can help illuminate the path to recovery, turning traumatic shadows into stepping-stones towards a brighter tomorrow.
There is a plethora of research which explores and identifies the complex struggle for veterans associated with the transition into civilian life. Please visit the link below to our research page to understand more about the about the impact upon mental health, both within and outside of active duty, and upon veterans and their families as they move back into their civilian lives.
Understanding the 'RESET':
How can you help?
Join us on our mission to help veterans overcome their symptoms and regain control of their lives. (Hyperlink here to the Donation Page)
You can also view our Executive Summary below to help you understand more about our mission and enable you to utilise and share this document to support our mission – ensuring we raise the critical funding required to deliver this life-changing programme.
Who is in scope to avail of our services?
UK Military Veterans are considered to be in scope for this initial phase of mental health support rolled out by VTRN RESET CIC.
This criteria is based on the following:
The prevalence of PTSD and associated mental health issues, such as depression and anxiety, among UK Armed Forces veterans is alarmingly high, with nearly twice as many suffering from PTSD compared to the general public, with even more suffering from the severe form of PTSD, known as Complex-PTSD or CPTSD. (hyperlink needed to research page)
What is CPTSD?
'What happens with CPTSD is that your limbic system gets flooded with stress hormones. As a result, it stays stuck in fight, flight, or freeze mode. With CPTSD, you constantly feel on edge; nothing seems to help. The emotional trauma gets physically stuck in your body. Professional care is needed.’
Living with this on daily basis, and sometimes, being unable to communicate their pain and struggles, veterans throughout the UK need our help.
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What is CPTSD? ‘What happens with CPTSD is that your limbic system gets flooded with stress hormones. As a result, it stays stuck in fight, flight, or freeze mode. With CPTSD, you constantly feel on edge; nothing seems to help. The emotional trauma gets physically stuck in your body. Professional care is needed.’ What Is Complex PTSD? | Hanley Center at Origins
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Symptoms of this may and can include: Flashbacks, Memory Lapses, Distorted Sense of Self and Sleep disturbances and gastrointestinal issues.
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In addition to PTSD, many veterans struggle with a range of mental health issues related to the transition from military into civilian life. Despite the end of combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, the number of veterans suffering from these issues continues to rise, while access to professional help is diminishing. To exacerbate the problem the NHS reports, “The culture of the armed forces can make it difficult for veterans to seek help for mental health problems”.
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Families of Veterans: When, and if, Veterans are able to access are consistently overlooked in supporting and accessing mental health services for our veterans. Our programme focuses on providing a solid infrastructure of support which is inclusive of immediate family members. However, we do not include children within our scope, however, our comprehensive programme and resources seek to support veterans and their families entirely and equip them in their recovery journey.
Superhumans
We aim to launch three pilot retreats, which will be delivered over the winter of 2023/2024, with a business-as-usual roll out of the programme from Easter 2024.
We know the impact this kind of therapy can have on our veterans suffering from mental illness and the impact of PTSD.
We feel veterans are Superhumans – giving everything to their country; but in doing so, they can be ravaged, personally and individually, by the devastating effects of conflict and war. We are committed to helping them reclaim their lives and those of their families when they return home.
Click below to understand why we believe in supporting our Veterans.
Learn some more below about the efficacy holistic retreats can have in helping our veterans recover, recuperate and reclaim their lives when they return home.
‘Beautifully Flawed’
Beautifully Flawed Retreat is a place of healing, rehabilitation, community, and healthy living. We bring together girls who have experienced trauma to let them know that they are not alone, and that God loves them and sees their beauty! Video by @SetterStudios.
Our Joint Partnership Model
Our Joint Service Model programme aims to address the unique needs of service leavers and veterans suffering from PTSD and mental health conditions.
Our comprehensive and cutting-edge approach to treating PTSD and associated mental health conditions arising from active military service is designed to deliver a bespoke and highly individualised programme based on the clinical needs of each veteran utilising our programme.
As a core component, our 10-day retreat is supported and defined by our Joint Service Model, which brings together the highest calibre experts from around the World in the fields of psychotherapy, neuroscience and nutrition. The model involves extensive partnerships including military associations, non-profit organisations, corporations, and government agencies at each stage of the programme. The goal of this Joint Service Model is to streamline and coordinate the delivery of services, ensuring that veterans receive the support they need in a seamless and efficient manner.
Candidate identification via the Joint Partnership Model
There are 9 stages in our Joint Partnership Model
Why Us?
Our ability to deliver as global experts
As a team of global experts, who possess a vast range of experience, we understand the impact of PTSD and associated mental health conditions can, and often have, in the transition back into civilian life. We believe our lived experiences offer us the ability, to not only provide professional insight, but a degree of empathetic understanding and professional experience, which goes far beyond the current clinical services delivered in this area.
Meet the Team
Our specialised retreats are run by our team of global experts, many of whom have actively served in the army and have experienced, first-hand, the devastating effects of PTSD. Their stories (hyperlink to POV page) provide insight to why VTRN Reset was established and reflect our commitment to helping other veterans to recover and recuperate in order to live a fuller life, and one in which the crippling impact of PTSD and other transition-related mental issues does not limit them.
Our Core Team
Our Organisational Structure
Our commitment and passion for
VTRN RESET
Our stories reflect our personal experiences and reveal why we, as a team, are totally committed to, and passionate about delivering this programme.
Please read more below about our journeys, to understand why we believe we can help support the recuperation and rejuvenation of those veterans suffering from the impact of PTSD and the mental health crises they experience on a daily basis.
These are entirely from our personal perspective, in the hope that the convey the effects and impact of trauma as a result of PTSD ; not only upon the lives of us as veterans and individuals; but also, upon our families and friends. This has motivated us in our current work, and underlines our desire and passion to help others through our life-changing programme, VRTN RESET.
Our Team:
Adam's Story
Our Joint Partnership Operations Manager, Adam Stirling, recalls his journey of active service, including as Sergeant and Platoon Commander in Afghanistan in 2010. His valiant and courageous leadership ensured that the difficult, and perilous situation, himself and his platoon faced, resulted in a successful outcome. Not without cost.
The residual effects upon him, his family and friends, having lived through this conflict and the associated trauma in the post-conflict period such as PTSD, depression and anxiety, have inspired his drive and commitment to help to bring VTRN RESET to fruition.
VTRN RESET is visionary programme that can transform the lives of our former veterans and allow them to reclaim their lives, beyond the pain and impact of associated mental health conditions, such as PTSD, as a result of their service. Learn more about Adam’s personal story below.
“In my career of military service,
I led a platoon of brave men through a harrowing experience in Afghanistan.
Our mission placed us under relentless siege on the FLET (Forward Line of Enemy Troops). The intensity of the conflict was staggering - over the course of just two weeks, we faced an astounding 146 attacks. This siege was unrelenting, conducted day and night, with a barrage of compound assaults, ambushes, and a hail of RPGs (Rocket-Propelled Grenades), machine gun fire, recoilless rifles, snipers, and grenades launched in close proximity.
'We weathered a storm of casualties, emerging from that tour, forever changed, by the trauma of combat. Yet, the battle didn't end on the battlefield.
The struggle continued as we returned to civilian life, where we encountered a mental health support system for veterans that was profoundly broken."
The Alarming Statistics
One of the most distressing aspects is the agonising wait times for veterans in dire need of critical mental health care, particularly for Combat Stress.
According to reports from veteran sources, it's inconceivable that veterans grappling with this condition often face an excruciating 8-week wait before they can even receive a phone call from Combat Stress, a charity dedicated to helping veterans cope with psychological trauma.
The Grim Reality of Veteran Suicide
The consequences of these delays are heart-breaking and equally, alarming.
Since the end of Operation Herrick, the UK has witnessed a sobering statistic - an average of one veteran takes their own life every two weeks. These tragic losses serve as a haunting reminder of the urgent need to address mental health care for veterans.
Burdened by Mental Health Issues during Transition
The challenges faced by veterans extend to their transition from military to civilian life. Recent studies reveal that nearly 1 in 5 veterans experience symptoms of common mental health disorders, such as anxiety and depression, upon leaving the service. This critical period of transition is often marred by the burden of undiagnosed or untreated mental health issues, leaving veterans vulnerable to a host of challenges in civilian life.
The Fragmented System and GP Referrals
Adding to this, the fragmentation within the mental health support system has meant that the support and services of the approximately 1800 mental health charities in existence in the UK, has resulted in the system being disjointed and lacking cohesion. Many veterans, recognising their need for help, resort to self-referral to their General Practitioner (GP). However, even this step can be fraught with long wait times, as veterans often find themselves waiting for access to the Veterans Complex Treatment Service (VCTS).
A Beacon of Hope: Building a Community Interest Company
In December 2022, after months of exhaustive research and soul-searching, I reached a crucial decision. Faced with the stark reality that there was currently no joined-up system to address the mental health needs of veterans, I turned to my network and decided to initiate a Community Interest Company (CIC). This CIC would be dedicated to a singular, unwavering goal: providing an end-to-end solution for veterans grappling with PTSD and transition-related mental health issues.
Personal Loss and Shared Grief
I've experienced, first-hand, the devastating toll that untreated mental health issues can have upon individuals, families and friends. In 2016, I lost my point man from Afghanistan to PTSD. In 2018, I lost my best friend to suicide, a tragic outcome of his own battle with PTSD. I am also part of a regimental WhatsApp group that serves as a sombre reminder of the ongoing crisis. This group, with a few numbers from friends who have tragically taken their own lives, is a stark testament to the urgent need for comprehensive mental health support for veterans.
The Weight of Responsibility
I feel an immense weight of responsibility to get this programme up and running. It's a responsibility borne out of a deep sense of duty to those who have served alongside me and a determination to prevent further loss of life and suffering among our veterans.
The journey ahead will be challenging, but it's a mission that I and others are committed to with unwavering dedication.
A Vision for the Future: A Direct Partner of the NHS
Ultimately, we envision our Community Interest Company (CIC) as a direct partner of the NHS. We see ourselves working hand-in-hand with the National Health Service to provide seamless, comprehensive mental health support for veterans.
Together, we can mend the broken mental health care system and provide the support our veterans so rightfully deserve. It's a moral imperative, and we are ready to take on this critical mission for the well-being of our veterans and our nation.
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