Event Description
Suicide, trauma, and mental ill health remain significant issues within the UK – and indeed, the global – veteran community. While there are no official statistics on veteran suicide numbers in the UK, data gathered by veteran support networks show concerning trends in the numbers of men and women from the veteran community taking their own lives. At the heart of many of these experiences of suicide, trauma and mental ill-health lies loneliness, a complex issue that manifests in unique ways within the veteran community.

This session will take on an, “In Conversation” format, where Richard Gettings and Mark Humphreys will share their lived experiences of loneliness, mental ill health, and the power of connection within the veteran community, looking at it’s unique characteristics and also any potential similarities with the lived experience of other marginalised and stigmatised communities.

Together, they will also explore how social prescribing and community-based approaches can support veterans facing isolation and mental health challenges and discuss how their personal journeys have shaped their understanding of loneliness, as well as the research and initiatives that seek to address it.

This event invites everyone involved in supporting those experiencing loneliness — whether in veteran circles or other communities. By exploring how loneliness manifests across different contexts, we can better collaborate to reduce its impact and stigma.

What to expect?
➡️Fresh insights of loneliness from within the UK Veteran community.
➡️Open conversation between Richard and Mark about loneliness, stigma, and recovery within the veteran community, that aspires to bridge lived experience, policy and research.
➡️Insights into how social prescribing can be used as a tool to support mental health and tackle isolation.
➡️Practical takeaways for those experiencing loneliness, across all
communities, and working within the field of mitigating loneliness and
supporting those experiencing it.
➡️Live audience Q&A

Visit the following link to register:Register – Loneliness in the Veteran Community

Speaker Info:
Richard Gettings is an Embedded Researcher with Doncaster Health Determinants Research Collaboration (HDRC), who has lived experience of mental ill-health, trauma and suicide within the Bluelight and Veteran communities and is founder of the Daparian Foundation, a lived experience research community centred upon trauma mitigation across communities. To see more details about the Daparian Foundation access their website

Mark Humphries BA (Hons) is a UK veteran who served in HM Forces, in the Royal Welsh Fusiliers and Parachute Regiment, in the Falklands and Gulf Wars, Northern Ireland and on United Nations duties. Mark is integrally involved in Veteran Wheelchair Rugby, with the Endeavour Wheelchair Rugby Community Sports Club and is the founder of The Veterans In Focus photographic project that pays tribute to Veterans from all walks of life; understanding the full power that sport and holistic activities have in mitigating trauma, mental ill-health and loneliness.