Army veteran to take on unique challenge in aid of Help for Heroes

AN army veteran will spend two weeks wearing a weighted vest to raise awareness of the burden of mental health problems and collect funds for armed forces charity Help for Heroes.

Abbie Jones (27), from Christchurch, will also wear the vest for a 57km endurance run.

Having served in the military police from 2013 until 2020, Abbie was aided by Help for Heroes following an ankle injury which hit her career.

“[The injury] really affected my mental health and wellbeing," she said. "I was having a tough time getting the right support.

“My welfare officer suggested gaining support from Help for Heroes and mentioned its Rolling Recovery Programme (RRP), which was, essentially, a mindfulness week during which you could do lots of different activities – including yoga, swimming, gardening, art, and creative writing – with other serving soldiers and veterans, all in a completely non-judgmental environment.”

The initiative sparked Abbie's interest in gardening, and after leaving the army she decided to take it up as a new career. She is now working at Crichel House in Blandford Forum.

Abbie now wants to pay back Help for Heroes for the support the charity gave her, and will wear the heavy vest to represent “the invisible weight" of mental health problems.

As part of her challenge she will undertake the South Coast Challenge, running along the shoreline from Eastbourne, over the Severn Sisters, to Cuckmere Haven, over the South Downs and onto the promenade at Brighton.

It will involve her covering a distance of 57 kilometres, including 1,250 metres of climbing.

Abbie said: “This part of the challenge represents the road to recovery. There are a lot of hills and inclines on the challenge, and I wanted that to represent the undulating road to recovery because, for me, it certainly wasn't an easy one or a straight road.

“I know a lot of people have experienced the same, where it's been a very up-and-down battle.

"Some days you have good days and then you have bad days. I thought the South Coast Challenge would be a good representation of that.”

Help for Heroes champions the armed forces community and helps them live well after service. It has already supported more than 26,500 people.

For more information visit helpforheroes.org.uk

Sponsor Abbie at www.justgiving.com/fundraising/abbie-jones18