Wounded Heroes Australia – proudly supporting our veterans
As ANZAC Day approaches, the sacrifices made by our current and ex-serving Australian Defence Force members and their families comes to the forefront our hearts and minds.
Wounded Heroes Australia President - Martin Shaw states “What many are not aware of, is while we as a nation pay our respects, thousands of veterans and their families across Australia are suffering from the residual effects of their service. Some with physical ailments resulting in loss of income and homelessness, and others with scars that cannot be seen such as PTSD, depression, anxiety, and other mental health issues.”
Another thing most people are not aware of is the ADF does not have Workcover. If they are injured through their service or cannot sustain employment there are a myriad of hoops to jump through to receive support. While there are a number of ex-service organisations (ESO’s) out there for veterans, none are able to provide immediate crisis support.
Wounded Heroes Australia, an Ipswich based charity was established in 2007 to service this critical need and after 16 years has a service-delivery model that works, in the prevention of veteran suicide.
“Wounded Heroes Australia are proud to support the ADF veterans and their families Australia wide, with immediate assistance (within one hour) to get them through to the next part of their recovery journey. It’s our mission to make sure they are not forgotten.” states Mr Shaw.
To further assist veterans, Wounded Heroes Australia offers a four-day Horses 4 Heroes – Equine Healing Program based at Wacol.
Mr Shaw states, “Equine Healing has huge health benefits for individuals experiencing mental health issues in comparison to standard health treatments. Our equine team works with course attendees in both practical and therapeutic interactions. The course includes grooming, feeding and groundwork exercises and we’ve seen some great outcomes with our veterans.”
Michael Dawson BM, a recently retired veteran attending the course stated “…it was extremely beneficial both psychologically and therapeutically. I wish it ran for more than four days.”
Wounded Heroes Australia currently has two Veterans Centres in South-East Queensland. This May marks 16 Years for Wounded Heroes Australia and the charity is eager to launch new programs and Veterans Centres across Australia is the coming years.
The charity is primarily donor funded, with 100% of public donations going to veterans and families in financial crisis. We rely heavily on the support of the community and sponsors to continue their work. There are plenty of ways to help including sponsorship, fundraising and volunteering at their Veterans Centres.
For more information contact Wounded Heroes Australia – Veterans Centre Ipswich and Head Office (07) 3282 0451.
Michelle Henderson and Oliver Hall
0477 710 288
media@woundedheroes.org.au
Pictured (L-R): Michael Dawson BM and Cobber.
