Working in Partnership with the NHS |
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| | We are delighted to be one of the official partners working with the Midlands Op COURAGE team, alongside Mental Health Matters and Walking with the Wounded.
The service being provided to veterans by the team has been making a positive difference to the lives of many, and now - with TRP bringing the family element into the partnership by offering a package of support, care and information to family members - this can only be of benefit to everyone affected.
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To support this partnership, we have welcomed Isla Strathdee to the team, as a Member Service Delivery Officer.
Isla comes to us with a wealth of experience in the social care sector, and is already proving to be a great asset to TRP. We will soon have her bio on our website for everyone to 'meet' her, and we're sure that many of you will be talking with her in the coming weeks. A very warm welcome to Isla!
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We attended the Forces Additional Needs and Disability Forum (FANDF) Autumn Event at MOD Corsham, which provided a fantastic opportunity to hear of issues faced by serving personnel and their families dealing with additional needs and disabilities, and from the organisations that can offer support.
As well as offering insightful presentations from the FANDF panel and Education Advisory Service, the event gave us a great opportunity to catch up with members of the military community.
You can catch up with the guest speakers' presentation slides here. |
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| | We were lucky enough to have been invited to attend the preview performance of Shell Shock Media CIC's brand new production, ‘Knock on the Door’, produced in collaboration with Northumbria University's Northern Hub for Veterans and Military Families Research.
The powerful and moving performance sparked so many interesting discussions around the lived experiences of bereaved military family members, and we would like to thank Shell Shock for inviting us to sit on the panel, as part of these crucial conversations.
The full report which facilitated this event can be found on the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust website.
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We would like to say a massive thank you to all of the TRP members who have offered to be a volunteer Regional Coordinator for their regional area.
Over the coming weeks, these thirteen incredible volunteers will be undertaking their training, learning everything from our TRP values and ethos, to our thorough safeguarding practices. Having these Regional Coordinators supporting and engaging with the members on the WhatsApp groups has already made such a big difference, and we look forward to supporting the groups alongside them. Thank you all, you're amazing! |
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| | The staff team recently spent a morning linking with Cruse, to receive training on bereavement and loss. Whilst we don't support bereaved families directly, we all experience loss - be that a loss of identity, of a relationship, of a perceived future - and that naturally feels so different for every single person.
The training session gave us all the opportunity to reflect on bereavement and loss within our own lives, as well as providing us with a much greater understanding of the whole area which will, in turn, help us to better support our members. Thank you to Cruse for a great session! |
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| | We would like to offer our sincere congratulations to the recently reappointed Minister of State (Minister for Veterans' Affairs), The Rt Hon Johnny Mercer, with whom we had a fantastic meeting earlier this month.
Johnny showed a genuine interest in - and compassion towards - our members, and a deep understanding of the needs of our unique community.
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We thank you, Johnny, for both your time and your support, and we look forward to talking to you again.
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Our Director, Rodger, met with Combat Stress CEO, Jeff Harrison, to talk about how their service is operating post-COVID, and to look at ways in which we can work alongside each other to best support the family members as well as the veterans Combat Stress are treating - yet another opportunity for organisations to work together in offering the best care for all. |
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| | Thank you to SSAFA, for inviting us to virtually meet with the regional RAF North team, at their conference. We talked about the services and support we offer to military families, and the impact that supporting a loved one can have on a carer's mental health. The team were fully engaged, and we were pleased to be able to answer all of their interesting questions.
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Thank you to Dr Rachael Gribble of King's College London, for updating us on the research currently being conducted by the King’s Centre for Military Health Research. Dr Gribble’s research has covered military families, especially the health and wellbeing of the partners and children of military personnel, family experiences of military life, and public attitudes to the military. |
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| | Thank you to Stella von Koskull, Deputy Project Manager of Bravo 22 Company, a recovery through arts programme open to family members as well as serving personnel and veterans. The programme offers something for everyone, from painting and sculpture, to photography and residential courses, play readings and live interviews with industry experts. |
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| | The ever engaging and informative Dan Arnold joined us in October to talk mental health - specifically PTSD - both from the veteran perspective and the family perspective.
He talked about his experience and looked at how his mental health can impact the whole family. With that, he brought ideas and suggestions that the whole family can use to both support the veteran and maintain good family relationships and connections. The talk is recorded for all TRP members to listen to - pop us an email if you would like the link.
We would like to thank Dan for always being a great supporter of TRP, and for always being willing to help us with his knowledge. |
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| | We would also like to thank Dr Anouk Houdijk, Clinical Psychologist and Clinical Lead in the Op Courage CTS Team with Buckinghamshire NHS. As a specialist in trauma and veteran mental health, Anouk used her extensive experience and skills to record an invaluable talk for TRP members.
Within the talk, Anouk discusses how the brain functions and what happens within the brain during military training and beyond, and gives a really clear explanation for us all to understand. She also talks about different treatments for PTSD, how to encourage loved ones to address issues and get help, how to explain mental health to children as well as giving ideas for communication and connection when someone is struggling.
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CATCH UP: Both of the above talks have been recorded, to allow members to watch and/or listen at a time that suits them and, if needs be, in short snippets - we know that committing to a full hour in one go doesn't work for everyone.
These videos are available exclusively to TRP members, and can be accessed by emailing the team. |
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The Ripple Pond is proud to be supported by the following funders: |
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It’s down to the generosity of these funders that we’re able to continue helping the military families who need us most.
Thank you for helping us to change lives. |
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The Ripple Pond
Registered Charity Number 1161224 | Scottish Charity Number SC046402
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* TRP members: unsubscribing from the newsletter will not affect your membership, and you will continue to receive necessary email updates from the team. Should you prefer not to be contacted by email at all, please change your preferences directly with the team: help@theripplepond.org or 0333 900 1028 |
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