Poppy appeal focusing on mental health

CHRISTCHURCH: The Returned and Services’ Association officially launches its 2018 Poppy Appeal today.

It aims to raise vital funds to support New Zealand’s 41,000 veterans, returned servicemen and women and their families.

With a theme of ‘‘Not all wounds bleed’’, it will focus on the mental health needs of our veterans, and our recent veterans, in particular.

Issues associated with return from deployment, posttraumatic stress injuries (PTSI), mental health issues and transition to civilian life can have a significant impact on veterans — including those men and women presently serving — as well as their families.

A joint initiative between the RSA and the NZ Defence Force is being seen as a pilot model for how they can work together to support both serving personnel and veterans.

While the Defence Force and the RSA both offer a raft of support services, Canterbury RSA district support adviser and Borneo and Vietnam veteran Eddie Bassett, and Captain Rebecca Maddaford, an army nursing officer and Afghanistan veteran, found some people were still falling through the cracks.

By teaming up, they realised they could help people in many ways.

The Burnham Hub, based just outside the wire of Burnham Military Camp south of Christchurch, launched in January last year.

Since then, it has helped 34 families and individuals in a wide range of ways.

‘‘It’s already made a hell of a difference to these families and their lives,’’ said former army warrant officer and veteran Lorraine Aitken, who works on base and volunteers for the RSA.

She and her colleagues receive requests for support and manage inquiries from serving personnel or exservicepeople.

Requests are coordinated with NZDF or the RSA to provide support, which can be financial, moral or material depending on the need.

While returned soldiers can get access to specialist counselling for traumatic events, it’s not always made available to families and children. The Hub is helping to extend that outreach.

The Hub also helps with buying school uniforms, planning household budgets, writing wills, paying for short respite breaks, and filling out Veterans Affairs documentation.

It is hoped the Burnham Hub model will be introduced at other New Zealand camps and bases.

Poppy Day this year is Friday, April 20. — NZME