Help For Heroes faces losing 142 staff as income plunges by third

MILITARY charity Help For Heroes has put 142 staff at risk of redundancy after its income plummeted by nearly a third during the pandemic.

The organisation, which wounded veterans and their admitted it was likely around would lose their jobs.

Help For Heroes receives 97 per cent of its income from donations and fundraisers, which have been cancelled or postponed in recent months.

Chief executive Melanie

“The crisis has had a devastating impact on the whole UK charity sector, with lasting consequences, and it has hit us hard.

“These tough decisions have been made to protect the future of the charity and have been taken with our beneficiaries in mind.”

The charity, which launched in 2007, furloughed 40 per cent of its staff in March and continued to serve veterans virtually and remotely throughout the pandemic.

It said demand for support rose supports families, 80 staff

Waters said: significantly during the lockdown, with a 33 per cent increase in new people coming forward for help with their mental health in May and June compared to the same period last year.

Three Help For Heroes recovery centres will remain closed indefinitely as the charity focuses on face- to- face and online support.

The charity said it was working with the Ministry of Defence “to provide core recovery activities for wounded personnel”.

Veteran Barrie Griffiths, 58, served in the RAF for 34 years and used Help For Heroes to aid his PTSD.

He said: “I am desperately sad to see so many wonderful staff face the risk of redundancy as a result of these unfortunate changes.”

Anyone interested in helping the charity will find a number of donation options on its website. Visit helpforheroes. org. uk/ donate- online