Veteran inspiration to others
FUSILIER Andy Greaves struggled after first leaving the army four years ago, but is making progress thanks to support from a Valley veterans’ charity.
He left the 1st Battalion in 2014 with anxiety, depression and symptoms of PTSD, but these went undiagnosed for some time, compounded by his autism.
Andy, 28, said: “I was in a very dark place at times and I was suicidal. In the Infantry I wasn’t aware of my problems, it was only when I left that they became obvious. Everything in my life fell apart.”
Andy, who was 20 when he joined up and went on to serve in Afghanistan, joined Haslingden-based Veterans In Communities (VIC) and began volunteering on a number of projects, some funded by a grant from the ABF: The Soldiers’ Charity.
His story is now being used as a case study and a team from the charity’s London base came out to interview and photograph Andy at work at VIC’s allotment in Helmshore.
Andy, from Baxenden, who has volunteered at Stubbylee Greenhouses in Bacup and completed a foundation course in horticulture, says he would like to become a gardener in the future.