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Discover SSAANZ: Providing support to those in need
Launched only two years ago, the Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen’s Association of New Zealand (SSAANZ) has a fast-growing membership. Affiliated to the Royal New Zealand RSA, the association provides opportunities for those who have served, or are still serving in the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) to connect outside of their service careers and get involved in outdoor adventures and activities that support physical and mental wellbeing.
Michael Walker is an ex-Navy engineer and diver who talks candidly of how hard life was for him following the end of a 14-year service career. As he puts it, he went from having a mission, a vision and values, and a life of shared challenges with other like-minded servicemen and women to suddenly feeling alone and adrift. ‘The first time I experienced depression, I didn’t really know what was going on; I was chasing uniforms, searching for that brotherhood, and working myself harder and harder,’ Michael says. ‘I was burnt out and diagnosed with PTSD. I finally hit rock bottom in 2015 when I tried to end my life.’
Fortunately, with help, he was able to get back on track. Today, he is particularly thankful for the support and understanding he received from his family and for having reached a point in his own journey where he is now able to offer hope to others going through difficult times.
‘I made a promise that I was going to turn back and help other people who were struggling to make it across the line.’
One of three trustees for SSAANZ, Michael first heard about this charitable organisation at a 2017 NZDF conference where he spoke about his experiences. There he met SSAANZ founder Dave Benfell, who told him about the organisation he was setting up to recreate the camaraderie people experience when serving, through offering outdoor activities.
Michael’s whole family has since got involved in SSAANZ, with wife Jo managing the charity’s social media. ‘We are both so excited to see the charity grow and support our people needing it so badly,’ says Jo.
For Dave, the motivation to launch SSAANZ grew out of his own service and life experiences. He started his career with the New Zealand Army, serving in places like
East Timor, before leaving for the UK to join the Parachute Regiment. (‘The Paras’ are an elite airborne infantry regiment of the British Army.) He served in deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan and then later joined the parachute display team, the Red Devils. A bad landing left him with serious spinal injuries that required months of treatment. As part of his rehabilitation, he ended up joining a similar organisation to SSAANZ in the UK that offered outdoor adventure activities to help rebuild mind and body. On recovery, Dave decided not to resume his career with the Paras, instead returning to New Zealand only to discover there was no charity here like the one he’d benefited from in the UK.
He established SSAANZ in early 2018 to fill that gap and bring serving and ex-service people together through outdoor pursuits, adventurous activity and sports. Dave’s wife Candice is also heavily involved in the organisation as its operations manager. ‘Both Dave and myself and our fellow trustee Chris Morris use the outdoors as our healing place when we feel like things are starting to close in,’ says Michael. ‘We know there is healing in the hills. With veterans who struggle, the first thing we do is isolate ourselves. By providing opportunities
like this, it just gives people a chance to get out there and, at the same time, support each other.’
Michael and Jo started the Navy component within SSAANZ called Clear Lower Deck. This is just one of many groups forming under the SSAANZ umbrella to help build a sense of comradeship and support. Activities organised by SSAANZ to date include trout fishing and diving trips, hunter skills training, skiing, a family fun weekend, along with dive training. Many providers heavily subsidise activities to make them as accessible as possible to members. Membership fees enable one or two veterans in every group activity to participate at no cost. Families of veterans are also welcome to join SSAANZ events.
In February 2019, SSAANZ held its first traverse of the Southern Alps involving a group of currently serving and ex-defence force personnel on a journey from East Coast to West Coast along the Browning Pass (Nōti Raureka). This was the route a Kāti Wairaki woman named Raureka took when she brought the first pounamu over to the East Coast. The five-day epic trek included opportunities to hunt and fish, and to learn about the history of the area. (The route through the pass played a significant role in Ngāi Tahu gaining manawhenua of Te Tai Poutini/West Coast and control of the pounamu trade.)
‘There was barely one fully physically able person on the traverse – everyone was pretty broken – and yet they managed to get themselves and their team up and over the Southern Alps. It was a huge effort. In the defence force, you’re always being challenged to be outside your comfort zone – that’s where the growth is. Challenges bring people together and create tighter bonds. Our training also teaches us to support each other, especially the slowest member of the team. You could see that sense of self-worth kicking in again; that’s the magic that comes from this kind of trip.’
At the time of writing, the 2020 SSAANZ Southern Traverse was about to get underway, this time with a group of 12 travelling West to East over the Amuri Pass to Hanmer Springs.
SSAANZ is now also working closely with the Remembrance Army, a volunteer organisation that restores and cleans war graves. ‘We’ll spend half a day scrubbing the stones at a local cemetery and repainting details as our way to honour the fallen.’
Michael says SSAANZ membership is growing quickly. It currently has around 250 members nationwide, with one or two new members coming on board every week. As he observes, the organisation is particularly appealing for New Zealand’s cohort of ‘contemporary veterans’ who have served since the Vietnam War and are looking for active support options. ‘ Our model is “Don’t tell me – show me”. Word of mouth and social media is working well for us and the feedback we are getting from those who have got involved is that it’s life-changing.’
Many are getting a kick out of discovering how they can apply skills acquired in their service to new activities like hunting. ‘They’re learning how to harvest food ethically and hunt sustainably so they can become a provider of protein for the family.’
SSAANZ is evolving a regional model with leadership teams in various regions around New Zealand. For more info on joining or making a donation to SSAANZ, visit ssaanz.co.nz