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UK team sets off to compete at the Invictus Games Toronto 2017

The team will join 16 other nations at the international event for wounded, injured and sick military personnel and veterans.

A 90-strong team of wounded, injured and sick (WIS) military personnel have departed from London Heathrow for Toronto, Canada to represent the UK in the third Invictus Games.

The eight-day sporting event will see 550 individuals from 17 nations compete across 12 sports including athletics, wheelchair basketball, swimming and a new sport for 2017, golf. The event will begin with an opening ceremony on 23 September at the Air Canada Centre, featuring Canadian singers Sarah McLachlan and Alessia Cara, and will finish with a closing ceremony on 30 September with performances from Bruce Springsteen and Bryan Adams.

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Blind veteran from Conwy completes three-day Iceland trek

A blind veteran from Conwy has completed a three day Iceland trek with Blind Veterans UK, the national charity for blind and vision-impaired ex-Service men and women and The Not Forgotten Association.

Amazingly, Steve Thomas, 45 and from Llanrwst, was entered into the challenge, which was arranged by The Not Forgotten Association, unknowingly. Steve explains “The Rehabilitation and Training Manager from the charity’s Llandudno centre put my name in the hat without me even knowing!

“Out of the blue, he told me that I’d been picked as one of the lucky few. I thought, ‘right then, time to get training!’”

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Over 2 in 5 of those who have served in the Armed Forces in the UK have trouble sleeping

A survey from Help for Heroes* has revealed that many ex-servicemen and women in the UK have issues sleeping, with over 2 in 5 (41%) stating that they sleep badly on an average night (compared to 27% of the general public, according to a study from the Sleep Council**). Indeed, a quarter of veterans get less than five hours’ sleep on an average night – much less than the widely recommended eight hours.

The results also show that in particular those aged between 25 and 54 struggle to regularly get a good night’s sleep (58%), and that female veterans suffer most, with almost 4 in 5 (70%) of those surveyed saying that they feel they don’t get enough sleep.

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The Invictus Games 2017 is fast approaching

The Invictus Games 2017 in Toronto, an international sporting competition for wounded, injured and sick veterans and service personnel is fast approaching. The UK Delegation is being delivered by a partnership between help for Heroes (wo are training, selecting and developing the team), The Royal British Legion (who are responsible for Friends and Family) and the Ministry of Defence.

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Help for Heroes has awarded 10,820 to date

In July 2017, Help for Heroes awarded 95 individual grants to wounded, injured and sick service personnel and veterans. In terms of life to date, 10,820 grants have been awarded totalling nearly £13million. Additionally, more than £37 million in total has been awarded to other charities and organisations to ensure wounded, injured and sick get the support they need.

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Help for Heroes Fund Visit For 36 Servicemen And Veterans To Passchendaele Centenary

The Not Forgotten Association conducted a battlefield tour of Passchendaele, also known as the Third Battle of Ypres, over the centenary commemorations. We were privileged to be invited to the Tyne Cot Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery commemorative service on Monday 31st July and led the Menin Gate Last Post Ceremony on Tuesday 1st August.

The tour was most generously funded by Help for Heroes and our group included a WWII veteran, serving personnel and representatives of most campaigns in between. We were delighted to welcome members of Blesma and veterans from the WRAC, the Royal Artillery, Royal Engineers, SAS, the Scottish Regiments and others.

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Invictus Games Jaguar Land Rover Driving Challenge

Seven members of the UK team for the Invictus Games 2017 in Toronto headed to the Land Rover Experience Centre at Eastnor Castle, joined by Land Rover ambassadors Zara Tindall and Lewis Moody, to hone their skills on the legendary off-road tracks.

The Invictus Games is an international adaptive sporting event for wounded injured and sick servicemen and women, which was first held in London in 2014. This year’s Games kick off in Toronto on 23 September, with the Jaguar Land Rover Driving Challenge marking the first opportunity for all 17 competing nations to win a medal.

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Help for Heroes Wellbeing focus

Help for Heroes has launched a new Wellbeing focus, to encourage its beneficiaries to improve their overall health and wellbeing this summer.

Over the next three months, the charity will be sharing a whole toolkit on social media and the Help for Heroes website, complete with nutrition tips, advice on how to relax and sleep better, and sharing the health benefits of getting outdoors – as well as a series of yoga videos.

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Prince Harry unveils the UK team for the Invictus Games Toronto 2017

Prince Harry, Patron of the Invictus Games Foundation, has this morning unveiled the team of 90 competitors selected to represent the UK at the Invictus Games Toronto 2017.

The 90-strong team of wounded, injured and sick (WIS) serving military personnel and veterans came together for the first time since selection at the Tower of London. Prince Harry met the team ahead of the forthcoming Invictus Games in September, and posed for the first official team photograph.

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West Lothian Disabled Army Veteran takes on 500 mile cycle challenge

TWO disabled veterans are planning to cycle over 500 miles from Edinburgh to Exeter this summer to raise money for the charities who are supporting their recovery.

Laura Ellis, 33, from Blackburn in West Lothian, and Patrick Medhurst-Feeney, 27, of Plymouth, are aiming to raise over £6000 for Help for Heroes and Veterans with Dogs, who have both been helping the veterans to recover from life-changing physical and mental health problems.

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