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Colour Sergeant (Csgt) Shaun Dick has set up Walk to Talk to help soldiers talk about their mental health.

The 39-year-old, who is based in The Royal Regiment of Scotland’s 4 SCOTS battalion, hopes the initiative will encourage soldiers to speak openly, in a more relaxed forum, about their struggles.

Shaun said: “Our jobs demand mental strength, just as much as physical strength.

“Support for mental health is available to the soldiers, but sometimes I think the fear that can come with opening up puts them off asking for help.”

The initiative helps around 20 soldiers a week confront their mental health. (Image: Sourced)

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In 2023/24 just 2% of the UK’s armed forces personnel were assessed as having a mental health condition, a significant decrease on the stark 20% reported a decade ago.

The decrease has a direct correlation to an increase in those seeking help which sits at around 13%.

Shaun was keen to have more informal mental health support available as he believed this would show more soldiers there is nothing wrong with asking for help.

Now in its fourth year, the initiative helps around 20 soldiers a week confront their mental health.

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Shaun added: “I had noticed the soldiers are more open to discussing what they find challenging physically but are less forthcoming on openly discussing any mental hurdles and barriers they are facing. I wanted to change that - no one’s too tough to talk.

“So, in addition to the existing training, initiatives and medical support, I introduced something that was a little less formal, giving soldiers an opportunity to have conversations in a more natural environment whilst also getting some exercise ticked off.

“Walking makes it a lot easier for people to open up – you don’t have to make eye contact if you don’t want to and no one’s expecting you to carry on talking like they would in a sit down one-on-one. It’s a really natural way of promoting conversation.

“The ambition of setting up Walk to Talk was to encourage everyone, at every level, to view a strong mind as just as important as a strong body.”

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The Walk to Talk group, which gives troops time on Wednesday afternoons to get out in nature for walks and chats with each other, has proven popular with SCOTS soldiers.

Other battalions, too, across The Royal Regiment of Scotland have followed in Shaun’s footsteps, introducing the group to their soldiers.

Shaun added: “Being a soldier is fast-paced and demanding, so it’s really reassuring to see the Jocks dedicating time to their mental wellbeing.

“At first, I was worried that it would just be walking with very little talking, but the lads and lasses have really shown up, proving that mental health is high on their agendas.

“I put the success of the group down to the freedom it gives – we’re used to strict schedules and regimes, but this provides more of an opportunity to relax and socialise which, as we know, has great mental health benefits.

“The soldiers discuss everything and anything and the support they provide each other is amazing. Sometimes, having the safe space to support someone else, give advice or just listening is all someone needs to then open up and talk about their own feelings.”