Dedicated veterans have told of their tireless work to ensure current and former members of the armed forces ‘never battle alone’.

Glasgow’s Helping Heroes (GHH) is a Govan-based charity that provides a wide range of support from housing to mental health to those who are serving or have served in the armed forces.

Ryan MacDonald, operations manager at GHH, explained that the team is made up of armed forces veterans who are also professionals or experts in fields such as employability and finance.

The 43-year-old says that this allows members of GHH to not only use their lived experience to help others but also to provide further support across a broad range of issues.

Ryan MacDonaldRyan MacDonald (Image: Gordon Terris)

He added: “Our main aim is making sure nobody battles alone, that’s what we set out to achieve every single day.

“That process starts with a needs assessment which is a cuppa and talking with a veteran peer support worker.

“The vast majority of people in the armed forces leave and transition incredibly well. We support people who have maybe hit a bump in the road and they’re looking for advice and support.

“We offer specialist services such as housing and homelessness. That can involve anything from supporting someone to make a homelessness application, finding them temporary accommodation, or financial assistance to support them to make a house a home.

“There’s a mental health support worker who can support with anything non-clinical. He is ex-RAF and served for 12 years but has also been a registered mental health nurse for more than 30 years.

“The peer support team has a huge role, every single person no matter what they come to us for will be assigned a worker that will help them through their journey.

“We speak to people who are going through really difficult times and to be in a position to help them is the highest high you can get.”

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(Image: Gordon Terris)

GHH is a partnership between SSAFA, the armed forces charity, and Glasgow City Council. It is also partly funded by the National Lottery.

Ryan first joined the charity seven years ago before briefly leaving and returning as operations manager in October.

He told of the ‘huge transformation’ of an individual who came through the doors of the Govan Road office with the ‘weight of the world on his shoulders’ and left months later ‘with a spring in his step’.

Ryan said: “One chap specifically had come through and had the weight of the world on his shoulders.

“He was very anxious. It took three or four different attempts of him leaving the office and coming back to be able to sit with a peer support worker and go through the support he needed.

“Week after week he got better and eight months later his housing was sorted, he had spoken to his family about his mental health, he was getting support for that professionally and with us, and was back working so his financial situation had massively changed.

“When he walked into the office he had a spring in his step. Being able to look back on that journey is great.

“The veterans community is very supportive and very protective. If people know they’re speaking with somebody who has been through the armed forces, basic training, resettled, and come up against the same issues they’ve come up against there’s a level of trust there really quickly.

“In the voluntary sector, a lot of people say ‘you’re not in it for the money’ and there’s nothing truer. We support people to put gas in the meter, make sure the lights are on, and there’s food in the fridge.

“The feel-good factor that comes from supporting people never gets old. It’s something that we appreciate.

“It’s a real joy for me to be able to lead a team that as soon as somebody comes through the door they’re all off their seats going to support them.”

(Image: Gordon Terris)

GHH recently won the team prize in the South heats of the Glasgow Community Champions Awards.

The group will now go through to the Grand Final on December 4. The awards are run by the Glasgow Times in association with Glasgow City Council, Allied Vehicles Charitable Trust, and St Enoch.

 Ryan said the charity is “absolutely delighted” to have won the public vote.

He commented: “We’re so proud and can’t thank everyone enough. To get that vote of confidence by the public in Glasgow there’s nothing better than that.

“If we win we’ll be delighted and if we don’t win we’ll be cheering the loudest for our competitors.”