Case Studies
Examples from our case files, cases shown as dormant means completed but further help available if needed.
100-Year-old desert Rat (2nd Left) celebrates family cruise (March 2016)
Request from veterans family for a certificate of his service during the war.
The family of a 100-year-old veteran who served with the Desert Rats in North Africa during WW2
His daughter Lindsay asked if the VAUK could produce a Certificate celebrating his service during the War, showing the Desert Rats Emblem, this was presented to him on his 100 birthday by the ships Captain. This we gladly done for him, below is the email from his daughter Lindsay when they returned from the cruise.
Tony
I am not sure if you remember our correspondence in March this year where you kindly produced a certificate for my father's 100th birthday.
As a family (17 of us) we took him away on a 2 day cruise onboard the Britannia to Guernsey, we all had an amazing time and I just wanted to share a couple of photos with you.
The first is of my dad with his grandchildren but you can clearly see his certificate takes pride of place in the centre of the table, he was absolutely delighted with it. The card from the Queen and the telegram from the Secretary of State were much appreciated but he still says to this day that the certificate is the one he most appreciates, he says it sums up his life...... As you can see, my dad thoroughly enjoyed his day and we as a family have made some very special memories. thank you once again for the part you played in making his day special too.
Kind regards
Lindsay
Lindsay Passfield | Head of Facilities, Carnival UK
Case File 1 2012, referred via VAUK Facebook site, case closed.
Eric, a 91-year-old ex WW2 Merchant Seaman, terminally ill with lung cancer was receiving his Palliative care at home, hid family visited every day and his Jack Russell Dog Buster was his best friend who he idolised, the government stopped funding his care and wanted to [put him in a hospice, Eric was distraught, the VAUK contacted some Seafarer organisations and obtained the funding for his care at home for the rest of his life.
When Eric rang the VAUK to say thanks he was crying with joy, his conversation was on speaker phone and there was not a dry eye in the office, Eric lasted another 12 months, time he spent with Buster and his family. A great result.
Case File 2, 2014 referred via VAUK Website
Service Provider: Veterans Association UK providing welfare support
This particular case involves a former infantry soldier from Newcastle area called Chris, who has previously had treatment for his PTSD condition. Unfortunately certain events in his personal life re-triggered his condition and after careful consideration it was decided to reintroduce a series of treatments in order to re-empower him with his own life, he is once again enjoying his life and has learned coping mechanisms for his PTSD, we also obtained a bungalow for him due to his physical disabilities he is now a happy lad.
Case 3 - 2013 - Status Dormant.
Service Provider: Veterans Association
Referred via VAUK Website
A rare and unusual case, the subject of this one is a lady from Scotland called Pauline. The lady is a former civilian and military Police officer . an emergency case that initially required our suicide intervention skills, we calmed her down and brought her to Burnley where she underwent treatment from the MVS IAPTs team and counselling from VAUK Counsellors, we rehoused her in the Glasgow region a few months later, Pauline is now doing well and keeps in touch with us occasionally
Case 4 2014 ongoing.
Service Provider: Veterans Association UK
Referred via website
Rob J from Lancashire holder of the Queens Gallantry Medal, a soldier who served tours of duty in N. Ireland the Falklands War, Gulf War 1, Iraq and Afghanistan suffering from massive issues with PTSD after losing several friends in a Blue on Blue attack on his convoy of APC's in Gulf War 1, Rob was seriously traumatised and has gone through two sessions of treatment, he was doing ok until his mother passed away, he was in need of further treatment which is still ongoing
Case 5 - Status, 2015 Dormant
Referred via VAUK Accrington office.
Wayne is an infantryman from Accrington in Lancashire who came to our Accrington office in a suicidal state, we obtained immediate treatment for him, he was also sofa surfing at a friend's house due to relationship breakdown, Wayne has responded well to his treatment with MVS IAPT's team and counselling with the VAUK counsellors, we have now obtained him a flat and are looking at helping him obtain a job.
Case 6, 2014, closed.
Ernest Served in the Royal Navy during WW2.and Korean War as a stoker, he was on a war pension of 17% for hearing damage, he came to the VAUK for help to obtain further percentage on his pension as he had been diagnosed with Plural Plax, a form of Lung Cancer, his cancer was caused by re lagging the pipes on board ship during refits and also from the materials used by the Royal Navy in mothballing ships which he did for two years in Chatham.
We consulted Surgeon Rear Admiral Ralph Curr, a member of the VAUK board about his case who concurred his Plural Plax could only be due to his work in the Royal Navy as no other employment Ernest had ever undertook put in in contact with spoors from the lagging or the materials used in mothballing the ships, Ernest received 100% pension backdated three months.
Case 7: Jan 2016, Status on-going.
The mother of a 14-year-old school girl from Manchester contacted the VAUK to see if we would help her despite being a veteran based organisation, we agreed to meet the young girl we shall call Susan to hide her identity and her mum and step dad at the VAUK Centre in Burnley initially.
Susan and her parents came for an assessment of needs, she had been physically abused and mentally abused by her natural father and saw her mother and grandmother beaten, this had a prolonged effect on her in every way this included self-harming and a suicide attempt and it is tragic to see a young girl in this State, the normal civilian mental health teams such as CAMS and IAPTS teams had been of no use at all and in desperation her mum contacted the VAUK, we now have one of our specialist psychotherapist working with her and god willing we can give this young lady some sort of decent life back. ** See Home Page.
Case 8, 38-year-old Sapper. October 2016
This young man was referred to us through a council agency for re-housing in East Lancashire, He was in a sorry state having slept rough for a few days, we obtained temporary accommodation for him, we then had him registered on the Be-with-Us House bidding system, with him being a veteran we had placed top of the list for a property, we obtained a 1 Bedroomed flat for him within 10 days near to his ex-wife and daughter and with help from SSAFA obtained a bed and other pieces of furniture, he is also undergoing mental health treatment for PTSD and doing well.
These are only a few of the hundreds of cases taken on by the VAUK,
We win most cases not all, occasionally we are unable to help, the VAUK has been involved nationwide in 38 cases of attempted suicide, we were successful on 39 occasions on one occasion in Lancashire we had a case where sadly despite our best efforts the man committed suicide three days later.