We are delighted to award a £20,000 grant to BASIC – the Brain and Spinal Injury Centre in Salford, to provide physical rehabilitation and psychological services to veterans with acquired brain and spinal injuries and other neurological conditions.
The funds will go towards BASIC’s pioneering rehabilitation treatments to reduce veterans’ PTSD and trauma symptoms, assisting with their ongoing physical recovery in the community. Our support will also enable the charity to help more veterans improve their quality of life through a Computer Assisted Rehabilitation Environment (CAREN) virtual reality system – the only such technology available in the UK.
Wendy Edge, a psychotherapist at BASIC, said:
“We are really grateful for the wonderful and generous support from ABF The Soldiers’ Charity. Whilst there is a lot of great support for veterans, BASIC offers a specialist service to help those with acquired brain or spinal injury speed up their recovery and reduce the impact of injury. ABF The Soldiers’ Charity is helping us to offer much needed help to those who have selflessly served their country. We are proud to be helping them on their journey of recovery.”
One veteran who received help from BASIC told the charity:
“The first day I arrived and spoke to Tara was the first day I could breathe – suddenly someone understood. Before that, it was hospitals, specialists knowing all about the effects of a traumatic brain injury – but now finally someone knew the impact on a personal level and the impact on the family.”
Brigadier (Ret’d) Peter Monteith, Chief of Staff at ABF The Soldiers’ Charity, added:
“Wendy and her team at BASIC do amazing pioneering work in helping veterans recover from serious brain and spinal injuries, which can sometimes take many years. We’re only too happy to fund these services that are not always available on the NHS. It’s very important that specialist charities like BASIC exist to help veterans live with the long-term consequences that traumatic injuries and PTSD can have on their lives.”
To find out more about BASIC’s pioneering work, visit: https://www.basiccharity.org.uk/about-us/