AN army veteran injured in the 1991 Liberation of Kuwait is organising a charity festival to raise money for two causes close to his heart.

Rob Tocher, of Ferryhill Station, was medically discharged from the army after suffering injuries that left him deaf in one ear and with limited feeling in his hands and feet.

The 45-year-old also suffers with Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) but says he is determined to give something back to veteran charities Help for Heroes and Walking With The Wounded.

Mr Tocher said: “I joined the army in 1989 aged 16 in the Catering Corps and was deployed to Saudi Arabia in 1990.

“I was medically discharged in 1996 with PTSD but I returned as a civil servant working for the Ministry of Defence, before I was medically discharged again in 2016.

“I had a 27-year-long career and I absolutely loved it and feel proud of it but I’m just sad that I can’t carry on anymore.”

Mr Tocher worked for the Royal Naval Air Station and in the defence fuels group for the MoD before working for many years as a dog handler.

The married father-of-three, originally from Aldershot, is now on a mission to raise as much money as he can for two charities which have helped him on the road to recovery,

He is also hoping to raise awareness of the charities and the work they do to help injured veterans.

He added: “Help for Heroes and Walking With The Wounded do so much for veterans and I just want to give something back to them.

“My family and I regularly travel to Catterick to join in with the fundraising events the charities have organised.

“They always have something on for the kids and I think it’s good that our children get to spend time with other children who also have parents with PTSD or some kind of injury.

“I’m unemployed now and I felt like I needed something to focus my mind.

“So I thought organising a festival that will benefit them would be ideal.”

The festival will take place on Sunday, June 3, at Mainsforth Cricket Ground on Morrison Road from 9am till 6pm.

Mr Tocher is appealing for bands, entertainers, charities and community groups to get involved with the event and all proceeds will be split between Help for Heroes and Walking With The Wounded.

He said: “I would love this to be a really positive community event and would like to involve as many people as possible, lets show what Ferryhill and the surrounding towns have to offer.

“Anybody is welcome to have a stall to promote their group or business, stalls cost £10 but any profits made are their own.

“Any performing groups, singers or entertainers are also welcome to perform live too.”

Entry to the festival is free, for more information contact Mr Tocher on 07719-749924 or email rob.tocher@yahoo.co.uk