THE UK’s first support group for past and present members of the military who have suffered traumatic brain injuries has been launched in Catterick Garrison.

Headway UK, a national charity that helps brain injury survivors, has enlisted the help of former Army Captain Rob Cromey-Hawke to lead the veterans support group after meeting him during an event at Help for Heroes-run Phoenix House recovery centre in the garrison town.

Last week, the support group was launched at Phoenix House to encourage other veterans with brain injuries to get the help they need.

Mr Cromey-Hawke was injured during a tour of Afghanistan in 2012 when the vehicle in which he was travelling drove over an Improvised Explosive Device.

He suffered damage to his spinal cord, hearing loss and a traumatic brain injury (TBI), which has left him with memory and concentration problems, as well as balance, dizziness and light sensitivity issues.

But when he sought help he realised for wounded servicemen to be supported there needed to be a group with understanding of the military - and the difficulties faced in transitioning into ‘civvy street’ - on top of the challenges faced daily by those with a brain injury.

He said: “Once you are medically discharged, you have to find your own support and I have discovered that what is available very much depends on where you are in the UK.”

While taking part in activities at Phoenix House in Catterick, he was introduced to Alastair White from Headway UK, and was invited to join the steering group to establish a military-specific group to be based at Phoenix House – and within weeks was made chairman of the group.

“The idea is that anyone who has served in the Armed Forces gets the support they need, whether the injury is a result of an incident while serving or not and, eventually, facilitate a smooth transition of care from that provided before medical discharge to that available afterwards,” he said.

A major impact of his brain injury is that he has no sense of time so gets through each day with a series of alarms, and no longer recognises signs that he is hungry so is unable to gauge the amount of food he should eat at each meal.

Fortunately, funding from Help for Heroes towards a high-performance recumbent trike as well as a racing wheelchair has prevented him putting on weight by enabling the keen triathlete to maintain his love of sport.

Earlier this year, he competed in the Cotswold 113 triathlon and Ironman UK for the second time plus captained the British Armed Forces team at the Warrior Games in the US - an adaptive sports competition for wounded, ill, and injured service members and veterans – where he won five gold medals.

For information on Headway visit www.headway.org.uk or call Phoenix House on 01748-834148.