VETERANS suffering from post traumatic stress disorder who found solace in gardening have been helping create a truly Yorkshire garden for the Chelsea Flower Show.
Paul Wakeham from Catterick Garrison and Paul Sterndale-Bennett from Bedale are among a small group of veterans supported by Help for Heroes’ Phoenix House recovery centre in Catterick.
The former soldiers jumped at the chance to be involved in the prestigious horticulture show and have been working on the Welcome to Yorkshire God’s Own Country garden. It will be launched on Tuesday, May 24.
- Garden designer, Matthew Wilson, has been recording its progress in a series of video blogs - Part one | Part two | Part three
For Mr Wakeham, a committed gardener, it is a dream come true.
The Lance Bombardier and radar operator was medically discharged with back and knee injuries from the Royal Regiment of Artillery in 2005 after a 19-year- career.
Three years earlier, he had also first shown signs of PTSD related to the traumatic events he had witnessed while serving in the first Gulf War, Bosnia and Northern Ireland.
Supported by Phoenix House, Mr Wakeham has had the opportunity to attend courses and take part in activities as part of his road to recovery - but it is gardening that has proved to be the most beneficial.
“I love being outdoors. It helps me big time,” said the 52-year-old. “PTSD doesn’t come into the equation when I am focused on a gardening project – I just crack on and don’t think about anything else.”
Qualified chainsaw operator, Mr Sterndale-Bennett was medically discharged from the Army after almost 20 years.
After getting work as a gardener at Thorp Perrow Arboretum he went on to gain chainsaw qualifications and has been doing forestry work ever since.
He said: “As soon as I picked up a chainsaw, I knew that was for me."
*For more information on Help for Heroes' psychological wellbeing service, Hidden Wounds visit www.helpforheroes.org.uk/get-support/hidden-wounds/.
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