On 15th July 2017, I am entering the ring at The Doghouse Boxing Club event "Raising Hell" to fight and raise money for Shekinah.
Shekinah is a Devon-based charity that provides opportunity for people in recovery or seeking recovery. This may include recovery from homelessness, drug and alcohol issues, offending behaviours or mental ill health.
Shekinah includes ex-service personnel with these types of issues and the money that I raise will specifically be used for these ex-service veterans.
We, at The Doghouse, will also donate our time to help these ex-service personnel with training/fitness opportunities at our gym, thus helping to boost morale and mental health well-being.
There are many ex-service personnel in the Plymouth area who since leaving the services have found themselves homeless and in need of psychological, physical and financial support due to ill mental health, disfigurement and disablement. Much of the problems listed are due to ex-service personnel suffering with combat-related post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after serving in Afghanistan, Iraq, The Falklands and Northern Ireland. These personnel may have turned to drugs and alcohol to try and 'block out' their terrible memories, nightmares and flashbacks, which are symptoms of PTSD.
Statistics show that half of veterans in prison have depression or PTSD, both of which can lead to violent crime. Many veterans will state the following: "They train you to be a soldier, a killer, but they don't then train you to be a civilian again".
I am going to raise as much money as possible so that we can support these ex-service personnel and help them to rebuild their lives.
They have served us, please now let us serve them.