Pall-Ex is celebrating Military Awareness Month by achieving an outstanding fundraising milestone, donating over £40,000 for veteran’s mental health charity, Combat Stress.
Pall-Ex partnered with Combat Stress in 2019 to raise money for ex-service men and women dealing with mental health issues, including Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), anxiety and depression. The charity provides specialist treatment for veterans with complex mental health issues related to their military service.
It can be difficult to understand for people who haven’t served in the Armed Forces. But everyday sights, sounds and smells can easily transport a veteran back to a time of conflict.
Whilst the smell of a BBQ could take someone back to memories of summer, for veteran Brian, it provides an unwelcome reminder of evacuating guardsmen off a burning ship in the Falklands.
Giving our ex-servicemen and women the right support is something Pall-Ex is extremely passionate about. It has been busier than ever raising money to support Combat Stress, this year alone raising over £6,000 through Stand-up bingo at its annual awards event and by taking part in Combat Stress’ March in March. This means the company has now raised £42,500 to date.
The money raised could fund 340 appointments with a psychologist, 580 one-to-one peer support sessions, or enable 1,500 calls to the 24-hour helpline provided by Combat Stress.
Pall-Ex’s commitment goes further than its fundraising efforts. Last year, the company was awarded gold for the Armed Forces Covenant, and it is now aiming to get at least 50 of its members to sign the pledge at its annual conference.
Employees at Pall-Ex also receive additional benefits. Armed Forces personnel receive 12 days extra annual leave for reservists’ duty and an additional seven days for cadets to attend training/camp.
Kevin Buchanan, Pall-Ex Group CEO, says: “We are always striving to support military personnel, past and present. Alongside our fantastic charity partnership, we also guarantee veterans an interview for any of our jobs they match the skillset for, considering their military skills and qualifications.”
The company also considers the families of people in service. He continues: “We make reasonable holiday adjustments for spouses, partners and family members before, during, or after a service persons overseas deployment to allow them time to spend with their family.”
