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Written Evidence submitted by Woody’s Lodge

In 2012, Royal Marine and member of the Elite Special Boat Service, Paul “Woody” Woodland lost his life in a training exercise, before he was due to return for a second tour of duty in Afghanistan. Woody was born, bred, and schooled in Penarth, South Wales, and had always wanted to be a Royal Marine. Once he completed his Armed Forces career, his dream had been to build a log cabin where he would be able to live with his family, peacefully and in safety.

Woody’s Lodge first opened its doors in 2017, at HMS Cambria in Penarth, providing a social hub in Woody’s memory, which guides veterans and their families to the help & support they need to re-engage with their families and communities. Woody’s Lodge vision is to create an inviting meeting space for those who have served in the Armed Forces and Emergency Services, where they can receive expert support & advice as well as the chance to connect with new and old friends & family.             

Since 2017, the charity has opened 2 further main hubs, one at Eirias Park in Colwyn Bay, and the other at a farm complex donated for the use of the charity near Llandysul in Mid Wales. It was recognised that these hubs may not be accessible to all in the veteran’s community across Wales, so several satellite drop-in centres were set up.

One area of support that was identified early in the life of the charity was access to benefits and pensions. Several veterans presented as homeless or in financial crisis, so a support team was set up to assist them in completing applications for various benefits, housing, pensions, etc. and in the FY22-23 the support team across Wales have supported over 5850 veterans drawing down just short of 1 million pounds in benefits. During the COVID pandemic and in the FY 21-22, the support team’s workload represented 9% of the charity’s work in total, this has risen to 37% in FY 22-23 and referrals to Woody’s for support is expected to increase.

Collaborative working has been key to the success of the work Woody’s do and the charity utilises several referral pathways to signpost veterans for expert support and guidance. Throughout this referral process the veteran is supported along their journey and beyond with no time limit on the support Woody’s Lodge provides. The charity works closely with statutory, 3rd sector, and some private sector organisations, such as Veterans NHS Wales, Rock2Recovery, CAB, Local Authority Homeless Teams, SSAFA, RBL, Age Cymru, VC Gallery, Alabare, Salvation Army (veterans hostel Wrexham), Adferiad Recovery (Change Step), etc. just to name a few.

Woody’s Lodge prides itself in providing this support at little cost and recognises that the organisation cannot run purely with volunteers, so it employs 20 staff members across Wales at a small salary cost. Many staff members have served in the Armed Forces or are family members and they have wide variety of lived experiences to draw on.

Along with providing support Woody’s Lodge has developed several indoor and outdoor activities aimed at encouraging veterans and their families to engage with others breaking down social barriers and combatting social isolation. One such activity that has proved to be popular is ‘memory Monday’ which provides those suffering dementia and their carers the opportunity to engage in quizzes, bingo, and other mind stimulating activities, while it allows the spouse the chance to get together with others who are in a similar situation.

Working alongside Cardiff City Council, Woody’s Lodge periodically take several veterans out to Flat Holm Island in the Bristol Channel for 4 or 5 days at a time to help repair the Islands tourist infrastructure by replacing walkways, bridges, etc. This is a project that has had a positive effect on the mental health of those taking part and it is hoped to offer this to veterans further afield.

While homelessness is an issue in the veteran’s community, along with this it is found that most suffer from complex mental health issues, substance misuse, financial issues, gambling addiction, and relationship breakdowns. What the Woody’s Lodge hubs and drop-in centres provide is the opportunity for the veteran to tell their story once and a support ‘bubble’ can then be placed around them to ensure the most appropriate support is identified and then provided. One example of this was when Police in Rhyl attended the weekly drop-in with a veteran, they had rescued off the Snowdonia range. This veteran had intimated that he was having suicidal thoughts and was homeless. The charity’s support team contacted the Salvation Army’s hostel at Ty Dewr in Wrexham and found him immediate accommodation and he was assessed by a Change Step peer mentor for ongoing mental health support with Veterans NHS Wales.

The introduction of a Veterans Commissioner in Wales has been key to cementing relationships with UK Government, Local Authority’s, Grant Funders, and those 3rd sector veteran specific organisations across Wales. James Phillips has an interest in the work done in support of veterans and this has helped to improve veterans’ confidence in the Armed Forces Covenant and the promise made by UK Government.

Woody’s Lodge is seen as an exemplar within the veteran’s community in Wales and to cement the Governments promise and improve the quality of the life for veterans, the charity’s hubs and drop-in centres are essential to encouraging veterans to reach out for the help they desperately need and then finding the correct level of support while mentoring them through the process.

May 2023