Shoulder to Shoulder
Shoulder to Shoulder is a mentoring project matching volunteers with ex-Service men and women (including former reservists and TA) who are recovering from mental health problems.
We have two Shoulder to Shoulder projects running at the moment - one in London and one in Birmingham.
On average 20,000 Service men and women return to civilian life, every year*. The majority of these Service leavers resettle successfully. However, up to 27% experience mental health problems and nearly 20% have a mental health problem resulting from traumas and injuries they experienced during active Service**.
Having a mental health problem doesn’t just make adjusting to life after the military difficult. It can also lead to homelessness, unemployment, loneliness, relationship problems/breakdown, lack of direction and physical health problems – one often leading to another.
Those who leave the Forces with mental health problems can struggle to access the social and health support they need. Also, ex-Servicemen and women are often reluctant to get support from professionals who they feel won’t understand what they’ve been through.
This is where Shoulder to Shoulder comes in.
** Mental Health Network NHS Confederation briefing November 2010, issue 210.
