The fundraising team, Healing Military Minds, have hit an incredible milestone, raising £55,000 this year for the mental health charity Combat Stress.
The charity provides vital support for former Service members to deal with issues like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety and depression. This year the first ever Healing Military Minds Ball took place at the end of September, raising funds to help hit that grand total. The ball was organised by a dedicated team who aim to continue to drive the education and publicity of mental health amongst the military community.
Squadron Leader Tom Arnold, part of the organising committee said:
“The team at Healing Military Minds have enabled a vast array of events throughout the past year raising funds for Combat Stress.
"Thankfully Mental health now rightfully attracts the attention it deserves. It is rapidly becoming a greater part of our focus and I thank those who continue to endeavour for the improvement of this subject. We must all take this subject seriously and support one another regardless of rank. No matter what, there is always time to take a break, talk to each other and decompress. My special thanks go to all of those on the Healing Military Minds Ball committee for working tirelessly in bringing tonight together. Their continued efforts and organisational prowess have not gone unnoticed. My personal thanks go to Corporal Hayley Court, who has been supported by some excellent individuals, Claire Barker, Jon Hoult, Sally Scout, Maureen Priestley, Dai Bennett, Liz Craig, Francesca Bucciero and Paul Thomas, without whom the evening would not have been possible.”
Squadron Leader Tom Arnold
Organising Committee Member
350 guests attended the Healing Military Minds Ball, held at the De Vere Hotel in the Cotswolds, where auction prizes were bid on to help increase the total raised even further. Guests included Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, MP for the Cotswolds, Ben Parkinson MBE, the most severely wounded soldier in combat and Paralympian Jack Cummings.
Healing Military Minds founder Corporal Hayley Court said:
“It was brilliant on our first Healing Military Minds fundraising ball to see the Army, Navy and Air Force come together with current serving and veterans to raise funds for Combat Stress. It truly amazes me the inspirational people that attended who had been helped so much by the charity. They are the real heroes. I was overwhelmed by smashing the £50,000 target which I set when I started this in 2021. A big thank you to the committee who have made this an amazing night”
Corporal Hayley Court
Healing Military Minds Founder
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