A group of physically and mentally wounded British military veterans have been enjoying some well-earned rest and recuperation in Mallorca this week. Organised by the Not Forgotten Association in association with a very generous British resident on the island and the Majorca Daily Bulletin, this programme has now been going for the past 14 years and has proved extremely successful and popular with veterans of various conflicts dating back to the Falklands War.
The 20-strong group, led by Rosie Thompson MBE, who is Head of Events for the NFA, included veterans from all three services. There are an estimated 2.4 million veterans living in the UK today, many thousands of whom are living with injury or illness and often crippling loneliness. Serving members of the Armed Forces are likewise struggling when faced with a life-changing injury or medical diagnosis.
For 105 years, The Not Forgotten Association has been supporting veterans and servicepeople suffering from injury and illness by providing social, respite and challenge opportunities and a unique series of prestige royal events. Building confidence, fostering camaraderie, and changing lives is what the associations believes in and Not Forgotten uses the motto ‘From Comradeship to Challenge’ to describe its services, which vary considerably in nature.
The numerous annual trips to Pollensa have proven to be extremely popular while also vitally important in helping veterans and their partners overcome their mental and physical challenges. One of the veterans on the trip was Nichola Gristock who after 26 years in the RAF was medically discharged in 2019 with complex PTSD; additionally she has kidney issues and chronic fatigue.
In 1998 Nichola was based in Germany with the Royal Air Force’s No. 4 Squadron at RAF Laarbruch operating Harrier GR.7 jets which made its combat debut during NATO operations over Bosnia (Operation Deliberate Force), providing close air support and reconnaissance.
In 2001 she was deployed to Operation Agricola, which was the British-led military deployment for the NATO Kosovo Force (KFOR) that had entered Pristina and that is where she ended up being evacuated by air medics.
“We were on base patrols outside of the wire, two days on, two days off, and on one of my days off the Captain wanted to go into town and, as required, needed to be accompanied. We had to travel everywhere in twos and armed. So, it was a day off; I had nothing to do so agreed to accompany him. I got my weapon and off we went, but as we neared our destination we were surrounded by armed militia and that incident is what sparked my PTSD,” she told the Bulletin.
“After I was discharged I trained at Birmingham City University; they have a very large military contingent training nurses and lab technicians. And I went on to work as an outreach worker for veterans. But it began to get too much for me as I was very much on my own, had very little support and there are some very complicated veterans out there who need specialist help which I was unable to provide. But I had no one to turn to, so decided to step down,” she said. “The lack of support I failed to receive applies right across the board when it comes to care and attention for veterans in the UK.
“When you leave the forces you are forgotten and government support is seriously lacking; the system does not work. It’s all talk, all for show. A perfect example is my local doctor’s surgery. Officially its veteran accredited, for which is gets substantial extra funding, but it has no specialist staff for veterans and I get no special treatment. It’s a nightmare just to get an appointment and it’s the same up and down the country.
Fight to raise funds
“If it was not for charities like the Not Forgotten, I hate to think what would happen to veterans in the United Kingdom. And not being involved in a conflict and in the news, the majority of the general public forget about the needs of veterans, which means that charities have to fight even harder to raise much-needed funds,” she said.
“The Not Forgotten, which I first came across in 2019 when I went on a trip to Berlin with them, is a life saver. I came on this trip with a close friend who is also a veteran and it has been an amazing and inspirational experience.
“It has been just what I needed. I was at breaking point prior to arriving in Mallorca but after a week with like-minded vets who all understand each other and what we’re going through, we’ve all returned home with wonderful memories, new friends and a fresher and more positive outlook on the immediate future.
"Being a tri-service association, none of us knew each other, but we all share that common bond of having been in the armed forces; we have that camaraderie that you don’t find in civvy street. These trips offer us the chance to engage with people, discuss our struggles, let it all out without any shame because we all know what’s going on. It’s just a shame the British government doesn’t and doesn’t seem to care, whatever it says,” she said.
“Thanks to the NFA we’ve all been reinvigorated by Mallorca and our experience on the island. It’s been emotional at times, we’ve all shed a few tears, but the respect and understanding is there, not to mention the support provided by our host and the association. I think we’ve all left in a much more positive frame of mind,” she said.