Armed Forces charity Help for Heroes is on the hunt for a different sort of hero in Wales: volunteers to help with the many fundraising and charitable activities planned for 2021 and beyond.

During 2020, many mass-participation fundraising events planned by the Charity, which supports wounded veterans and service personnel, were lost to COVID and, consequently, charitable income was down by as much as 75 per cent.

But Help for Heroes remains committed to supporting those living with hidden and visible injuries and illness, and their families, and continues to provide all its recovery services in an adapted way across Wales with a view to resuming a full programme of face-to-face delivery when restrictions allow.

With virtually no government funding, the Charity relies on volunteer fundraisers giving up their time to take part in events and collections across the country.

The Barnard family, from Cardiff – husband and wife Marcus and Abigail, and daughter Ffion – have volunteered for Help for Heroes for four years and will, once again, be involved during the Charity’s National Collection Weekend, at Tesco stores nationwide on the weekend of 26-27 June, to coincide with Armed Forces Day on the Saturday.

Marcus explained: “We don’t come from military families, but we know what our service personnel are willing to sacrifice when they join the armed forces. Fundraising for Help for Heroes is our way of saying thank you to them, for all they are willing to put on the line to protect us.”

And Abigail recalled a memorable moment from a fundraising event. She added: “An ex-serviceman came up to me and shared his story: he needed help. As a volunteer I was able to talk about the recovery services Help for Heroes delivers and could point him in the right direction to get the help he needed.”

Help for Heroes’ National Volunteer Coordinator, Yvonne Beattie, explained: “This is, obviously, a challenging time for all charities, but Help for Heroes remains absolutely committed to our wounded and their families, and, to maintain our services, we do rely on the kind support of the great British public, not only in terms of donations, but also in the time people give up as volunteers to help us with all manner of activities.”

Help for Heroes believes those who serve our country deserve support when they’re wounded. Every day, men and women leave their career in the Armed Forces as a result of physical or psychological wounds – their lives changed forever.

The Charity helps them, and those still serving, to recover and get on with their lives by providing physical, psychological, financial and welfare support for as long as they need it. It also supports their families because they, too, can be affected by their loved one’s wounds.

Help for Heroes receives almost no funding from the Government, which means it relies on the spirit and generosity of the great British public, its partners and volunteers to keep going. It has already supported more than 26,500 people and won’t stop until every wounded veteran gets the support they deserve.

To register your interest in becoming a Help for Heroes volunteer please contact Yvonne Beattie on 07811 245 115, or by email at yvonne.beattie@helpforheroes.org.uk.

For further information on Help for Heroes, or to get support, visit www.helpforheroes.org.uk.