07 October 2024
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An RAF veteran has spoken about the lifechanging support she received from the Royal British Legion, as the charity is awarded £500,000, raised by players of People’s Postcode Lottery.
Former Senior Aircraftwoman Naomi Hall is one of thousands of veterans to have benefitted from help at the Royal British Legion’s (RBL) Battle Back Centre, which uses adaptive sport and adventure activities to improve confidence, mental health and wellbeing.
Forty-two-year-old Naomi, from Manchester, spent 16 years in the military and turned to the RBL as she adjusted to life as a civilian.
Naomi said: “To be honest, I loved it, but immediately after I returned home, a colleague was shot and killed whilst doing his job, and that affected me deeply. He had a nine-week-old baby daughter, and, as a young mother myself, it shook me. I was left feeling guilty about coming home in one piece.”
Following the loss of another close friend and a severe bout of glandular fever, Naomi’s depression worsened. She said: “I was put on sick leave for 27 months and I never went back to work in the service.”
Medically discharged in 2015, Naomi underwent rehabilitation including two courses at the Battle Back Centre in Lilleshall, Shropshire.
Naomi explained: “Battle Back gave me the confidence to rebuild myself, mentally and physically.”
Everything was going well until a motorway accident in 2017 left Naomi in an induced coma for a fortnight. When she came round, she couldn’t remember who she was. After 10 weeks in hospital, Naomi returned home in a wheelchair, and fought back, learning how to walk and talk again.
Naomi said: “The Royal British Legion supported me through mental health issues in the military, during transition to Civvy Street and then supported me after my accident, to help me through physically challenging periods - they have been incredible."
The RBL is the UK’s largest charity dedicated to supporting the needs of the Armed Forces community and their families.
The cost of providing a week-long course at the Battle Back Centre, similar to the one Naomi attended, is currently £3,000 per participant. The £500,000 raised by Postcode Lottery players could help the charity fund places for more than 160 veterans.
Naomi, who has a 16-year-old daughter Natasha, still undergoes gruelling sessions with a personal trainer every week as she continues her recovery, but with the support of the RBL and the Battle Back Centre, she is looking forward to a positive future.
Paul Flood, Head of Recovery at the Royal British Legion, said: “The Royal British Legion is incredibly grateful for the amazing funds raised by players of People’s Postcode Lottery.
“We’ve seen a growing demand from veterans and serving personnel for recovery services like our Battle Back Centre, so this funding will allow us to continue scaling up and helping individuals like Naomi with their recovery journeys.
“Many who have attended a course at our Battle Back Centre reported a positive effect on their lives, as well as their family and friends, so the impact of the funding raised by players of People’s Postcode Lottery will be long lasting and far reaching.”
