Meet the ex-army officer who set out to help veterans rebuild their lives
INSPIRED by his nephew’s bravery, ex-army officer Ed Parker and a couple of mates set up a charity that’s helped tens of thousands of veterans back on their feet in Civvy Street.
Ed was motivated to start Walking With The Wounded (WWTW) in 2009 after his nephew Harry stepped on an IED while serving in Afghanistan and lost a leg.
Ten days later, back in the UK, his other leg had to be amputated for gangrene.
“Visiting Harry, I was struck by the incredibly positive attitude he shared with his colleagues in hospital,” Ed says.
“The national rhetoric at the time was all pity and sorrow for our wounded heroes.
“But they didn’t want pity – they were focusing on returning to their battalions.”
WWTW took a new attitude to veterans, totally changing the game for them.
“At the time I was planning a trip to the North Pole with friends and we invited some wounded soldiers – to show the world they could still achieve great things,” Ed explains.
In March 2011, Ed skied to the North Pole with four injured soldiers as well as – plot twist – Prince Harry and a film crew.
“We approached Harry and he wanted to be involved,” Ed recalls.
“The trip was supposed to be a one-off to raise money for military charities and change public perceptions of wounded veterans. But afterwards Prince Harry said to me: ‘You’ve got to keep this going.’
“So in 2012 we attempted Everest and, in 2013, skied to the South Pole.”
Back home, Ed and a friend from Sandhurst decided that WWTW should launch its own charitable programme with the money it raised.
The route they chose – no pity, just practical help – was powerful. That’s why, after public nominations, Ed’s been named one of 30 National Lottery Game Changers, chosen to highlight the good causes players have helped since the first draw in November 1994.
‘I WAS ALONE AND ABOUT TO GIVE UP’
DWAYNE, 39, from Leeds, worked in bomb disposal as one of a four-man team in Afghanistan, who bonded after the near-death situations they faced.
But back in the UK, for the birth of his first son, Dwayne was attacked and stabbed in the spine on a walk into town with a friend.
After three months in hospital, and having to learn to walk again, he returned to the army and was posted to Germany.
However, after sustaining nerve damage while working outside in minus temperatures, he was medically discharged.
Plagued by flashbacks and insomnia, Dwayne struggled to adapt to civilian life.
He began to drink and his family life broke down.
Living in his car, he became seriously depressed and sought help.
Dwayne was diagnosed with complex post-traumatic stress disorder and was introduced to Clare, a Walking With The Wounded veterans liaison support officer.
Clare helped Dwayne find safe accommodation and enrol on courses to boost his employability.
Dwayne says: “Without Clare, I wouldn’t be here today – I was about to give up.
“When you leave the army, your support structure disappears.
“Suddenly you’re on your own, trying to integrate into an unfamiliar society.
“But with Clare, I was no longer alone.
“Last Christmas, Walking With The Wounded even paid for me to visit my children in Oxford – what a gift!
“Now I have hope for the future again.”
Since then, National Lottery players have raised £30million a week, totalling over £49billion and supporting 690,000 projects.
“We offered veterans bursaries to get back to work – for courses, driving lessons and the tools of their chosen trades,” Ed says. “I became CEO, working on the coalface with veterans – and I loved it.”
Then WWTW received a grant from The National Lottery, which distributes hundreds of millions a year to community projects across the UK.
“That felt like a real validation of our work,” Ed says.
“We started building a national network of care coordinators to help with issues like housing, loneliness and wellbeing.
“Soon we were helping thousands of people a year and sitting at the top table of military charities.”
The charity’s success is exemplified by the man who inspired it – Ed’s nephew.
“A few years after his accident Harry, our poster boy, told me he wanted to take a back seat,” Ed says.
“He’d left the military, got married and got a job – he didn’t want to be forever defined by his experiences in the army.
“And that’s our goal: supporting veterans into the mainstream and waving them goodbye as they go on to live fulfilling lives.”
WWTW’s Head Start programme, offering ex-military personnel rapid access to mental health services, has been accredited by the Royal College of Psychiatrists.
Last year its employment programme supported 232 people into paid, meaningful jobs.
Ed still pulls his walking boots on to fundraise, trekking 100km across the Sahara earlier this year.
“It’s an honour to be a National Lottery Game Changer,” he says.
“I share the title with everyone who’s been part of Walking With The Wounded, and the staff and volunteers who change veterans’ lives every day.”
Meet the Game Changers
Ed Parker is just one of the seven Game Changers being honoured as part of the National Lottery’s 30th birthday celebrations. Each Game Changer has used National Lottery funding to transform the lives of people across the UK, including military veterans, those fighting cancer, the elderly and young people.
Trevor Lyttleton MBE, founder of Re-engage
For more than 50 years, Trevor’s charity has held tea parties to help elderly people overcome loneliness. The motto of Re-engage is: “All you need is a warm heart, a warm welcome, a downstairs toilet and a large teapot.”
Dame Laura Lee, CEO of cancer care charity Maggie’s
Maggie’s was the vision of Maggie Keswick Jencks, who died of cancer in 1995. Laura was her nurse and friend, who then worked with Maggie’s family to make her vision a reality.
Sandra Igwe, founder of The Motherhood Group
Sandra is a formidable advocate for black maternal health and founder of The Motherhood Group, a social enterprise supporting black mothers through culturally competent care and community-based initiatives.
Marcus Fair, founder of Eternal Media
Marcus was addicted to heroin and crack cocaine for 25 years and has experienced homelessness and incarceration. His charity Eternal Media supports more than 700 offenders and ex-offenders by giving them opportunities in filmmaking.
Javeno McLean, personal trainer and owner of J7 Health Centre
Celebrated for his life-changing work with disabled, sick and elderly people, Javeno’s inspirational social media videos have attracted millions of fans.
Conor Largey, Belfast youth worker and Empowering Young People coordinator
From skipping school and getting in trouble to a life dedicated to helping young people achieve their goals and potential, Conor has earned recognition for his inspirational work with Belfast’s young people.
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