Two fact finding visits to Veterans Aid in as many months have extended the charity’s international profile and established working links with Ukraine and its veterans.
MP Iryna Nykorak, Chair of the Ukrainian Parliament’s Sub-committee on Veteran Rehabilitation, was welcomed in April, followed by a group of OP INTERBOW personnel – in the UK on a five week training course – in May.
Ms Nykorak, who is also founder of the initiative Arm Women Now, which focuses on empowering women defenders in Ukraine, is deeply committed to enhancing collaboration and exchange of knowledge. Her visit, as part of a delegation from the Ukrainian Parliament, was aimed at learning more about the UK’s experience in supporting and caring for veterans. The Ukrainian OP INTERBOW guests were psychologists with a specific interest in the universal challenges of dealing with trauma and recovery.
“VA is not a combat-focused organisation, ” said CEO of VA Dr Hugh Milroy, “but the pathway to stability represented by our unique Welfare to Wellbeing© model has been found to be effective regardless of the cause of trauma. The veteran experience is a universal one that has no national or ideological boundaries. We were honoured to welcome Ms Nykorak, and to be included in the psychologists’ visit programme.”
The Ukrainians are the latest in a long line of international visitors who have embraced the opportunity to learn more about VA’s success in restoring post-service wellbeing to those in need of support.
Dr Milroy said, “The discussions with both sets of visitors were fruitful because, regardless of nationality, the veteran experience is a shared one, forged by unique bonds. I’m constantly reminded of this through my work with the World Veterans Federation which represents more than 60 million veterans worldwide.
“Ms Nykorak was keen to understand, from our frontline social exclusion perspective, what works and what does not in terms of post service wellbeing. We enjoy an audited 90% success rate in this area so are regularly consulted by those with a vested interest in combatting adversity.”
The psychologists, who were part of a wider military training initiative – OP INTERFLEX – had more targeted questions. Accompanied by an interpreter and some of their British Army hosts, they had a tour of VA’s Victoria HQ/Operations Centre and met members of the charity’s frontline team. Ranging in ages, and with varying levels of professional and combat experience, they expressed interest in how VA dealt with issues as diverse as addiction homelessness, social isolation, and trauma.
Dr Milroy and his colleagues took questions and discussed some of the complexities relating to treatment of underlying as well as obvious manifestations of distress. Acknowledging the very real challenges faced by Ukrainian volunteers, combatants, veterans, and their extended families, he talked about the importance of both timely intervention and, in some cases, commitment to long-haul investment of time and money as components of effective recovery.
Dr Hugh Milroy addressing the 2023 World Veterans Federation Congress in Belgrade.
