Armed Forces Community Support Hub - Devon
Brighter Futures for Veterans Programme
The hub exists in Devon to help veterans, reservists, service leavers and families. More available at armedforceshub.com
How We Work
The power of sport
Recover together.
Power of sport
Sport is an incredibly powerful tool for recovery for those who have been wounded, injured or fallen ill during or as a consequence of service. Physical activity has a number of benefits for both physical and mental health, and engaging in sports, esports and adventurous challenge can help to rebuild strength, endurance, and confidence. In addition, the social support and camaraderie that can be found in a sports team can be especially beneficial for those who have experienced trauma or isolation, and the structure and goal-oriented nature of sports can provide a sense of purpose and accomplishment for those on their recovery journey.
Approaching recovery
How we facilitate and create opportunities to recover
The Invictus Games are but a stepping stone on the recovery journey for our community. Our holistic approach is to create an international community, with repeated opportunities for participation in sport or adventurous challenge, supported by research and webinars. This is designed to help our community overcome the impact of trauma, through sports. Alongside this, we recognise the vital role of friends and family within this recovery pathway, and ensure that wherever possible, the loved ones that have stood beside those injured or ill, are recognised, supported, and thanked.
Fighting with Pride
Brighter Futures for Veterans Programme
Fighting with Pride supports the health and wellbeing of LGBT Veterans, service personnel and their families. More available at fightingwithpride.org.uk
HighGround
Brighter Futures for Veterans Programme
Using land-based opportunities to help service leavers, reservists and veterans to access new opportunities post-transition. More available at highground-uk.org
Mission Motorsport
Brighter Future for Veterans Programme
The forces' motorsport charity aids in the recovery and rehabilitation of those affected by military operations by providing opportunities through motorsport and the automotive industry. More available at missionmotorsport.org
OnCourse Foundation
Brighter Futures for Veterans Programme
Supporting the recovery of injured and sick service personnel and veterans through golf events and employment in the golf industry. More available at oncoursefoundation.com
The Armed Forces Equine Charity
Brighter Futures for Veterans Programme
Using the power of horses to inspire recovery, promote learning and provide opportunities for recreation, regardless of age or ability. More available at armedforcesequine.com
Turn to Starboard
Brighter Future for Veterans Programme
Using sail training to support Armed Forces personnel affected by military operations, alongside NHS workers and the emergency services. More available at turntostarboard.co.uk
Walking with the Wounded - HeadStart Programme
Brighter Future for Veterans Programme
HeadStart provides 1-2-1 private therapy for ex-service personnel with severe mental health difficulties. More available at walkingwiththewounded.org.uk
Woodland Warrior Project
Brighter Future for Veterans Programme
The Woodland Warrior Project provides therapeutic activities for armed forces personnel, veterans and members of the emergency services. More available at woodlandwarriorprogramme.org
Categorisers
Ensuring inclusivity
The Invictus Games is different to other sporting competitions in terms of its Unique Aims. The Games are not about high performance sport or winning medals. Games are focused on using sport as tool for competitor recovery and rehabilitation, and we purposefully use the terms ‘competitors’ (rather than athletes); and ‘categories’ (not classifications). All competitors are eligible to participate in the Invictus Games regardless of their impairment type - this includes competitors traditionally excluded from para-sport, and each nations selects, trains and manages their team differently and has varying degrees of experience with adaptive sport.
The Categorisation process, run by the Invictus Games Foundation with thanks to 22 international volunteers, uses a more subjective approach to enable wider participation, and differs from IPC sport classes in number, format, naming and inclusivity, such as including psychological injuries and chronic health conditions. The aim of the IGF Categorisation process is to ensure that a robust and fair categorisation process is implemented, in keeping with the ‘Spirit of the Games’, ensuring individuals are neither advantaged nor disadvantaged by their impairment(s) and that a consistent approach is adopted across all the nations, maintaining the integrity of the competition and in the interests of fair play.
The system used is ‘functional’ – this means that the main factors that determine category are not diagnosis and medical evaluation, but how much the functional impairment of a person impacts upon sports performance, thus different categories are allocated to each competitor for each individual sport. The categorisation system relies on the integrity and honesty of competitors, and all team staff.
Find out more about some of the organisations we work with
The Invictus Games Foundation works alongside partners and organisations to deliver our shared aims in promoting sport recovery, inclusivity and respect for those who served.
Campaign
#WeThe15
We are a founding partner of WeThe15 - sport’s biggest ever human rights movement to end discrimination. We aim to transform the lives of the world’s 1.2 billion persons with disabilities who represent 15% of the global population.
Launching at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, WeThe15 plans to initiate change over the next decade by bringing together the biggest coalition ever of international organisations from the world of sport, human rights, policy, communications, business, arts and entertainment.
"Everybody at the Invictus Games Foundation is honoured to join the WeThe15 campaign and believe in its mission to inspire meaningful change in communities around the world."
Aims
Implement a range of activities targeting governments, businesses and the public over the next decade to drive social inclusion for persons with disabilities and ensure greater awareness, visibility, and representation of persons with disabilities
Aims
Put persons with disabilities at the heart of the diversity and inclusion agenda and break down societal and systemic barriers that are preventing persons with disabilities from fulfilling their potential and being active members of society
6.2 billion
people reached by the coverage of the WeThe15 Launch
225
landmarks around the world turned purple on the launch date
21%
Awareness of the #WeThe15 campaign within the general population
VPPP Project
Woodland Warrior Project
The Woodland Warrior Programme provides therapeutic activities for armed forces personnel, veterans and members of the emergency services. It provides participants with the opportunity to recuperate, recalibrate and re-engage. Set within a woodland environment, activities are centered around bushcraft and the natural world.
"After a lifetime of service, I saw an opportunity to explore further contact with veterans in a different environment from reunions. On each occasion I have felt comfortable in sharing life experiences."
Objectives
Support veterans and family members with access to the natural environment
Activities
Examples include foraging, tracking, making fire and shelters, archery, wild cooking, natural history, woodland management, woodcrafts and wilderness living skills.
Aims
To help participants relax, learn new skills, build self-reliance, esteem, strengthen social bonding, and move forward.
Free
One day workshops for Emergency Services and Armed Forces community members
Free
Two day residentials for Emergency Services and Armed Forces community members
VPPP Project
Fighting with Pride
Fighting With Pride supports the health and wellbeing of LGBT+Veterans, service personnel and their families – in particular those most impacted by the ban on LGBT+ personnel serving in the Armed Forces prior to January 2000.
"I have genuinely found a new hobby in archery! I was delighted in my 79th year to have a go at all these activities. The sense of adventure we share as veterans still exist in ageing."
300
Connections to LGBT+ veterans in the last 12 months
23
Guided referrals to services offered by partner organisations
Getting Together
"Having been isolated from others in the same situation, getting together really is deeply helpful and healing”
Ban Lifted
12/01/2000 saw the ban lifted on LGBT+ service personnel in the UK
FWP
Launched January 2020
Unconquered Together
Invictus Australia
Out of the Invictus Games Sydney 2018, Invictus Australia was born as a legacy for continued sport recovery provision Down Under. From grassroots to international level, whether playing, coaching, volunteering or officiating, Invictus Australia believes in the power of sport to assist in recovery, rehabilitation and reintegration of our servicemen and women. This is done through partnerships with sporting bodies, ex-service organisations, governments, business and the community.
It is due to the success of Invictus Games Sydney 2018 and the hard work since to implement an effective and ongoing legacy that the Invictus Games Foundation has chosen Australia to pioneer the next frontier of the Invictus movement.
8
Ambassadors: Hamish Blake, Gwen Cherne, Matt Formston, Curtis Mcgrath OAM, Erin Molan, Stephen Moore AM, James 'Jimmy' Spithill, & Meg Ward.
18%
of those transitioning out of the Australian Defence Force each year do so for medical reasons.
6
Veteran Engagement team members
Legacy
from the Invictus Games Sydney 2018
640,000
Veterans in Australia
Our community
Find support in our community
Enduring friendships are forged during competition and we actively encourage those bonds. We Are Invictus, our community platform which is free to access for international wounded, injured and sick service personnel and veterans, is a close, secure, tight-knit online community.
Latest news
Enter the Newsroom
Frequently Asked Questions
We are a small charity with 12 staff members responsible for supporting the delivery of the Invictus Games as the governing body as well as delivering year round sport recovery opportunities beyond the Games.
Half of our team are former military personnel, and a third of the team are members of the wounded, injured and sick veteran community having competed in past Invictus Games.
While we always appreciate support of our everyday running costs, which helps unlock our capacity to deliver greater impact for wounded, injured and sick servicemen and women around the world, we also welcome support of specific areas of our work.
Please contact us and we would be happy to discuss the different projects that could benefit from your generous support directly.
Yes and in a number of ways! Supporting the Invictus Games Foundation is a great way to motivate and bring together employees and colleagues for an inspiring and worthwhile cause. It can also be a way to raise awareness with customers and the public of your company’s charitable objectives and achievements. Employees can take part in variety of fundraising activities that boost workforce engagement while transforming the lives of wounded, injured and sick servicemen and women, including opportunities to take part in sport recovery opportunities alongside the wounded, injured and sick community.
In addition, companies can become commercial partners and sponsors of aspects of our work. Contact us for more. We look forward to discussing how we can help create and support you with your fundraising and business objectives.
For American supporters wishing to donate in the most tax efficient way, you can choose to support our work through the ‘Invictus Games Foundation Fund’ – a donor advised fund administered on behalf of the Invictus Games Foundation by CAF America.
Gifts made here are 100% tax deductible in the US. To make a donation visit our CAF America online donation page here or email matt.collis@invictusgames.org for more information. The Invictus Games Foundation is proud to be recognised as a CAF International validated organisation.
If you cannot find the answer to your question, please contact us