An Army veteran from Devon is asking local people to send a message of hope to our veterans this Christmas, to show again that they value our service men and women.

Last December, thousands of messages of support for veterans were posted online on the Help for Heroes Message Wall and the Charity is hoping people from Devon will respond again.

Chris Jones, aged 52, and from Ivybridge, said: “Veterans can sometimes feel they are forgotten by society.

“And if they’re living with physical injuries, disabilities or mental illness they can become isolated – and especially at Christmas, their mental health can spiral down even further.

“The messages left by members of the public last year were so heart-warming. It would be great if we could get as many messages of hope as possible from people across Devon, which will show all our veterans that their service hasn’t been forgotten.

“Leaving a message is easy to do and there’s no cost involved.”

A training accident shattered Chris’s left foot, damaged his Achilles tendon, broke his right ankle, and damaged the ligaments in his right knee.

Corrective surgery to his ligaments made things worse and he was forced to leave the Army Air Corps at the age of 25.

Chris said: “Feelings of loneliness and isolation are something I deal with all year round, not just at Christmas.

The problem for me is that Christmas is starting earlier and earlier every year.

You can feel like you’re having Christmas shoved in your face, which magnifies feelings of isolation a lot.

“When I received the Christmas card last year, which included a message that someone had posted on the message wall, it made me smile and gave me something to feel positive about being a veteran. I was amazed that someone cares, even after all these years.”

The Office for Veterans Affairs and Family Survey, published in June this year, shows that nearly one in three veterans who live in the UK experience loneliness.  

Last winter, requests for support to Help for Heroes were 25 per cent above average.  

The Charity is aiming to send over 10,000 Christmas cards to veterans again this year, which will include messages of hope from members of the public.

Latest data shows that there are more than 65,000 veterans living in Devon.

Help for Heroes is a UK-based charity that supports members of the armed forces community, including veterans, serving personnel, and their families, who are facing physical or mental health challenges, financial difficulties, or other welfare needs.

The charity provides a range of services, including physical and mental health support, welfare and financial assistance, career recovery, and sporting and social activities, with the goal of enabling them to live well after service.

They help veterans and serving personnel of the British Armed Forces, families of both veterans and serving personnel and individuals who served alongside the military.

If you would like to add your own message of support to the Help for Heroes Message Wall, or make a donation, then go to https://sendamessage.helpforheroes.org.uk/