John and Joining Forces
The Joining Forces programme has now ended
Joining Forces was an Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust supported programme in partnership with SSAFA, the Armed Forces charity. It was delivered by 12 local projects across England by local Age UKs and SSAFA branches. After 3 successful years, the programme has now ended. Many of the pages in this section will still be useful for information and advice. Alternatively, you can look at the relevant sections of the Age UK website.
In October, veteran John visited the Churchill War Rooms in London to discuss the difference Joining Forces has made to his social life, confidence and sense of purpose. Inspired by his words, we caught up with him to find out more about his story.
John’s early days
John grew up in Rossendale Valley, Lancashire. As a teenager he lived with another family, with a father and son both in the Territorial Army. John was interested in signing up, but being 16, was too young. “I wasn’t living with my father then,” John explains. “So a couple of representatives from the TAs visited him and asked if he would sign for me to join, which he duly did.”
A special time
“It became a big part of my life,” says John of the following four years, which saw him developing new skills, including weapon training. “I loved learning, making great friends and getting on the right road, because if I hadn’t done it I think I might have ended up in trouble.”
John describes his four years of service – from 1963-67 – as the “best of my life” and over far too quickly. He soon missed the camaraderie, a loss he’s continued to feel in the decades since, when he did various jobs, including working in cotton factories and doing the laundry in a hospital.
Difficulties
John has experienced difficulties throughout the years, including a marriage that ended in divorce and being involved in a number of workplace accidents, including an incident when a forklift turn over on his foot. "It wasn't very pleasant," says John with some understatement. He's had his fair share of health problems too, most notably a couple of years ago when he was seriously ill, which was compounded by becoming isolated and feelings of loneliness.
John’s military service was more than 50 years ago, but he missed it very much. Thankfully, after a period of ill health and loneliness, he found out about Joining Forces, which helped him regain his social life, confidence and sense of purpose. "I was down by that point, and rather stand-offish, thinking that I didn't need anyone else's help. I was wrong, of course. Once I got in touch with Joining Forces I was introduced to a veterans' group I go to once a week and have a lot of fun at."
A trip to London
"I thought, 'Why not?'" John recalls of being asked to visit London to discuss how Joining Forces had helped him. Having had such a positive experience, he was keen on the idea and subsequently delivered a heartfelt speech, which is not bad for a man who claims to have never done any public speaking. "I like speaking about Joining Forces because it's helped me so much by bringing me out of myself. I feel like I can go out and talk to anybody now, which I couldn't do before. It's important that anyone in the same position I was in knows that there are people out there to help."