It’s never too early to start your health and wellbeing journey

In its 80^th year, The Fire Fighters Charity is continuing to build a proactive approach to supporting the UK’s fire services community with a series of new online and residential programmes aimed at improving wellbeing.

It’s a common misconception that you have to be injured, ill or seriously struggling to seek help – but nothing could be further from the truth. And that’s the vital message The Fire Fighters Charity is focused on spreading.

The charity supports all fire service personnel and their dependants, working to support them with their health and well being needs through every stage of their life. Encouraging beneficiaries to get in touch as early as possible is central to the charity’s message, and it has developed a broad range of online and face-to-face tools to support every individual.

Suicide prevention

As part of this proactive approach to support, the charity is launching specific resources aimed at preventing suicide in the fire services community – which it introduced in the last issue – and has also planned separate online and residential programmes in the months ahead, covering a number of key health and well being topics.

“In the last three years alone, we’ve developed and adapted our services more than ever before to meet the changing needs of our fire services community and that’s something we’re incredibly proud of. We’ve broken down barriers which previously prevented many of our beneficiaries from easily accessing our support and we’re now focusing on spreading a proactive health and well being message: you don’t have to be injured or ill to reach out to us.

“No problem is too small, we’re here to listen and help you to move forward positively with your life, whether that’s through our online health and well being resources and programmes, or via a face-to-face support pathway.”

Sharon Bailey, The Firefighter’s Charity’s Director, Beneficiary Services.

Specialised online and residential programmes

Alongside the charity’s usual physical rehabilitation, Reset Programme, nursing and Rest and Recharge stays, as well as its online programmes and workshops, it’s holding several specialised programmes at its three centres over the coming months.

From spaces on a Kickstart Programme, designed to help and support healthy habits, through to wellbeing programmes, resilience-building weeks, family programmes and another focused on transitions into retirement, the charity’s tailored weeks are all aimed at promoting positive wellbeing and preventing issues from occurring. Here are some of the weeks planned:

• Healthy living
• Healthy ageing
• Body and mind
• Transitions Into retirement
• Women’s wellbeing
• Menopause
• Social wellbeing for the retired.

Alongside these, the charity has several online courses available to all beneficiaries through its app, My Fire Fighters Charity, and delivers health and wellbeing workshops direct to fire and rescue services.

The charity’s message is clear: the earlier it can help someone, the higher the likelihood of them avoiding time off work due to ill health and, ultimately, the happier and healthier they can be. Here’s what three people who’ve previously contacted the charity had to say:

“Just because talking to someone doesn’t feel right, that doesn’t mean there aren’t other solutions out there for you – trust me, I’m one of those people. It’s a matter of trying different things until you find something that does help.” – James Bull, Station Commander, Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service.

“Reach out early for help. Things can get in the way, but it’s important to take that time.” – Ali Moore, on-call firefighter, Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service.

“If you need help, to ask for it is not a sign of weakness – it’s actually a sign of great strength.”- Jeff Cross, Watch Manager, Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service.

Luke’s story

Luke Kavanagh is a wholetime firefighter with Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service, as well as an on-call firefighter with Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service, and knows first-hand what a difference the charity’s online resources can make.

“I was having some issues in my personal life, and I was off work at the time with kidney stones. I felt really low, it was like a spiral effect. I’m quite active and I really enjoy my job, then suddenly I had neither of those things. I just felt my mental health declining quite rapidly. I was feeling really anxious and that was actually causing a lot of mood swings and anger.

“I remember having a chat to one of my colleagues and they mentioned about the charity’s app – My Fire Fighters Charity – and the online courses on there. I downloaded it that afternoon and came across the Wellbeing Hub and the Low Mood bitesize course. It described a lot of the emotions I was feeling at the time.

“After I finished the course, I felt I’d benefit from speaking to someone and I saw the quick online form I could fill in to enquire about support.

“I had an initial assessment, where they wanted to make sure I was safe, and after that I spoke a Psychological Therapist which was great. It put me at ease, knowing they were there, and it gave me a chance to unload all the thoughts in my mind and have someone listen and point me in the right direction.

“The charity is a big safety net for us, for life. You never know how it might be able to help you. It’s so easy, it’s all there on your phone, and it’s such a quick process when you do.”

This is part of our series commemorating the 80th anniversary of the Fire Fighters Charity. To learn more, see ‘The Fire Fighters Charity at 80.’

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