As we honour those who made the ultimate sacrifice, we remain at the side of veterans and their families who are still fighting their own battles today.
On Sunday, 9 November, more than 50 veterans, carers and Help for Heroes colleagues will join 10,000 others from the veteran community at the Cenotaph Parade in London. They will march shoulder-to-shoulder in a powerful act of remembrance along Whitehall, to honour those who made the ultimate sacrifice.
As we honour the service and sacrifice of those who defended our freedoms, we also recognise the challenges veterans, and their families still face today – from life-changing injuries to mental trauma and isolation long after service.
Last year we supported more than 5,000 individuals – the highest number ever and demand for our services continues to grow.
Every day, five people leave the Armed Forces because of injury or illness.
This Remembrance help keep our promise to veterans and their families so every person who serves knows they will be supported when their service ends.
What remembrance means to our veterans
Chris, Dan and Jo, who have all been supported by the Charity, will be part of our contingent taking part in the Remembrance Parade at the Cenotaph in London. Here's what the opportunity to take part means to them.
Chris
Army veteran Chris, from Wrexham was serving as a driver with the Royal Corps of Transport, when he suffered a life-changing road accident that left him in a coma for five months. He now lives with chronic pain, along with chronic rheumatoid arthritis and has now completely lost his hearing.
He and his wife, Emma, know only too well about the personal sacrifices made by so many people. Two of Emma’s great-uncle’s fought in the Pacific in WW2 and one was awarded the Distinguished Flying Medal and the Burma Star.
"This is my first time at the Cenotaph and I feel proud to be part of the Help for Heroes delegation. I’ll definitely be thinking about Emma’s uncle’s John and George and everything they went through."
Dan
Dan Thomson, 43, served with the Light Dragoon Regiment and took part in a tour of Afghanistan. He suffered a life-changing motorbike accident in August 2024, which left him with a broken neck, a traumatic brain injury, a paralysed right arm and weakness in his left arm.
“On the day I think I’ll be feeling very emotional as we line up to start the march past. I’ll be thinking of all those people who made the ultimate sacrifice, to protect our freedoms, and in particular of my friends Philip Lawrence and Anthony Lombardi, who didn’t make it back from Afghanistan.”
Jo
Jo Hursey a 49-year-old Army veteran from Royal Wootton Bassett is a former staff sergeant who served for 24 years. She suffered a leg injury during her service leaving her unable to walk properly. She was also diagnosed with PTSD after serving in Northern Ireland and being trapped in a blazing vehicle.