Veterans in Wales are big fans of walking football

December 19, 2016

Veterans in Wales have teamed up to tackle the tricky task of transitioning to civilian life through the sport of walking football. It’s one of the therapies offered by the charity Change Step, which works with local communities to help defeat a range of social issues.

These sauntering soccer sessions run by Swansea City FC help veterans, who need a bit of support in adjusting to life on civvy street, get back into the game.

Jack Spillets, a senior health trainer with Swansea City Community Trust says that activities like walking football help the veterans get fitter and it improves their health.  It also helps by rebuilding the team spirit that they enjoyed when they were in the Armed Forces.

The charity also has drop in centres where veterans can go to enjoy a bit of banter with like-minded people and share their experiences of transitioning into civilian life.

But there’s also a more organized framework of support as Change Step specialises in peer mentoring – trained veterans helping other veterans with everything from substance misuse to loneliness.