“WHEN I walked into a room in a uniform, with stripes and medals, I had status and presence. Then overnight that changed. I was nobody.”
Mark Dunkerley joined the Army nine days after his 16th birthday. Aged 19 he was on his way to the Falklands.
The Falklands conflict lasted from April 2 to June 14, in 1982 and claimed the lives of 255 British military personnel.
Last month a ceremony at Bradford’s Memorial Wall commemorated the 40th anniversary of the end of the conflict. The event was supported by Falklands veterans from SAMA 82 (South Atlantic Medals Association).
It was, said Lord Mayor of Bradford Councillor Martin Love, an opportunity to show “respect and appreciation” and “remember the sacrifices made by the members of our Armed Forces during the Falklands War”.
For Mark Dunkerley, life was a struggle after he returned from the Falklands, where he served in the 9 Parachute Squadron, a detachment of the Royal Engineers. “It was the first war this country had been involved in since the Second World War. It was very intense out there. I’d served in Northern Ireland, but that wasn’t a war like this was,” says Mark. “When I came back from the Falklands, it was like everything stopped. I was posted out to Germany and found it difficult to re-acclimatise. Even in military life, it was hard to adjust after fighting in a war.”
Adds Mark: “I’d been in the Army for 12 years. I’m from the North East, school wasn’t much use to me and industry was declining. The Army was my way out. It made me. It was such a big part of my life. I was a sergeant, a para-trooper. The bond you have in the forces, there’s nothing else like it. When I left the forces I felt lost; I struggled with civilian life and lived in a squat for two years.”
Now Mark is a lecturer at Bradford College and leads the college’s NAAFI group, which meets every Wednesday. It offers support and a chance to talk for men and women who’ve served in the forces, and a skills hub to develop maths, English and digital knowledge. There’s an opportunity to join other courses and activities run by the college, and information for help to find housing.
“There’s a big need for this support, but people don’t know about it,” says Mark. “Many struggle with civilian life after the forces. A lot of people don’t even know they have PTSD; they self-medicate and disappear down a hole of relationship breakdown, homelessness, addiction.
“Being in the forces is a big part of your life. When you don’t have that anymore, and there’s no-one to talk to about it, it’s hard to cope. There’s always a hook with ex-service people - what connects us is humour, experiences we’ve shared, stories we understand. This group is somewhere veterans can feel welcome, safe and supported. It’s for families too - we’ve had a father, son and grandson here.”
It was through an Army education programme that Mark got maths and English qualifications. He went on to do an HNC in business and finance at night school, then a Management Studies course, leading to an MBA in business and a Masters in education. “People like me, who left school with one O-level, might think college isn’t for them,” says Mark. “But there are so many things you can do through this group.”
Bradford College’s NAAFI group was set up by Duncan Burnett, Curriculum Manager for Community and Distance Learning. He says it works in three ways: “One is to support people back into employment. We work with West Yorkshire Fire Service, for example, on recruiting ex-service people. We have referrals from job centres.
“Two is to combat loneliness and isolation. We help people access a range of activities which can be theraputic. Thirdly, we work with Age UK to support more senior veterans on planning their route into retirement.”
Joanne Dodds, Bradford District Armed Forces Champion, is reaching out to ex-military personnel through Age UK’s Reconnecting Veterans project, funded by the Armed Forces Covenant Trust. “The aim is to connect with veterans so we can meet their needs and tackle issues and barriers they face,” says Joanne. “We want to hear their voice, find out what matters to them, so we can develop activities and groups based on this, and information and support, to help them feel more connected. The challenge is to reach those who aren’t aware of this support.”
Joanne is working with the Bradford Bulls Foundation, which runs a drop-in veterans group, also funded through the Armed Forces Covenant Fund. Says Lorraine Clayton, who runs the group: “It’s a chance to share memories and meet up in a friendly, informal way. If people need help with anything, we can signpost. Veterans have so much to offer in skills, but because they haven’t got that comradeship anymore, many lose confidence. We can provide tools for them to do jobs around the Bulls stadium, or to go into schools and talk about their experiences of military life. They can bring history alive for schoolchildren. Or they can just come along to talk. The group is open to anyone who has served in the armed forces, for whatever length of time.”
Adds Lorraine: “There’s a synergy between rugby and the armed forces, in terms of teamwork, banter and camaraderie. We’d love to set up a veterans rugby team.”
* Bradford College’s NAAFI group meets on Wednesdays, 10am-12noon, at Forster College, Chapel Street, Little Germany. Email community@bradfordcollege.ac.uk
* The Bulls Foundation group meets on Tuesdays, 4.30-6.30pm, at Odsal Stadium. Email info@bullsfoundation.org
* For more about Age UK’s Reconnecting Veterans project call (01274) 391190 or email joannedodds@ageukbd.org.uk
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