This summer, we’re trading desks for pedals as we take on an epic 350-mile cycle challenge from Belfast to Bristol, passing through some incredible scenery along the way. We’d love your support.

The ride is raising funds for three fantastic charities that make a real difference in local communities:

Together, these organisations provide vital support to people facing some of life’s toughest challenges — from delivering emergency medical care and supporting veterans’ mental health, to creating opportunities that help people thrive.

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As part of our Charity Conversation series, we caught up with Phoebe Banham, Corporate and Commercial Fundraising Officer at Combat Stress, to find out more about their work, the challenges they are addressing, and how donations like yours can support veterans across the UK. Find out more…

Tell us about Combat Stress

Combat Stress was founded all the way back in 1919, so we’ve now been supporting veterans’ mental health for 107 years. We were set up by a group of pioneering women who saw shell-shocked servicemen returning from the First World War be misunderstood and left to suffer in silence. They believed with the right care and compassion, that veterans could recover and rebuild their lives, and their belief drives everything we do today.

Today, Combat Stress continues to provide specialist mental health treatment to veterans from every service and every conflict. We support 20,000 veterans and their families across the UK, we’re tri-service, and we also support Reservists and the Merchant Navy.

When some military personnel leave service, their experiences can’t easily be left behind. Without treatment, psychological trauma can eventually tear lives apart, destroy relationships and devastate lives. That’s where we step in.

What are the biggest challenges you face right now?

Even in today’s society where we’re more open about mental health, it still takes an average of 14 years after leaving the military for a veteran to seek help from Combat Stress. During these 14 years time, the complexity of a veteran’s condition is likely to have increased.

With British involvement in the Iraq war ending in 2009 and the last British combat troops leaving Afghanistan in 2014, it’s a sombre prediction that there are already many more veterans who are struggling today and contemplating their first call to Combat Stress.

That said, we are seeing a trend towards younger veterans seeking help for their mental health sooner, due to the changing attitudes towards mental health in wider society. Veterans in the 26-40 age group reach out to Combat Stress after an average of 6 years, far sooner than the average of 14 years and a step in the right direction.

This means demand is rising, and to meet this demand, support from organisations such as ADS and its members is vital.

What’s your vision for the future, and how are you working towards it?

We hope that there’s a day soon where every UK veteran knows of Combat Stress, and knows exactly where to go and how to reach out, should they feel they need help with their mental health.

We’re working towards this through our awareness campaigns, and we recently held a big awareness campaign during the lead-up to PTSD Awareness Day, which in 2026, coincidentally fell on Armed Forces Day, on 27 June. We held a series of educational webinars, sold a PTSD Awareness Day pin badge for people to show their support, and launched a media campaign, with an estimated 4.4 million people engaging with this content.

The Combat Stress Helpline number is also on the back of the Veteran ID card, so veterans can see who to call any time.

There’s still more work to be done, and it’s amazing when organisations like ADS can further promote the work of Combat Stress to their wider community.

How will our members’ support help?

ADS’s broad network of members will be hugely beneficial in our mission to promote Combat Stress, to ensure every veteran and their loved ones knows about Combat Stress and where to go to seek support for their mental health.

If you are a veteran or loved one in need of support, our Helpline is available 24/7, 365 days a year. 0800 138 1619