FORMER SERVICE PERSONNEL are taking to the water to seek calm after their service in the forces.
With such as Jay Saunders who a year ago could not even make eye contact, Janet Friend reports.
Service in a war zone
Such did his service in a war zone effect him.
Yet he performed five weeks performing stand-up comedy at the Edinburgh Fringe. The turning point in his life was the 41ft narrowboat, Stingray.
Jay is one of a growing number of former service personnel finding calm and community on Britain’s waterways thanks to Forces Veterans Afloat (FVA)—a charity that sources, refurbishes and loans donated narrowboats to veterans experiencing homelessness or instability.
Brain slows down
And Jay telling:
“Being on the boat has helped me heal and handle my PTSD. You rapidly find your brain slows down to the speed of the canal.”
Based on the Derbyshire-Nottinghamshire border, FVA’s current fleet of 10 boats is being refuge for those struggling to find their footing on land. Veterans can access a fully equipped narrowboat for up to two years only through referral from a recognised forces support charity.
FVA provides the boats and boating expertise, while the veterans remain under the charity’s care for support.