Help for Heroes launches Christmas ad campaign to combat loneliness and isolation

HELP for Heroes, a leading charity that supports UK veterans and their families, has recently launched a highly emotive Christmas ad campaign that urges the public to make sure veterans are not forgotten this Christmas.

More than 80,000 veterans in Great Britain could spend the holiday season lonely and isolated, so Help for Heroes is asking people to send messages of hope, support and thanks to let them know they are not alone.

The heartwarming short film features a forgotten toy solider ornament, that has been left off the Christmas tree. Help for Heroes can be seen picking them up and placing them back in their rightful place on the tree showing how the charity’s work ensures that veterans are not forgotten and that their support can help find a place and purpose in society again.

One-third of veterans supported by Help for Heroes, who have a long-term health condition, often or always feel lonely. These feelings of isolation are magnified at Christmas for veterans, many of whom have unique mental and physical health challenges related to their service. At a time when there’s pressure to have fun and be cheery, veterans may find themselves cut off from society, friends and even family, having lost the secure support structure they had in the army.

In December 2022 Help for Heroes saw a 77 per cent increase in requests for support compared to the same period in 2021 meaning the charity’s services are needed now more than ever as they continue to see demand rise over the past year as well. They provide veterans with life-changing support and a sense of community, where they no longer feel isolated or alone.

There are still many veterans who need help, and some will not receive, cards or gifts or sit down to a Christmas dinner with loved ones or may simply feel forgotten by their society that they gave so much to protect. Help for Heroes is looking to change this with their new campaign that looks to deliver messages of hope and support this Christmas to those who need them the most.

Beth Miles, Director of Marketing at Help for Heroes said:

“We are incredibly proud to have created this impactful short film Christmas advert that leads our campaign this year. It is very personal to who we are as a charity and delivers an incredibly powerful message to support our veterans this holiday season. Our new Christmas ornament characters represent veterans from the army, navy, and RAF, and have been created in partnership with our friends at Global. We hope they resonate with the public as well as our veteran community and we look forward to seeing them again in future campaigns.”

Help for Heroes champions the Armed Forces community and helps them live well after service. The charity helps them, and their families, to recover and get on with their lives. It has already supported more than 30,000 people and will not stop until every veteran gets the support they deserve.

The charity supports veterans, and their families, from any branch of the UK military – regulars or reserves – irrespective of length or place of service, and locally embedded civilians (and their families) who worked alongside our Armed Forces.

To get support, please visit: helpforheroes.org.uk.

Messages of support can be sent directly here.