Abergavenny is likely to be the centre for a pioneering eco-therapy scheme through a new charity, R3 Cymru (Resettle, Recover, Reskill) set up to help ex-servicemen and women re-adjust to civilian life – and to provide much-needed support for their families reports IRENA MORGAN.

If plans get the go-ahead, an eco-therapy centre will be built at Arcadia Wood near Pantygelli where the charity will hold courses as part of a wider programme. Other courses will be organised at the Mulberry Centre (Ty'r Morwydd), Abergavenny, and at other venues. A pilot Gateway to Employment course could be held at Mulberry before the end of summer.

The far-reaching proposals were outlined by the chairman Andrew Staufer at a conference at the Mulberry Centre last week.

R3 Cymru will act as an umbrella organisation for Wales and will co-ordinate existing initiatives with new approaches liaising with local authorities, public bodies and a network of therapists, advisors, other charities and training providers.

The conference was attended by about 30 representatives from organisations such as the Royal British Legion, Combat Stress, SSAFA, Gotcha International Academy, Monmouthshire County Council, and Cymorth Cymru, a housing charity.

Others included therapists, a specialist in post traumatic stress disorder from the Family Trauma Centre UK, mentors, and job training providers. The British Army was represented by Colonel Jamie Sage, from the Army's Brecon-based Personnel Recovery Unit, part of a scheme set up to help soldiers make the transition to civilian life,

Mr Staufer said each person on the R3 Cymru programme would be able to access the support they needed at different stages of their recovery, from therapy and family support to vocational training and job placement.

"According to Welsh Government figures, the green economy was expected to provide 42,000 jobs in Wales. This creates huge potential for ex-services personnel to gain new skills and secure sustainable jobs."

Around 30 per cent of benefit claimants in South East Wales had military experience in their life or background. Some ex-services personnel needed access to mental health services or were classed as offenders. Giving them support at the right time would help to reduce these numbers and cut costs to public services.

Colonel Sage emphasised that transition procedures for people leaving the forces had now greatly improved with the creation of the Army Recovery Capability (ARC) scheme of which his unit was a part.

Individual recovery plans were tailored for those who needed it and there were good resettlement packages to buy skill-training courses for successful transition to civilian life. But there may be problems if a soldier did not take up the offer; and other ex-soldiers who had left the army up to 20 or 30 years ago could be experiencing health problems such as PSTD which had developed since then. This was where the new charity, R3 Cymru, could step in, and he welcomed the initiative.

Col Sage said four purpose-built recovery centres funded by Help for Heroes for soldiers and service leavers were either built or being planned near Army sites.

Run jointly by the Royal British Legion and the Army, they would provide a residential base for those who needed it at Edinburgh, Colchester, Catterick and Tidworth in Wiltshire which would cater for Welsh soldiers.

Retired army major Alun Davies, founder of Gotcha, praised the Army's current after-care service which was "second to none". He asked if a similar recovery centre was going to be built in Wales but Col Sage replied that the Army had no plans to do so.

Julian Wilde-Davies of Gotcha, said they had been involved with another proposed charity, Careers4Heroes whose education activities would now be integrated with R3 Cymru. Gotcha, based at Pontyclun, was initially set up in 2009 to provide training services to help ex-military personnel prepare for working life outside the armed forces. Former Newport and Gwent Dragons rugby player Duane Goodfield had recently joined the staff as director of sport.

Esko Reinikainen, associate partner for innovation for Monmouthshire County Council, said the council would be "willing partners" with R3 Cymru with advice, support and social services referrals.

The council was hosting a major four-day business event "Back 2 Business Week" http://www.monb2b.co.uk">www.monb2b.co.uk from June 6 aimed at supporting social enterprise and entrepreneurs to boost the local economy particularly in the green, tourism and digital sectors. R3 Cymru had been invited to the event. Ex-forces personnel looking to set up their own businesses would be very welcome.

The conference heard from former soldier Graham Matthews, and now well-known in the arts sector. He revealed how he had suffered from PTSD after he had left the services but had tried to keep it hidden from his BBC colleagues.

The R3 Cymru charity with its family support would help to stop the effects of PTSD being passed down the generations. Two army wives, Heidi and Jane, both married to ex-soldiers who had PTSD spoke about the need to help sufferers and ease the stress on family life and children whose lives were being devastated by the "cascading consequences".

Arcadia Wood is owned by Monmouth therapists Andrew Michie and Claire Love who said short-term practical courses would be run on a holistic theme to promote better health and wellbeing.

Designed by architect Dr Christabel Powell, the eco-therapy centre will have a 'welcome' building, a workshop, classroom and tree-houses at different levels around a renovated boat-house on a lake. Everything would be made from natural materials for a healthy environment. The 15-acre site will cater for groups of up to 20 people.

Outline plans have already gone to the Brecon Beacons National Park authority and full plans will be submitted by the end of June. Building costs were estimated at nearly £900,000.

After the meeting, Mr Staufer said some courses such as coppicing and other practical work could go ahead at Arcadia based around the facilities already there even before building work started.

Funding for the eco-centre and for staging the courses would be sought through army sources, charities or a Lottery bid. Family support and on-site practical career development courses would be very important ingredients.

There had been a very strong and positive reaction to the plans from the British Legion. He was confident that other charities such as Combat Stress and SSAFA would be involved. Talking2Minds wanted further briefings and other meetings had been scheduled.

There were current plans to run schemes at three sites with satellite locations providing supplementary courses. A GP had offered a site near the Forest of Dean.

The directors of R3 Cymru would include Mr Staufer as the chairman / MD, Major Davies, Mr Wilde-Davies, Mr Michie, Ms Love and David Thorp of Treenergy Ltd.

Among the proposed trustees are Commodore Toby Elliott (RN retired) the former chief executive of Combat Stress; Capt Andrew Jelinek, an officer of the Household Cavalry and Sandhurst lecturer; therapist Jane Hughes; and David Gape. A website, http://www.r3cymru.net">www.r3cymru.net, will be available in a few weeks' time.