Adventure therapy has gained significant momentum in the United Kingdom as an alternative and powerful model for supporting veterans subjected to the invisible wounds of war, particularly post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The ALIVE Programme, delivered by Veterans In Action (VIA), stands at the vanguard of this movement, blending the restorative power of nature, purposeful teamwork and expeditionary challenge to enable former service personnel to rediscover themselves, inspire their peers and rebuild a meaningful life. But what makes activities like wilderness walks, Land Rover expeditions and outdoor projects so uniquely effective in healing war-torn minds?
Founded on evidence-based principles and guided by the lived experiences of veterans themselves, the ALIVE Programme shapes long-term, practical undertakings where veterans harness the skills learned in the military for positive change. Instead of a conventional clinical setting, veterans immerse themselves in outdoor therapy as part of community projects, vehicle building and expansive expeditions across the British wilderness.
For many, leaving the services creates a void where inspiration, achievement and structured camaraderie vanish overnight. The ALIVE Programme fills this gap by reigniting familiar values—self-awareness, confidence and purposeful action. Here, personal progress is measured not in clinical notes but through real-world accomplishment: perhaps crossing a stretch of moorland, rebuilding a Land Rover or completing a long-distance walk. Veterans are encouraged to reflect on every achievement, no matter how modest, as a testament to forward momentum. In the words of programme participant Mark Colman, “despite what they may be going through, they can still achieve remarkable things and grow as an individual and as part of a team, just like they once did in the military”.
A growing body of research points to profound, measurable benefits experienced by veterans engaging in wilderness activities. Multiple peer-reviewed studies highlight nature’s role in:
British studies focusing on military veterans demonstrate statistically significant improvements in PTSD, depression, anxiety and perceived stress following peer group outdoor experiences, including angling, hiking, equine care and expeditions. These benefits are particularly notable as the interventions are low-cost, conducted locally and importantly, are accessible even to those not receiving conventional psychological therapy.
What makes these outdoor interventions distinctive is their ability to create a safe, stigma-free environment. Veterans often find mainstream therapy challenging due to feelings of shame, alienation or discomfort in civilian settings. Outdoor, peer-led activities allow veterans to rediscover camaraderie, practice solution-focused coping strategies, and develop an identity apart from trauma and the military. “Success and enjoyment in learning a new skill may address hope and facilitate development of a sense of identity and purpose beyond PTSD and the military,” the research notes.
One iconic aspect of VIA’s ALIVE Programme is its expeditionary ethos. The project encompasses long-distance walks, vehicle-building workshops and humanitarian aid missions, all of which serve as powerful metaphors for recovery. Participation is not mere recreation, it is rehabilitation through grit, teamwork and visible progress. For many, workshops and pathway projects serve as a bridge to more challenging endeavours, easing anxiety and fostering a sense of belonging.
Hands-on tasks, like preparing Land Rovers for missions, trekking from John O’Groats to Land’s End or supporting aid logistics, help veterans reconnect with the skills and discipline they once mastered. These expeditions place therapeutic value on the journey itself, encouraging participants to persevere, adapt and lead. The process nurtures leadership, patience, and the ability to overcome obstacles, critical ingredients for rebuilding self-confidence.
A key differentiator for the ALIVE Programme and similar veteran expeditions is the emphasis on shared experience. Outdoor therapy undertaken in veteran-only groups offers safety, understanding and trust, enabling participants to speak openly and forge meaningful bonds. This “esprit de corps” can significantly reduce isolation and support long-term wellbeing. As highlighted in research, peer groups foster a sense of belonging and build a social network where coping strategies and mutual support flourish.
The presence of peers facing similar challenges reduces stigma, enhances comfort and sustains recovery. “Being surrounded by others who have faced similar challenges helps veterans feel understood and supported. They regain a sense of belonging, which plays a crucial role in emotional healing and personal growth,” according to experts on outdoor therapy for veterans.
Formal evaluations from UK veteran support charities and research institutions outline significant gains delivered by wilderness and adventure therapy. For instance:
While adventure therapy is not a panacea, the ALIVE Programme embodies the principle that lasting transformation is fostered through purpose, achievement and connection. Withdrawal from civilian life, unemployment and chronic distress are common among veterans battling PTSD. By creating opportunities for meaningful activity, teamwork and adventure, ALIVE reawakens veteran strengths. The programme equips them to inspire others, confront adversity and regain personal agency—a potent antidote to trauma-induced helplessness.
Participants report a renewed sense of self-worth, leadership and inspiration, which ripples outward to the broader veteran community. The ALIVE Programme’s long-term projects anchor recovery in real achievement and lived experience, offering an alternative to conventional treatment that many find vital and authentic.
In decoding the ALIVE Programme’s success, it is clear that the healing power of wilderness, robust peer networks, and structured adventure is more than anecdotal, it is grounded in science, evidence and experience. Land Rover expeditions, long-distance walks and nature-based tasks reframe trauma, nurture camaraderie and restore hope. For war-torn minds seeking recovery and meaning, adventure therapy and the ALIVE Programme offer not just a path to healing but also the rediscovery of purpose and belonging.
I needed focus I needed something to fill my time, well maybe not fill my time but something to focus on like a target, a needed to get back my drive.
I started to help VIA ‘Veterans In Action’ and found something that I could do, use the old skills that I learnt in the army and more since I left which I did not register I had.
I had been missing that motivation to do something that I wanted to do and gain that level of self-gratification and achievement.
Everybody has a skill set, but it’s the motivation to use it we can lose, VIA have various projects on the go all the time, hopefully I have found my niche to help them and myself to gain personal gratification by being a member of a team again and a job well done.
After discussions I realised that it’s this which advances my mental well-being and my ongoing fight against depression and the feeling of worthlessness.
I have woken up, helping hand in hand with fellow soldiers suffering from labelled disorders finding strength from weakness, realising what helps them generally does helps me, the recognition has been an awakening.”
Ian ‘Chalky’ White former 17th/21st Lancers and B Sqn 22 SAS
Veterans In Action have been filming our expeditions for many years for our YouTube Channel, Veterans Expeditions Overland, and through this experience of not only running the expeditions but also capturing footage that enables veterans who have taken part in a place of reference to recapture how they felt by taking part.
The Veterans In Focus project enables veterans to learn new skills and record not only the expeditions we run but also the day-to-day work on all projects connecting them all together so everyone feels involved in all aspects of the work we do.
VIA take a long-term approach to helping veterans who suffer to enable them to grow within a project working alongside their peers. All this can be achieved within this project which can be ongoing and would allow veterans to learn new skills or to pass on skills learned during their time in the services
Some of the outcomes of the project are a sense of purpose, regaining confidence and working in an environment alongside other veterans where they can instantly feel relaxed, chilled-out, secure, and safe.
Veterans can work at their own pace, stop thinking negatively, concentrate, learn new skills, be part of building something, and most importantly where problems are understood this will positively impact mood and stress levels.
For those involved in the project, they can also get involved on an expedition HERE
I became involved with VIA in 2010 after my life took a turn for the worse and was invited along to do some fundraising with them. This helped me no end and in time my life got back on track. I completed a Union Flag Walk with them from Cape Wrath to Land’s End which again helped as walking and talking with other veterans with similar stories was a great help in understanding how I was feeling. I gained control of my life again.
In 2019, I took part in an overland expedition travelling through the Spanish Pyrenees and whilst away my life took a turn for the worse again due to family problems back in the UK. On my return I had to start again and rebuild and focus on the future and with the help of Veterans In Action I got back on track and took control.
I now own and run my own courier business.
Mark Colman former Royal Engineers
To date, we have travelled 25,000 miles travelling through 30 different countries and some of them several times both on overland expeditions for humanitarian aid through the pandemic and more recently supplying medical humanitarian aid to Ukraine.
It is important to note that to take part in one of our overland expeditions we insist that veterans get involved in the BUILD IT part of the project. The reason for this is part of the Post Traumatic Growth process which is our method for helping veterans so that veterans can grow within a team of their peers, learning new skills and relearning old skill sets that may have been forgotten after service.
Leading up to an expedition involves expedition training which will include off-road driving, navigation, camp setups, camp cooking and daily maintenance, something most veterans will understand from their time in the services.
It would be unfair for any individual to turn up on the day of an expedition who hadn’t previously been involved as everyone else would have been working together over a long period of time so due to the very nature of the mental health problems of those we take out on expedition turning up on day 1 for any individual could become very difficult to find where they fit in no matter how welcoming everyone was.
It is the involvement long-term on building the vehicles that enable veterans to grow that gets them to a place where they fully enjoy all aspects of the expedition experience starting from the minute that an overland expedition sets off.