USE IT

VETERANS EXPEDITIONS OVERLAND

USE IT

Veterans In Action have been running expeditions for over a decade initially long-distance walking expeditions from 2010 to 2017 covering a distance of 13,500 miles across the UK with over 500 veterans taking part.

In 2017 thanks to the BUILD IT part of the Veterans Expeditions Overland Project we started to run overland expeditions across Europe with veterans who had been involved in building the vehicles, many of them suffering from PTSD.

To date we have covered a distance of 11,000 miles travelling through 20 different countries and some of them several times.

It is important to note that to take part on 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 enables 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.

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 on 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

QUOTE

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.

Join an Expedition

To take part on an overland expedition or expedition training you must register to Be Part of the Next Build Registering on the link.

Be Part Of The Next Build

The only criteria for getting involved is that you have served in the armed services and the williness to be part of a team that can grow together, helping yourself by helping each other.

Click to Register