Captain David Seath tragically died running the 2016 London Marathon in support of the charity, Help for Heroes. The Captain David Seath Memorial Fund was established to enable his family, friends and the wider community raise money in David’s name to support personnel, veterans and their families through Help for Heroes.
Funds are raised through a series of annual fundraising events and regular yoga sessions, which are organised by the family of Captain David Seath. In addition, his family, friends and the wider community are supported to take on challenge events as well as organise community and corporate fundraising across the United Kingdom and beyond.
Despite challenges presented by the COVID-19 Pandemic, virtual fundraising has enabled David’s legacy to continue to grow during these unprecedented times, a legacy which has now raised over £330,000.00. The pandemic has affected many services provided to veterans and their families by Help for Heroes, who have adapted to virtual and community-based service models to support mental health and wellbeing. The Captain David Seath Memorial Fund has played its part, which has supported delivery of over one hundred and sixty virtual sessions to veterans, through Help for Heroes, since the Pandemic began last March. A variety of virtual activities proved popular with veterans and their families, including regular quiz, murder mystery and escape room activities as well as drawing, painting, adult colouring-in book and model-making sessions.
One way in which funds raised in David’s name were used, prior to the pandemic, concerns the development of regular creative therapy workshops. Veterans and their families were able to participate in a range of workshops focusing on painting, pottery, photography, poetry and woodwork.The creative output delivered an emotive and inspirational narrative concerning the powerful impact of creative therapy. Better still, veterans and their families had the opportunity to showcase their creativity through a series of Creative Force exhibitions, which toured Scotland in 2019/20.
Previously, donations were used to support wounded, injured and sick personnel through Help for Heroes’ Quick Reaction Fund (QRF). A total of two hundred and forty-eight welfare grants were awarded in David’s name, which provided specialist sports therapy equipment, respite breaks and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) therapy, as well as facilitating supported employment placements, training courses and the setting up of small businesses.
That’s why we continue to work with David’s chosen charity, Help for Heroes. By doing so, we can be confident that every single donation to the Captain David Seath Memorial Fund really does help to rebuild lives.