UK Military Veterans Have a Voice | Veterans Radio
We have all heard of the cut backs in the UK military and along with this comes the increasing numbers of UK military veterans having to make the transition from military life to civvy street.
This can be very traumatic and stressful particularly if there are other issues relating to the hurdles that need overcoming not least physical and mental issues.
Ken Campbell knows about this all too well and his own experiences spurred him on to set up Veterans Radio Net, an online radio station created to be a voice for veterans and be an ear too. The station is in it’s infancy and has been set up in Ken’s home with a few bits of kit given to him including a laptop that he uses donated by the Veterans Charity or he has picked up second hand.
Veterans Radio Net (VRN) broadcasts live most evenings with Ken at the helm being on air through until 2am which can be a critical and lonely time of the day for those who are struggling with their own situation. When not ‘live’ Veterans Radio Net broadcasts interviews with charities, support groups and veterans themselves.
Ken says, “VRN is ‘Our Time, Our Place, Our Voice’. We intend VRN to be a community Radio Station, and with over 5 million Veterans plus their families that’s one hell of a community. We hope that in time we can turn it into a self funding concern by way of advertising that can bring together over three thousand Veterans Charities and the people they are aiming to help, plus we want to call to action those who have the strength and ask them to fight for those who don’t.”
Ken Campbell is a Falklands War Veteran having served with The Royal Engineers between 1979-1986. He was diagnosed with Combat Stress in 2007, however he says, “with that wonderful thing called hindsight I can look back and see what sort of affect that had on my life between 1982 and 2009.”
During that period he says that he has lost two loving relationships (leaving both of them), a number of homes, a number of jobs and a hell of a lot of cash. He has spent time living rough, tried to take his own life several times, been sectioned twice being sent to psychiatric lock-ups, says he’s spent way too many nights in police cells, way too many mornings in Magistrates courts and an 18 months spell in prison between 2007-2009.
In short he says that he has spent years putting himself, but more importantly the ones he loves the most, through the living hell that is Combat Stress and that all of this was fueled by his abuse of alcohol.
Pretty sad reading he says, “but my story, although unique to me, is sadly far too often heard, albeit using different words, coming from far too many other Veterans.”
“That was the old me”, he says, “now I am a completely different person due in most part to the love & belief of family, very good friends and the understanding and help from other Veterans, this I will talk about many times on Veterans Radio Net.”
Veterans Radio Net is looking for any support it can garner through listeners, suggestions about programme content, people who would like to present shows themselves, any charities, support groups that would like to be involved as well as beneficiaries and sponsors.
So far Ken has been grateful for the support from various individuals and organisations but needs to be able to step it up an notch to be able to deliver the radio station to it’s full potential, therefore he is in the throes of registering Veterans Radio Net as a social enterprise.
Anyone interested in getting involved with or supporting Veterans Radio Net can get in touch with Ken by emailing ken@veteransradionet.com
Contact Veterans Radio Net:
Facebook: facebook.com/VeteransRadioNet
Twitter: twitter.com/veterans_radio
Tel: 07736 444289
