Combat Stress turns 95

Charity Combat Stress offers help that's incredibly important to many today – but it also has a long history stretching back a massive 95 years.

In fact, it was founded in the wake of the First World War, a conflict most of us only know about from TV, books, school and other educational tools. Few these days can say they lived through the conflict first hand.

Yet part of Combat Stress' 95th anniversary action is keeping raising people's awareness about issues faced by veterans in the modern day.

The charity is currently helping 660 veterans who have served in Afghanistan, for example. Last year, 358 Afghanistan veterans were referred to the charity, and the year before it was 228.

Combat Stress thinks that more veterans of this particular conflict are set to need its help in future, as many troops have recently withdrawn from the country.

Overall, the charity has a 5,400-strong caseload at the moment in the UK – and is helping more people than ever.

It gives help to UK veterans who suffer from psychological injury, providing this in the form of welfare support and clinical treatment.

It gives free treatment in specialist centres, has its own helpline and gives support in the community, too. At the moment its work costs some £14 million yearly.

With a large rise in demand for its services, Combat Stress will have a challenge on its hands to carry on providing its support and treatment to people who require it, chief executive commodore Andrew Cameron has said.

"We are planning for services at or above the current level for at least the next five years, and we do not expect to see demand for support tail-off in the near future," he explained.

“We have had great support from the Government and the public over recent years and we simply could not operate without the generosity we have experienced."

He said that the charity cannot let ex-service people suffering with invisible war injuries not be noticed or treated.

Fundraising for Combat Stress happens in lots of different ways.

One of the highest profile fundraising activities coming up is predicted to bring in £15 million, which won't just go to Combat Stress, but will be shared among several service charities.

According to Historic Royal Palaces, starting on August 5th, the Tower of London, one of the English capital's most recognisable landmarks, is going to be marking a century since Britain spent its first day as part of the First World War conflict.

Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red in an installation of ceramic poppies in the moat of the Tower that will be in place between August 5th and November 11 2014.

The artistic piece is the work of Paul Cummins, a ceramic artist (all the poppies involved are ceramic flowers) and Tom Piper, a stage designer.

There will be more than 800,000 poppies involved in all and these are going to be sold off at £25 each. Combat Stress will get some of the money as will a range of other charities.

According to Historic Royal Palaces, in World War One, the moat of the Tower of London was a place where more than 1,600 men were sworn-in after they enlisted at a City recruitment station before August 2014 was over.

These men became part of the 10th Battalion of the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers, which remained active until the war ended.

Another charity that's being supported by the Tower poppies is Help for Heroes.

This charity also recently added to its fundraising efforts with a retail concession housed within a branch of Debenhams.

This is in fact the first concession of its kind in a department store setting, according to the charity, and can be found in a Southampton branch of the famous chain. It sells sports wear and other new, branded items like household goods and the profits go to the charity.