We are proud to award a £10,000 grant to our new charity partner, Bound by Veterans, which supports former service personnel and their families through a unique programme designed to enhance health, mental wellbeing, self-confidence, social connection, education, and employability.
At the heart of the charity’s work is the traditional heritage craft of hand bookbinding, delivered from a fully equipped bindery in rural Wiltshire, and supported by off-site and online sessions.
Our grant will help fund in-person tuition at the Wiltshire workshop, where veterans benefit from a calm, structured environment that nurtures focus, short-term memory, and creativity. Participants gain tangible rewards, including beautifully bound books and boxes, as well as City & Guilds qualifications, all within small, sociable groups of like-minded veterans.
One of the people who benefitted from these workshops is Ami Johnson, a former Army Nursing Officer. After years of many intense situations, Ami found herself at an MoD Recovery Centre, where, in December 2023, she attended an in-person, Bound by Veterans taster workshop. She found the session quieted her mind and enabled her to focus on the task in hand.
With her new-found interest in the bookbinding craft, Ami attended several more courses and eventually achieved her City and Guilds bookbinding qualifications.
Brigadier (Ret’d) Peter Monteith, Chief Operating Officer of the Army Benevolent Fund, said:
“We’re delighted to support Bound by Veterans. This grant will enable more former soldiers and their families to experience relief from stress and isolation through a creative and educational outlet. The charity not only preserves the timeless craft of bookbinding but also transforms it into a powerful tool for recovery and personal growth.”