Army veteran Anthony (Tony) and his wife, Dawn, both use wheelchairs and faced daily challenges accessing their home. With a grant of £3,600 from the Army Benevolent Fund (ABF) towards paving their front garden and installing a dropped kerb, they can now access their property more easily and safely.
Growing up in Scotland, Tony spent part of his childhood in East Africa. He lived there for five years and received only limited formal education during this period.
In 1981, aged 21, Tony joined the Territorial Army with the 1st Battalion Highland Volunteers after being introduced by a friend. Four years later, he joined the Regular Army, serving with The Black Watch. During his five years of service, Tony completed operational tours in Northern Ireland and served in both Edinburgh and Berlin.
After being medically discharged from the Army in 1990, Tony worked as a civil servant for three years. He has faced several personal challenges throughout his life, including living with ADHD and PTSD. In his 30s, he struggled with drug and alcohol misuse but has now been sober and drug-free for 29 years.
Tony and his wife Dawn have lived in their home in Perthshire for more than a decade. They are both wheelchair users due to their medical conditions, and accessing their home became increasingly difficult as there was no suitable parking directly outside the property and the front garden was not adapted for wheelchair access.
Explaining the difficulties they faced, Tony says, “Before the dropped kerb was installed, cars would often park outside our house. I would then have to drive further along the road to find a parking space. By the time we started our journey, we were already out of breath and the same would happen when we returned home. It could take us ages to get to and from the house.”
The front garden also needed to be converted into a driveway to allow easier access to the property and enable their vehicle to reach a newly installed electric charging point.
After learning about the ABF, Tony got in touch to ask for help.
“Somebody phoned me back and helped me. They were genuine. You know when people are genuine, don’t you? Brilliant.”
Financial assistance was secured to help fund the adaptations, with the ABF awarding a grant of £3,600 towards paving the front garden and installing a dropped kerb. Tony also received support from his regimental charity.
Reflecting on the support he received, Tony says: “I am very thankful for the support and the speed of the response. From my initial enquiry, it only took a week. I would strongly encourage service personnel to seek support from the ABF if they need it. Without your support, I would have been struggling, really struggling. It’s good to know the ABF is there. You are doing a grand job.”
Thanks to this support, Tony and Dawn can now access their home more easily, helping them maintain their independence, and continue supporting one another.