Veterans Recovery Cottages CIC 

Community Interest Company No 15814679

What we do and why?

Veterans Recovery Cottages CIC provide ‘peer to peer support' to aid recovery within a wellbeing holiday environment. Creating a familiar (group) setting for veterans to self-manage their own mental health in a positive way.

The Veterans Recovery Cottage provides a direct welfare service to those effected by military and combat service. All funds raised will go directly back into the veteran community enabling the CIC to offer affordable or free well-being breaks.

The aim is to provide Peer to Peer support to aid recovery; so that no veteran is suffering alone and all can access the service. 

Why peer to peer support?

Peer support is a model of care in which veterans “in recovery” from PTSD are provide emotional, instrumental, and informational support to other veterans in similar circumstances. 

PTSD symptoms can include :

• Reliving what happened, having flashbacks, dreams or nightmares
• Not being able to feel emotions
• Not feeling connected to other people
• Feeling unable to enjoy activities you used to enjoy
• Staying away from situations which remind you of the event
• Feeling on edge, panicky, upset and startled easily
• Feeling like nowhere is safe, always on the lookout for threats
• Problems sleeping

Veterans recovery cottage would like to address the symptoms through offering a safe, tranquil and therapeutic environment, away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life, and a place to open up and support one another through peer to peer engagement. 

Research has indicated that peer support can have an impact on a veterans daily life, reducing symptoms, reduced depression, improving thinking and cognitive functioning, and increase in personal care. 

For many, helping other Veterans through peer support provides purpose and meaning, as the duty to fellow service members endures even after discharge, we call this the ‘Ripple effect of mutual recovery’

“The recovery cottage helped me because I felt like I was helping someone else. So if I get to help another brother in arms in my situation, that's not a blessing, it’s an obligation.”

(A quote by recent veteran visitor)

Peer support helps to normalise PTSD symptoms and thus reduce self-stigma. Veterans often blamed themselves or felt “weak” for not being able to deal with their traumas, but seeing that their problems were common among other sufferers, will help reduce these feelings.

The Recovery cottage located in Bulgaria

The Recovery cottage offers breaks within a group setting. Veterans can book individually by joining a small group throughout the duration of the break. 

Outcomes:

• Empathetic connection with individuals
• Enjoy activities; getting involved
• Feeling safe and relaxed 
• Reduce anxiety
• Improve sleeping
• Engage with emotions 
• Make new friends

Monitoring outcomes

• Well-being questionnaires are to be completed on arrival and departure. This will help gather feedback and measure impact.
• The feedback will help us to improve our well-being approach, facilities and activities for future breaks.   

Additional benefits:

• Can support and compliment current therapy. Research suggests, that peer support could enhance psychotherapy by encouraging treatment initiation, adherence, and skill retention after therapy finishes.
• It can also provide respite from family and caregivers, reducing stress within the family setting.