Heritage Lottery Fund awards £21,800 to Combat Stress

Heritage Lottery Fund has granted £21,800 to veterans’ mental health charity, Combat Stress towards establishing its archives.

Combat Stress holds records, including meeting documents, photographs and objects dating back to 1919 when the charity was founded following the First World War. These materials not only represent the history of Combat Stress and the support it provided, but also reflect the changing attitudes over the years to mental health.

The grant, made possible by National Lottery players through the Heritage Lottery Fund, will help the charity establish a physical and digital archive. Once completed, the archive will offer a unique opportunity for researchers, historians and other interested parties to explore the charity’s innovative history.

Sue Freeth, Chief Executive of Combat Stress said;

“We’re so grateful to Heritage Lottery Fund for this grant towards developing our archives.

“Since 1919 records have been collected, but their content has never been explored in depth or been made available to the public. I’m sure our records will provide fascinating information about the charity and a wealth of interesting stories about mental health support for former servicemen and women over the years.

“This grant means that we will be able to establish a widely available archive and share our history and achievements. We are eagerly looking forward to the wealth of information and opportunities an established archive will provide.”

For more information on Heritage Lottery Fund please visit hlf.org.uk