Public Protective Services (PPS) students at the College of West Anglia recently welcomed Dean Williams, Community Fundraiser for Help for Heroes, for an inspiring and impactful guest session. Dean served twenty-seven years in the Infantry and the Physical Training Corps, specialising as a rehabilitation instructor supporting wounded and injured service personnel in their recovery and return to work.
Drawing on his extensive career and lived experience, Dean provided students with a direct insight into the realities faced by service personnel during and after active duty. He also highlighted the vital role Help for Heroes continues to play in supporting veterans and their families through recovery programmes, welfare services and community networks.
During the session, students learned about:
- The emotional and physical challenges faced by wounded service members.
- The long-term importance of rehabilitation, both physically and psychologically.
- Support available for veterans to rebuild confidence, skills, and independence.
- The broader mission and fundraising work of Help for Heroes across the UK.
Dean also shared how Help for Heroes is often filling the gaps where other military charities cannot. Everything that the organisation provides to support individuals is to make it so there is ‘one less battle to fight’.
He also spoke about the realities of service life, including the thirty-two countries where British military personnel are stationed on peacekeeping missions, only to return home struggling to find peace themselves. Help for Heroes’ Recovery College plays a pivotal role in helping veterans regain control of their lives, empowering them through education, wellbeing support, and skills development.
Another key aspect highlighted was the charity’s focus on community strength: veterans who are further along in their recovery journey mentoring those who are just beginning. Dean also discussed the Very Seriously Injured (VSI) programme, which supports veterans who are living with life changing injuries, as well as the charity’s work funding specialist equipment that can transform independence and mobility.
The session resonated strongly with the students’ fundraising efforts, as they have just completed their challenge to collectively cover 155km, the distance from CWA’s King’s Lynn campus to Ypres battlefield, in support of Help for Heroes. Dean’s visit reinforced why these efforts matter as well as thanking them for their support and achievement in the challenge.
Dean went on to say ‘The students should feel incredibly proud – not only of what they achieved physically, but of the amazing amount they’ve raised. It’s an incredible effort that will go onto support veterans and those Help the Heroes support up and down the country.’
Rob Cooke, Public and Protective Services Lecturer added:
‘I would like to thank Dean for firstly, giving up his valuable time to speak with my students, and for providing them with such a wider understanding of the impact of military operations, and the support that Help for Heroes can offer them in return. The activities that the students have undertaken have been extremely challenging, both physically and mentally, and I am immensely proud of their achievement, but the activities provide them with a snapshot of what life can be like for members of our armed forces. I look forward to engaging my students in similar adventurous activities in the future and raising more money for the superb charities that support our uniformed services.’
This valuable talk broadened students’ understanding of the lived experience of service personnel, and the continuing support required long after their frontline duties end. It also highlighted the lasting importance of compassion, teamwork, and community in public service careers.