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Nick Goldsmith left the Royal Marine Commandos in 2014 with complex post traumatic stress disorder. A study in 2016 by Kings College London found that 17% of veterans who served in combat roles in Iraq and Afghanistan had PTSD. The impact on his life was huge. And he’s not alone.
Nick tried conventional therapies but found solace in a patch of wild woodland. He felt there was something magical about it, taking him back to a childhood safe place. This experience led him to set up the Woodland Warrior Programme in 2016, inviting veterans with PTSD to join for a free-of-charge weekend sleeping under the stars. He taught them bushcraft skills and encouraged them to share their experiences with one another. And it worked.

Over the last five years, the programme has helped more than 200 veterans. Recently, seeing the fallout from the COVID 19 pandemic on keyworkers, particularly frontline medical staff, he opened the programme to them too.