As many of you will know, a team of 27 veterans and supporters of The Not Forgotten have joined our Head of Events Rosie Thompson this year in undertaking the '28 For 28 Challenge' - each committing to walking or running 28 miles each every single week this year! Raising vital funds for The Not Forgotten and pushing their own personal boundaries at the same time.
One of the team is Debbie Matthews, wife of Royal Marine veteran Frank who has been supported by The Not Forgotten since 2021 when he suffered a period of ill health. Since then, Debbie and Frank have come to view The Not Forgotten as “a lifesaver”, and the support of Rosie herself as having changed both their lives.
When Rosie put the ‘Team 28 For 28’ together, Debbie didn’t hesitate in volunteering for the significant physical challenge marking Rosie’s final year at the charity. What’s more, over the summer Debbie isn’t just keeping up her weekly 28 miles but is also helping run our ’28 For 28 Party’ events all around the country.
We caught up with Debbie (while she was having some brief down time!) to hear all about her and Frank’s journey with The Not Forgotten and what being part of Team 28 For 28 has meant to them both this year.
“We first encountered The Not Forgotten during Covid. Frank fell very ill in April 2021 and was hospitalised for four weeks. It was a really, really, hard lonely time, with no-one for me to turn to during lockdown. During his physical illness, Frank’s mental health took a turn; he was suffering flashbacks on top of the hyper vigilance, paranoia and Complex PTSD he already suffers with.
He didn’t trust anybody and even after his discharge from hospital was then bedridden for three months. I needed someone in the military community, who would understand Frank’s struggles, but at that time I didn’t really know anyone.
A few months into this awful time, a miraculous call came from The Not Forgotten, offering us a place on the Ashcombe respite break in Devon. Unfortunately, due to Frank’s health we couldn’t go, but instead later that year we managed to attend the Christmas Reception at St James’s Palace – we simply couldn’t believe we were there. And that’s where we first met Rosie.”
Debbie still remembers the first impression Rosie made on her. “Frank still wasn’t well, it was his first time out and about, and he was feeling quite overwhelmed. Rosie came over and asked if Frank was ok – she knew his name and that he was a Royal Marine; she took him quietly away where he could have some space and talk to another Marine veteran. It was done so kindly and subtly that no-one else on the table noticed. We were so grateful to Rosie that day - and it sums her up as a person. She knows everyone’s name and just how to help them, without making a fuss.”
“That was the start of our journey with The Not Forgotten, and it really has changed our life. It has literally been a lifesaver – both the support for Frank but also for me. I was so isolated, whereas now I know I have people there for me, as well as for him.”
Over the years since 2021, Debbie and Frank have attended many events with The Not Forgotten – from respite breaks to carp fishing to Christmas lunches. But they have also given back to The Not Forgotten in spades, volunteering at events and fundraising collections whenever they can.
“We can’t give much ourselves financially, but one thing we have got is time. We try and do what we can and bring others on board with us. And what we get back from that is amazing. The difference in Frank when we have been with The Not Forgotten is incredible – whether that’s at an event they invite us to, or volunteering at a stall or bucket collection. Recently another veteran we were volunteering with described it as “therapy in the cold foyer of a supermarket!” And it really is!”
Debbie is thrilled to be part of Team 28 For 28 this year. She has been getting out for walks most mornings as early as 5.30am. “It makes me feel good; it’s an escape from the treadmill of the everyday.”
She has been getting Frank to feel involved where she can too, despite his ongoing health struggles. “When his health allows we go for an evening walk around the block, so that he feels part of it. We’re lucky to be able to do it together.”
So far, since 1st January, Debbie has covered an astonishing 894 miles, and she says she is certainly noticing a difference – “Who knew I had skinny legs!” she laughs.
“My health has improved dramatically. But it’s also the mental impact which is incredible, for both of us”.
Debbie builds some of her mileage into her everyday activities, involving the grandchildren walking home from school. She set herself a goal to walk to and from her home to each of her children’s homes who are all about 5 miles away And, importantly, she has so far raised over £1,000 for Team 28 For 28!
However, for Debbie 28 For 28 is not just about miles covered and pounds raised. She and Frank are also spending this summer volunteering at The Not Forgotten 28 For 28 Parties all around the country – gatherings bringing veterans together for gentle team games, camaraderie, music and dancing.
“Volunteering to help run the parties means getting to spend meaningful time with each other and with Rosie during her final year at the charity. As well as having a lot of fun! It means we get to escape normal life for a few hours, have a laugh and a joke in an environment Frank and other veterans feels safe.
“The parties so far have been amazing for him. The difference a few hours at one of these events makes for any veteran is amazing. It’s nothing fancy, it’s not rocket science; but just getting veterans together and having a laugh lets people know they’re not alone.” Plus we have made lifelong friends.
In supporting these events Debbie and Frank are travelling all over the country; they have even come up with an ingenious way to raise more money for 28 For 28 in the process: “For every mile we travel we pay 1p into our 28 For 28 fund – it doesn’t sound much but it’s certainly adding up already! And because Frank is the driver, it means he is raising money for 28 For 28 himself this way, rather than just me.”
For Debbie, being a member Team 28 For 28 this year has felt a real privilege. “Being part of something celebrating a wonderful woman and all she has done for veterans like Frank and partners like myself is really meaningful.
“Rosie is an incredible lady but so humble, that’s what is so endearing about her. So it’s important that 28 For 28 is finally about her - however modest she is about it, we want to celebrate her! All the fun of this summer at the parties will be tinged with sadness though, as we’re going to miss her luckily we have forged a great friendship over the years - she has been a massive part of our lives.”
Sponsor Debbie and Team 28 For 28 HERE
