Yorkshire veteran: '˜Baking is my therapy'

An Army veteran who suffered from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is calling on the people of Yorkshire to help a baking fundraiser pass its £1m mark for a forces charity which is soon to celebrate its tenth year.

Giles Farrington, a former member of the Royal Army Medical Corps, said that “baking really is my therapy” after serving in the Gulf, Northern Ireland, Bosnia, Kosovo, Iraq and Afghanistan over 15 years.

Bake for Heroes, which started in 2009, has made around £850,000 for armed forces charity Help for Heroes – which marks its tenth year in October.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Mr Farrington, 44, of Strensall, left the forces in 2003 and several years later was diagnosed with PTSD.

He is now as a senior operating department practitioner at York Hospital.

“Bake for Heroes is a great way that people in their home or work can support Help for Heroes,” he said.

“They can bake what they enjoy and raise money for a great cause in the process.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“I do a lot of baking at home and baking really is my therapy.

“I use it to destress, calm down and just generally enjoy life.”

Funds will aid the work of the four Help for Heroes Recovery Centres, such Pheonix House in Catterick, which have been purpose-built and support around 4,000 people every year.

To register for the scheme, visit www.bakeforheroes.org.uk or call 01980 846459.