Wight Forces is a local Isle of Wight charity that was formed by two colleagues, Mandy and Sarah, who became close friends when working together to help improve things for the island's Armed Forces community. 

Mandy's story:

I come from a military family and although I am not ex-military, I am passionate about making things better for those that have served our country, recognising the sacrifices made by those serving and their families.

I bring current knowledge of  working with serving and former military personnel on a daily basis, which helps me understand their needs and the current unmet demand which we can focus on.  I also have a wealth of fundraising and marketing experience, which will help the charity grow.

Sarah's story:

As a veteran and wife of a wounded soldier, I’ve seen both sides of service – the pride and the pain.  My husband Chris was injured whilst serving in Afghanistan, and from that moment on, life changed in ways we never could have imagined.

The physical recovery was one battle, but the emotional and mental toll on him, on me, our son and family were another we were not prepared for.

Through it all, I realised how many other families like ours were suffering in silence, isolated, overwhelmed and unsure of where to turn.  I didn’t want anyone else to suffer like we did.

Chris’s strength inspires me every day, and through this work, we hope to turn our hardest experiences into hope for others.

There are so many military charities in existence, all of which do a fantastic job, but they identified a gap on the island which this charity hopes to fill, and so Wight Forces was born.

Wight Forces aims to:

• Support service leavers in their transition to civilian life

• Provide a local support network for military families on the Isle of Wight

• Provide events that recognise military occasions and support the island's Armed Forces community

• Support military children living on the island and provide them with an annual party