Runner motivated to help fellow veterans
BBCA former serviceman who is running and cycling 383 miles to support fellow veterans has said they deserve more help.
Scott Caswell, who now works as an armed response officer for Warwickshire Police, also has a personal motivation after seeing his brother suffer with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Caswell works as his employer's armed forces lead, supporting veterans who come into contact with the police, and said he finds he meets a veteran every other day.
He said: "It's something we shouldn't just tuck under the sheets and hide away."
The 53-year-old spent 36 years in the armed forces, first in the Royal Military Police and now for the Army Reserves in Coventry.
That included six spells in Northern Ireland as well as tours of Kosovo and Bosnia.
His brother, who he described as his hero, also served in the armed forces and was deployed to Afghanistan.
Caswell said soldiers "go to some horrendous places in the world" and he had seen sights he would not want anyone else to see.
His brother twice tried to take his own life when he returned, with Caswell being called out on both occasions.
He said it was a "difficult time", but with the help of medication, his brother pulled through and now supported the Warwickshire charity Veterans Contact Point - one of the charities he is fundraising for.
Caswell said the veterans he meets are usually either sleeping rough or appearing in a police custody suite and they deserved more support.
He said: "These individuals knowingly sign on the dotted line to ultimately give their life for king and country, they knowingly go in harm's way."
Jeff Worthington from Veterans Contact Point said there were roughly 36,000 veterans in Warwickshire alone and the charity helped more than 300 a year.
He said it had up to 60 former service personnel on its books at any one time and because the charity was entirely staffed by veterans they were able to open up to people who had been through the same things.
Caswell said: "It's not just a Warwickshire Police issue, it's a nationwide issue, lots of police forces are dealing with veterans day in, day out and I wanted to highlight that."
He is planning to run 40 miles a day for five days, cycling in between, to support both Veterans Contact Point and Veterans Aid.
He starts on Monday at Derby Army Reserve Centre and said he expected it to be tough, but it was "worth every mile, every step".
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