AAVS - Northern Ireland Armed Forces Pathway Navigator

🚴‍♂️🌟 𝐅𝐑𝐄𝐄 𝐅𝐀𝐌𝐈𝐋𝐘 𝐂𝐘𝐂𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐍𝐓 𝐈𝐍 𝐍𝐄𝐖𝐓𝐎𝐖𝐍𝐀𝐑𝐃𝐒! 🌟🚴‍♀️
Looking for a fun, active evening with the kids? Join Ards Cycling Club at the Ards Town Centre Races Family Event on Wednesday 17 June 2026 at 6pm in Conway Square, Newtownards.
🚲 Cycle together on a safe, traffic-free road circuit
🍦 FREE ice cream for children
🔥 BMX Demo in Conway Square
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Fun for the whole family
🎉 Completely 𝐅𝐑𝐄𝐄 to attend
Whether your child is a confident cyclist or just loves getting outdoors, this is a fantastic opportunity to enjoy the excitement of race night and experience cycling in a safe, family-friendly environment.
📍 Conway Square, Newtownards
🗓 Wednesday 17 June 2026
⏰ 6pm
Tag a friend who should bring their family along!

TALK OPENLY & DIRECTLY ABOUT SU***DE & LOSS
Someone thinking about su***de is most at risk when they are isolated with their thoughts about su***de. If you are concerned about someone, show courageous compassion and ask directly about su***de. It lets the person know they are not alone and shows you care. That could help them save their own life!

UK veterans face higher rates of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) than the general public. This condition—often resulting in trauma memories, paranoia, and feelings of hopelessness—is strongly linked to an elevated risk of suicidal thoughts, planning, and attempts. The transition from military to civilian life and the stubborn reluctance to show "weakness" often delay help-seeking, increasing the risk of su***de.

Key Statistics Higher PTSD Rates:

The estimated rate of PTSD among UK veterans of all conflicts is roughly 7.4%.Increased Risk:

Veterans diagnosed with PTSD are significantly more likely to report suicidal ideation compared to the civilian population.
Combined Factors: Alongside PTSD, depression, social isolation, and alcohol misuse are major contributing factors.

Transition Vulnerability: Leaving military service strips individuals of group identity and structure. This makes the transition period a vulnerable time for mental health.

Factors Linking PTSD to Suicidal Ideation:

Sense of Entrapment: Persistent fear, emotional numbness, and paranoia can make the veteran feel trapped.

Maladaptive Coping: Some veterans rely on avoidance or excessive drinking rather than processing trauma.Loss of Purpose: The shift from a military career to civilian life often leads to a loss of identity and social support.

Negative Self-Worth: Severe, negative thoughts about oneself strongly correlate with ongoing suicidal ideation.

COMPLEX PTSD-CPTSD
What are the symptoms of complex PTSD?
Complex PTSD has a lot of the same symptoms as PTSD.

These include:

Re-living what happened, for example in nightmares or flashbacks

Avoiding things that remind you of the trauma

Feeling alert and on edge a lot of the time

Having other mental health problems – like depression, anxiety or psychosis

There are also extra symptoms you need to have for it to become complex PTSD instead of PTSD.

These are:

Difficulty controlling your emotions. You might get very upset or angry about things that other people don't think are a big deal.

You might dissociate if you feel stressed. Or struggle to feel positive emotions at all.

Low self-worth. You might think you're worthless or damaged. You might feel intense shame or guilt about the trauma that happened to you.

Difficulties with relationships. You might avoid people entirely. Or feel like you can't trust anyone to be close to you. Or your relationships might be very intense but hard to keep going for a long time.

These symptoms will usually have a big impact on your life. They might cause suicidal feelings. Or you may feel you need to use recreational drugs and alcohol to cope with them.

The symptoms might make it hard to relate to other people. Or to have a job or to study. You might feel like it takes you a lot more effort than other people to make these parts of your life work.

You might start to experience these symptoms right after the trauma happened. Or they might come months or years later.

Emotional flashbacks
Emotional flashbacks are when you feel the emotions you did during your trauma. These emotions might feel very intense.

You might not realise you're having a flashback. This is because the emotions might not come with images or sounds from your trauma. This might make you react to things happening right now as if they were causing these emotions.

The Men's Health & Lifestyle programme will combine weekly health information sessions with fun physical activities, giving participants the chance to learn more about their health while getting active in a relaxed and supportive environment.

The programme will commence on Thursday 25th June at 6pm in Brownstown Community Centre, Portadown.

Numbers are limited, please register your interest with Alicia Lappin, via emailing [email protected] or by telephone 07860 396 920

https://cycul.cc/products/bike-week-on-the-black-paths-june-2026

Bike Week on the Black Paths - June 2026 Join us on the Black Paths in Craigavon during Bike Week as we tour on the biggest active travel network on the Island of Ireland! Uncover the history, geography, engineering and thinking behind the creation of Craigavon and the Black Paths active travel network. Discover how to travel more actively...

💚 PTSD & Our Veterans: The Facts 💚

When people think about military service, they often see strength, resilience, and sacrifice. What they don't always see are the invisible wounds that some veterans carry long after leaving the Armed Forces.

Research from the UK's King's Centre for Military Health Research shows that around 1 in 10 serving and ex-serving personnel meet the criteria for probable PTSD, with rates rising to almost 1 in 5 combat veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan.

PTSD doesn't always appear immediately. For many veterans, symptoms can emerge months or even years after leaving service, affecting relationships, employment, physical health, and overall wellbeing.

The good news is that recovery is possible. Early intervention, counselling, peer support, physical activity, and strong community connections can all make a significant difference.

At AAVS, we see first-hand how vital support services are for veterans and their families. Whether through counselling, breakfast clubs, football, walking groups, or outreach programmes, every conversation and every connection matters.

Remember:
✅ PTSD is treatable.
✅ Seeking help is a sign of strength.
✅ No veteran should suffer in silence.

If you or someone you know is struggling, reach out. Support is available.

Chelsea Pensioner Roy Palmer is no stranger to a challenge. From skydiving to wing walking, he has already ticked off some seriously daring feats. Now he is back with a new mission, and this time it is firmly on the ground but no less impressive.

Roy has launched what he calls the “Scarlet Wheels Challenge”, taking on the incredible task of cycling the full distance from Land’s End to John O’Groats on a stationary bike. He is clocking up the miles right here at the Royal Hospital Chelsea, appearing at events across the summer to keep the wheels turning and the momentum going.

So far, Roy has powered past 140 miles, taking him just beyond the Exeter milestone on his virtual journey, and he is not slowing down. His next stop will be at Live at Chelsea this week, where visitors can cheer him on in person and see the challenge in action.

Why is he doing it? Roy is raising funds for two causes close to his heart, the Royal Hospital Chelsea and the War Horse Memorial. With every mile, he is helping to support the Chelsea Pensioner community and honour an important part of military history.

If you are heading to one of our summer events, be sure to stop by and show your support. You can also cheer Roy on from afar by donating to his JustGiving page and helping him reach his target.

Visit Roy’s JustGiving page today to find out more and be part of this brilliant challenge:

Scarlet Wheels- raising funds for Chelsea Pensioners and the War Horse Memorial Help Roy Palmer raise money to support The Chelsea Pensioners' Appeal

Cycling Ireland's Park Pedal initiative is coming to Comber on Saturday 6th June, in collaboration with Ards & North Down Borough Council and Ards & North Down Cycle Campaign.

Join a 20- minute, family friendly cycle at 2pm and 2.30pm.

FREE registration via link: https://eventmaster.ie/event/QK21Sn
Ards and North Down Borough Council Visit Ards and North Down