Villas4Veterans is a very special and unique cause that has been launched to really make a difference to our servicemen and women who return from war injured. It is the brainchild and passion of two exceptional young men who really know what they are talking about.
Mark Ormrod and Billy Macleod
Royal Marine Mark Ormrod and Paratrooper Dave Tatlock both served their country in Afghanistan but like so many of our brave troops they returned from the battlefield savagely wounded. Both of them have faced a long and desperate road to recovery from injuries so severe that doctors told each of them they would never walk againAnd their fight is still far from over.
Mark lost three limbs – both his legs and his right arm – when he was blown up by a Taliban bomb. But he showed true grit when he refused to accept defeat and marched out in public to rejoin his comrades at 40 Commando to collect his campaign medal.
“I was always going to walk out to receive my medal – I wouldn’t have had it any other way.”
Dave also suffered grievous injuries after being hit in the spine by shrapnel leaving him paralyzed. But just like Mark he refused to accept the grim prophecy of doctors who said he would be confined to a wheelchair for the rest of his days. He still can’t feel his feet or part of his legs but now walks with the aid of a stick and faces further surgery as part of his treatment.
Despite the daily struggles and sacrifices that both Mark and Dave have to make they still always put others first – a remarkable testament to two young warriors who make Britain proud. The pair, who have become friends through a shared journey of gruelling physical rehabilitation, work tirelessly for forces charities and continually strive to ‘give back’ to others and help out the growing list of troops returning from war wounded.
It is precisely because they know just what our lads and lasses really need that they have launched Villas4Veterans – a simple but fantastic aim to improve the lives of our war heroes. They have not just talked the talk but they have walked the walk and continue to do so with their heads held high.
Their new aim is to raise enough funds to purchase a customized villa fit for seriously injured soldiers so that when soldiers have completed each round of intense and often punishing rehabilitation, there is a very special place for them to go for real and very necessary R & R with one another.
Mark explained: “Dave and I both know what it is like to go through severe injury and rehabilitation and the struggles are on a daily basis.“Recuperation, rest and even fun are just as crucial a part of recovery as the difficult rehabilitation itself. “I know that when I go on holiday to a hotel and remove my prosthetic limbs, it scares young children and people point and stare at me. “You also feel embarrassed and very conscious of the fact that you are different to other people. A private villa providing R & R for troops across the armed services is something I would love to provide for all our lads and lasses who need it. It is the very least they all deserve after the sacrifices they have all made serving their country. It is also a place where recovering soldiers can come to be with one another – where they can continue to support one another in their recovery. Everyone needs time away sometimes and that respite is something that Villas4veterans aims to provide. It would make me very proud to provide such a place for all our lads.”
Dave added: “This is a cause we are both so committed to because we know what the lads are going through when they return from Afghanistan injured. “We want to raise as much money to get the very best accommodation to provide respite for the troops as they recover. For some of the soldiers it is a daily struggle just to do some of the most simple tasks – things that most people take for granted. Unfortunately we are seeing more and more soldiers returning with terrible injuries. Quite rightly we honour the dead but we shouldn’t forget the many who are badly wounded. They need constant help and Mark and I feel strongly that we want to continue to help others because we know what they have been through. A dedicated place to aid soldiers’ recovery would be a huge bonus for our troops. We have a brilliant military hospital and a rehabilitation centre but afterwards the care has to continue and a recuperation villa where lads can support each other and escape the hard work for a short while would be brilliant. We know how generous the British public are and we are hoping they will get right behind this project and make our dream a reality.”
Dave and Mark will be organizing and supporting fund raising events around the country to raise the money and those that support the cause can also make donations directly to the fund.
Villas4veterans will also be the very first cause to have the support of Troops Relief – an innovative new charity set up to support individual forces’ projects.
Troops Relief has pledged to raise funds specifically for Mark and Dave’s campaign to provide our soldiers with the care and treatment they deserve.