A former infantry soldier from Bury St Edmunds is one of the first to take up Duncan Bannatyne’s offer of free membership at his health clubs for veterans living with PTSD.
28-year-old Matthew Tate, who served for seven years in the 1st Battalion Royal Anglians, was injured by a Taliban grenade launcher in Afghanistan in 2012. He suffered fragmentation wounds to his face, hand and hip, which means he needs to use a walking stick.
Undeterred, Matthew has competed in the Invictus Games in powerlifting and won a silver medal at the British championships Spring Open in 2018.
Matthew said: “After rehabilitation and fantastic support from Help for Heroes enabling me to get back on track, sport and fitness have given me a real boost.
“Training at the Bannatyne health club in Bury St Edmunds keeps me mentally focused, allows me to challenge myself with fitness goals and helps my mood through releasing endorphins. This is a tremendous gesture from Duncan Bannatyne, and I’d like to say thank you ever so much for the kind and generous gift and opportunity to use your fantastic health club.”
Duncan Bannatyne gave his backing to the Sunday People’s Save Our Soldiers campaign and offered hundreds of free memberships for veterans with PTSD, with every one of his 72 health clubs taking part.
Duncan, 70, told the Sunday People: “I truly believe our armed forces are the best in the world. I think they do an amazing job and the bravery that comes with doing the job they do is outstanding.
“If I can help in a small way such as giving a free membership to help combat PTSD, then I am more than happy to do that. It is something that is very dear to me.”
Duncan’s dad William endured three-and-a-half years in a Japanese prisoner of war camp in the Second World War and was starving to death before liberation in 1945.
William, an infantryman in the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, had been captured while fighting Japan’s invasion of Malaya and Singapore in 1942.
Duncan said: “My father was somebody who did not really talk about his time as PoW. However, over the years I did get bits out of him and when I hear what he endured it makes me so proud to have seen how brave he was.”
Duncan’s military background is one of the reasons he feels strongly about the plight of troops with PTSD.