Mary Wilson has been appointed as the first Help for Heroes Band of Brothers and Sisters coordinator for Scotland in a bid to raise awareness of the charity

Help for Heroes has appointed a former army nurse from Edinburgh to promote the charity north of the border.

Veteran Mary Wilson, 51, is the first Help for Heroes Band of Brothers and Sisters coordinator for Scotland.

Mary’s new role is to reach out to those wounded, injured and sick servicemen and veterans and their families so they can find out what help is available to them.

Both injured personnel and their families are offered help by the charity and Mary herself was a recipient after she was medically discharged in December 2012.

Help for Heroes supported Mary – who broke her cheek bone, two toes in her right foot and ripped her bicep muscle from her right shoulder while on a military horse riding course – to gain selection The Warrior Games in America in 2013 as well as the Invictis Games in 2014, where she won bronze in sitting shotput and discus and gold and two bronze in swimming.

he loss of self-esteem, confidence and motivation was overwhelming and I felt I had been dumped on the rubbish pile

Mary Wilson

Mary, who reached the rank of staff sergeant, said when discharged, she felt abandoned by the military.

“The loss of self-esteem, confidence and motivation was overwhelming and I felt I had been dumped on the rubbish pile,” she said.

“Help for Heroes was there for me when I needed them and my life was turned around. Sport and Help for Heroes helped me regain focus, determination and enthusiasm for life and a passion for being in a team which I thought I had lost for good.

“I want to get people together where they can ask more about Help for Heroes and discuss any problems and concerns they have.

“I can give them advice there and then or direct them in the right direction, whether that’s grants, courses, housing or our Hidden Wounds programme.”

In order to get veterans involved Mary is setting up sporting and other activities across the country.

She has organised coffee mornings in Fife, Aberdeen, Inverness, Lossiemouth, Helensburgh, Perth, Edinburgh and Galashiels.

She has also set up a fortnightly drop-in centre at the Royal Scots Club in Edinburgh where people can go to see her starting on September 1. The first drop-in centre will take place from 6.30pm to 7.30pm and then from 10.30am to 12pm on September 15.

Olivia Metcalfe, Help for Heroes Band of Brothers manager, said: “We are delighted to welcome Mary to the role of regional coordinator in Scotland. She is a true asset to the team. It’s so important that Scottish wounded, injured and sick servicemen, veterans and their families have their own point of contact.

“We want to help raise awareness of the support Help for Heroes can provide, from sports recovery, psychological support, health and wellbeing, career recovery and welfare. If you are wounded, injured or sick and Serving or a Veteran, we would love to try and help you and your close family so please do get in touch.”

To get in touch with Mary, contact her on 07773593317 or email [email protected].