The Transformative Impact of Boots on the Ground Activities
When he arrived at Alabaré, he was severely underweight and grossly malnourished.
Gavin’s journey with Boots on the Ground activities has been nothing short of transformative.
Having been homeless and a heroin user for over 14 years before joining Alabaré Homes for Veterans in Bristol, Gavin had lost contact with his daughters and his mother. When he arrived at Alabaré, he openly admitted he didn’t feel he had a future. He was severely underweight, less than 8 stone and grossly malnourished.
Over the past five months, Nix, who runs the Boots on the Ground activities for some of our veteran service users, has come to know Gavin well. At first, he was very reactionary and aggressive, to the extent that other support workers were reluctant to work with him alone. When Nix first met Gavin, she anticipated a big brute of a man with women issues, but instead she met a fiery little redhead, shorter than her, who she immediately warmed to after a brief introduction where they talked about herbs, spices, and activities such as cooking curries and tagines.
Slowly, Nix and Gavin discovered shared interests and began to build on them, learning from each other. Nix inspired him to explore nature and to learn about the natural world, both for recreation and survival. Although Gavin sometimes experiences outbursts, Nix has come to understand these as manifestations of insecurity, frustration, and low blood sugar. They have worked hard to mitigate these episodes with food and knowledge; Gavin is now particularly fond of Nix’s homemade tuna crunch baguettes and honey and pine nut tart.
Together, they discuss the health benefits of food, and it’s a two-way learning process. Five months on, Gavin is now at his optimum weight of 11 stone. He takes pride in a healthy diet and daily exercise. He has re-established a regular relationship with his two daughters and is now in daily contact with his mother. He is incredibly positive about his future and is exploring various business ideas.
When Gavin first arrived at Alabaré, he was on 60mg of methadone a day. He’s now down to 12mg and has set a goal to be free from it by the end of the year. Gavin attributes the Boots on the Ground activities for helping him get this far. He’s a totally different person now, grounded and free from the anger management issues he had five months ago.
Nix has recently completed the Bushcraft NCFE Level 2 course, which has inspired Gavin to do the same. Spending time together recently at Westonbirt Arboretum, Nix shared how Gavin was like a sponge when she shared her newfound knowledge, totally engaged. Together, they had the best day ever, even though they got absolutely drenched!
Gavin is delighted that he has now been invited to participate in a residential activity in partnership with AFEC (Armed Forces Equine Therapy) & the Power of Polo at Tedworth House in Tidworth.
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