I visited a unique Telford social group changing veterans' lives through 'a bit of model making and a lot of banter'

That’s certainly true for volunteer organiser Gary Morris, who has turned from someone who did not go out following two strokes into the respected organiser of three council-backed Models for Heroes groups in the borough.

Mr Morris, aged 61 and of Telford, served in the RAF for 23 years as an air traffic controller before strokes in 2015 and 2016 put paid to his working life.

“I went through a very, very bad period of depression when I would not leave the house,” said Mr Morris.

But after meeting Malcolm Childs, founder of the charity Models for Heroes, five years ago his life started to change, one model making kit at a time.

Now Gary says: “While we’re doing this, we are not worrying about other things.

“It’s great, you are out talking to other people and using your hands. It is my highlight of my week.”

Mr Morris, who is affectionately known as 'Chair Force One' by other group members, described the sessions as "a little bit of model making and an awful lot of chatting and banter".

Two years ago Telford & Wrekin Council helped bring together money from local councillor Pride funding and other partners to launch sessions across town.

Cindy Mason-Morris, the council’s Armed fForces partnership officer, says the groups in Telford are the only such gatherings in the West Midlands.

They attract people from across the region to the sessions, which have a budget she describes as “small”. Donations of kits come from across the community too.

The first Telford group, in Leegomery, started two years ago and attracts men and women to the weekly sessions. Others have now been set up in St Georges and Sutton Hill and are seeing a similar turnout.

Attendees celebrated the Leegomery group’s second anniversary with tea and cake and a rendition of Happy Birthday at the area’s community centre on Tuesday (October 7).

They were joined by Telford and Wrekin Mayor Councillor Eileen Callear, a member of the council’s cabinet, and parish councillors for the celebration.

Among the group celebrating were a former army nurse and her 93-year-old father, serving RAF Cosford men, and a former tank commander who has a 3D printer at home which he uses to make parts for a model of a Japanese Second World War aircraft.

Councillor Paul Davis (Labour, Haygate and Park), Telford & Wrekin Council’s cabinet member for communities and civic pride, said: “These Models for Heroes sessions are a shining example of how we can support our Armed Forces community in meaningful and lasting ways.

“Through model making, veterans and ex-emergency personnel are finding friendship, focus, and a renewed sense of purpose.

“But this is also about a lot more than just making models; it’s about rebuilding confidence, creating friendships, and offering a safe space for those who’ve given so much to our communities.

“We’re incredibly proud of how far the groups have come in just two years.”

To find out more about the Models for Heroes sessions, or for more information about the support available for Armed Forces personnel, veterans and their families in Telford and Wrekin, visit www.telford.gov.uk/armedforces.