Our team
There are over 150 employees at Combat Stress, with the majority providing our specialist mental health treatment to veterans. Our expert clinical team includes psychological therapists and psychiatrists as well as occupational therapists and nurses. Staff are based in locations across the UK, providing a mix of in-person (when COVID-19 restrictions allow) and online treatment.
Our Patron
His Majesty King Charles III.
His Majesty King Charles III was our Patron as the Prince of Wales from 2003 until his accession in 2022. Following His Majesty The King’s Accession, the Royal Household will over the coming months conduct a review of Royal Patronage. The review will cover the organisations of which Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II was Patron and those organisations to which The King and The Queen Consort were connected through Patronage or Presidency as Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall.
Reflecting on veteran mental health at a Combat Stress Centenary event, His Majesty King Charles III said:
"...the challenge we face is greater than ever before and, as a Nation, we have a collective duty to support these veterans and facilitate their recovery – just as we have done in the past..."
President
General Sir Peter Wall GCB CBE DL
The former head of the Army has been our President since 2014. He said:
"I became involved with Combat Stress because I thought it was the most important charity to be involved with in the aftermath of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. It’s a key charity in the military sector and it’s a great privilege to be part of it."
Our Trustees
Our Board of Trustees plays a vital role in the management of Combat Stress and have overall responsibility and accountability for everything the charity does. They work very closely with our Directors and other members of the Combat Stress team.
Sally Goldthorpe BSc, Vice Chair
"After doing a degree in Psychology, I started my career in the Royal Navy and then spent many years in the Royal Navy Reserve. As I reached a point in my career where I could dedicate the time, I wanted to take on a meaningful role to use my experience in a charity aligned to my interests in the Armed Forces and mental wellbeing."
Giles Peel, Chairman
"After 20 years in the Navy and leaving in my late thirties I understand how tough it can be to start afresh. Anything I can do to help others to live their lives after a Service career I will do."
George Osborne BA MBA, Honorary Treasurer
"Working with Combat Stress allows me to follow a passion to help veterans across the country to live rewarding lives. As a veteran who served with the Royal Anglian Regiment for over a decade, I bring the empathy of experience of recent conflicts twinned with financial services industry expertise to the charity.”
Other members of our Board of Trustees are:
Dr Carole Allan MA MPhil PhD CPsychol FBPsS
Douglas Campbell BSc
Rorie Evans CFA
Dr John Gaffney BSc MA MRCGP DCH DRCOG DAvMed
Mark Izatt BSc
Neeraj Kapur BEng ACGI FCA CF FCIBS
Dr Jane McCue DL MS FRCS
Graham Williams BA FCA
Directors
Jeff Harrison, CEO
Dr Felix Davies, Director of Operations
Alan Friggieri, Director of Marketing, Communication and Information, Company Secretary
Professor Catherine Kinane MB BCh BAO DObs DCh DFMH MRCGP FRCPsych MSc, Medical Director
Robert Marsh, Director of Fundraising.
Vice Presidents
Dennis Bailey MCSI
Air Vice-Marshal Nigel Baldwin CB CBE
Robert Bieber MBE MA
Major General Peter Currie CB CBE
Commodore Toby Elliott OBE DL RN
Lieutenant General Sir Andrew Graham Bt CB CBE
Brigadier Charles Grant OBE
Jenny M Green OBE MA
Sir Bernard Jenkin MP
Major Mickey Morrissey FCSI
Dr Lord Moonie
Richard Nunneley MBE
Surgeon Captain Morgan O'Connell RN
Dr Chai Patel CBE FRCP
Sir Malcolm Rifkind KCMG KC
Jan Sobieraj
Derek Twigg MP
Dr Suzy Walton BSc MSc PhD CPsychol CSci Cdir FRSA FIoD
Professor Sir Simon C Wessely MA BM BCh MSc MD FRCP FRCPsych FMedSci FRS
Air Marshal Sir Robert Wright KBE AFC FRAeS
Celebrity Ambassadors
Find out more about our Celebrity Ambassadors here.