
Walking With The Wounded CEO and Co-founder to step down after a decade supporting those who served
Ed Parker, Chief Executive and Co-founder of military charity Walking With The Wounded (‘WWTW’), has announced he will step down after 10 years in the role. He will be succeeded by Fergus Williams, the current Director of Operations, who has pioneered WWTW’s programmes with the NHS.
Ed will leave the charity at the end
of March 2021 after being at the helm since it was founded 10 years ago. Over
the past decade, the national organisation has supported nearly 10,000
ex-military and their families and now has a national footprint of employment
advisors and mental health therapists.
The charity has seen significant
growth and expansion under Ed and Fergus’ leadership, to provide innovative
mental health, employment, and care coordination programmes, enabling those who
have served to thrive and contribute once more in their communities. This includes Step Into Health, the first
employment pathway between the British Armed Forces and the NHS, the UK’s
biggest employer, and a joint venture with the RFEA to create Project Nova – an
early intervention programme targeting ex-military in police custody to reduce
reoffending.
The charity, whose HQ is in Norfolk,
now has offices at Royal Hospital Chelsea in London, created a unique ‘veterans
street’ hub in Manchester in collaboration with Nick Knowles and the BBC’s DIY
SOS team, and this year opened its North East Service in North Shields.
This year Walking With The Wounded
has adapted and thrived as the whole team worked to become part of the solution
to COVID-19. Overnight, the organisation moved to remote-working and continued
to deliver expert support to Walking With The Wounded’s beneficiaries and help
relieve pressures on NHS services. This included partnering with the NHS to
launch its new High Intensity Service for veterans with mental health issues.
Fergus was the charity’s first
senior employee eight years ago and has led the charity’s operations and
integration with the NHS and collaboration with more than 200 other charities
and organisations.
Edward Parker said, “After 10 years I feel now
is the right time for me to leave Walking With The Wounded. There is always a
danger that founders overstay their welcome and I want to avoid that. The
charity is much more than one person and it is crucial that as an organisation
it can continue to grow and develop to uphold its principal value – Client
First.
“As 2020 ends,
not only is the charity in good health, but it has a talented team across the
whole organisation who can drive it forward over the next 10 years. I feel very
proud of what we have collectively achieved, and I know that in the future many
more thousands of veterans and their family members will benefit from the
innovative, timely, impactful services that WWTW provides. I will miss it
hugely, but I know it is in very safe hands.”
Fergus Williams said, “It has been a privilege to work
alongside Ed over the past eight years.
Walking With The Wounded has seen exceptional growth and transformation
and the organisation that he helped to build has made an incredible difference
to the veteran landscape. Despite the challenging year we have all experienced,
the charity and the team are stronger and more resilient. I am honored to lead Walking
With The Wounded into its next phase of growth and to continue to develop and
deliver expert services and vital support for those who served.”
Dick Turpin, Chair of Walking With The Wounded’s board of trustees and former Managing Director of Artemis Investments, added, “I had the privilege of meeting Ed as he launched the charity with the first expedition to the North Pole. I have watched Ed and his team develop and grow Walking With The Wounded into an organisation that addresses the most complex needs of the veteran community.
“Ed’s leadership, commitment, passion and energy have been second to none. The veteran community have benefited greatly, from his vision and determination to help those in need. All the Trustees wish him every success with his future plans; he will always be part of our family.”
The charity began with a fundraising expedition to the North Pole with four wounded ex-servicemen to demonstrate their skills and determination. This and future expeditions are entirely funded by corporate sponsorship enabling the money raised to go to the charity’s employment, mental health and care coordination programmes. The next expedition, the Walk of Oman, is in February 2021.