Ukrainian troops' mental health supported thanks to world-class archaeology project Waterloo Uncovered
A military charity has supported Ukraine's service personnel by offering its life-changing archaeological excavation rehabilitation programme to help mentally prepare troops for when the war ends.
Since 2015, Waterloo Uncovered has brought veterans to the site of the Battle of Waterloo to conduct archaeological excavations with the support of world-class archaeologists and expert mental health professionals – now, for the first time, Ukrainian serving personnel, veterans and family members are able to take part.
As Mark Evans, Waterloo Uncovered CEO and Coldstream Guards veteran, said: "The invasion of Ukraine has left tens of thousands of veterans and serving personnel suffering from the physical and mental injuries of war.
"In order to support them, we need to start considering what comes after the fighting, even while the conflict is still ongoing.
"In addition to vehicles and weapons, the UK needs to share the valuable lessons we have learnt about veteran recovery from recent wars in the Middle East with our friends in Ukraine."
Mr Evans was inspired to offer the charity's support after meeting a group of injured Ukrainian veterans of the war with Russia at the residence of the British Ambassador to Belgium.
The injured Ukrainians were keen to raise awareness of the plight of their country and their fellow soldiers still fighting at the front.
From 4 to 11 July, Waterloo Uncovered brought an international contingent of veterans, serving personnel and military family members to the Waterloo battlefield for their annual archaeological excavation – and for the first time, their number included Ukrainian veterans and family members.
To date, the charity has helped more than 300 military personnel from the UK, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany and the USA to find peace from war by using archaeological excavation on the site of a historic battle as a method of recovery from the traumas of modern warfare.
Mr Evans said: "Since our inception, we've supported those who have served their country when they need us the most, no matter where they are from, and this summer we are delighted to welcome Ukrainians to our international team."
Yana Brovdiy of Promote Ukraine, a Brussels-based media platform for expertise and civil society initiatives for Ukraine and the EU, said: "It's amazing to see British charity Waterloo Uncovered supporting the Ukrainian war effort by sharing their years of experience of veteran support.
"By doing so, they're ensuring that when the war is won, Ukrainians who have fought and sadly been injured or traumatised will be able to take steps towards recovery."
Tim Loughton, co-chair of the All Party Parliamentary Archaeology Group, said: "I've seen the power of archaeology firsthand and the impact it can have on mental health.
"This is something the British Government have been supporting for years and we're so proud to see it being exported to Europe and our friends in Ukraine.
"Waterloo Uncovered is an amazing example of health and wellbeing, veteran support and archaeology all coming together."
This summer, the charity returned to the world-famous Hougoumont Farm.
The archaeological excavation focused on a site beyond the south woods of the farm where, in 2022, the charity used cutting-edge geophysical technology to detect several fascinating anomalies.
Professor Tony Pollard, the project's archaeological director, said: "This is... a really exciting excavation on an incredibly important corner of the battlefield.
"Wellington once declared that the success of the battle turned upon the closing of the gates at Hougoumont.
"Our work this year has the potential to add two previously unrecognised features to the battlefield.
"Although our previous investigations have changed our understanding of the fight for Hougoumont, this year's excavation will fill in important gaps in our knowledge of the battle and its aftermath," he added.
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