THERE was a Rudyard Kipling poem, not written for, but particularly popular during the First World War, called Tommy.

It concerned the travails of the mythical soldier Tommy Atkins during peacetime and made the point that while we ask our military to lay down their lives for us in battle, when the smoke clears attitudes change.

“I went into a public-‘ouse to get a pint o’ beer, the publican ‘e up an sez, ‘We serve no red-coats ‘ere’.

I went into a theatre as sober as could be, they gave a drunk civilian room, but ‘adn’t none for me.

O it’s Tommy this, an’ Tommy that an’ Tommy go away, but it’s ‘Thank you, Mr Atkins’ when the band begins to play.

For it’s Tommy this, an’ Tommy that, an’ ‘Chuck ‘im out, the brute’, but it’s ’Saviour of ‘is country’, when the guns begin to shoot.”

Of course, a century on and things are vastly different now, but deep down inside for the men and women in our Armed services there remains the uncomfortable transition from barrack square to Civvy Street. Especially, as is more frequently the case these days, if the person concerned has suffered some physical or mental trauma.

For decades following the end of the Second World War, Britain wasn’t involved in fighting many full-on wars, so there were not damaged young men and women coming home in any numbers.

Maybe we became complacent about the back draught from fire fights. But no longer. First two conflicts in Iraq and now the seemingly endless and increasingly pointless involvement in Afghanistan have seen to that.

There can be no doubt the nation is more aware now of the challenge of looking after its injured soldiers, although whether enough is done will, of course, always be a matter for debate.

Where Government has not covered all the bases, charities such as the Royal British Legion, SSAFA and the more recent Help for Heroes among others have stepped up to the plate.

But now another organisation has entered the field. I avoid the word “charity”, because Fighting Force (FF), which is being trialled in Worcestershire, is not a charity.

It describes itself as a not-forprofit organisation and while some may doubt whether there is a need for another “services aid” body because there are enough already, its founders beg to differ. Partly, they say, because Fighting Force is like no other.

For a start it has no money available, either to pay for food, facilities, treatments or whatever.

It is, to use modern parlance, essentially an enabling organisation. It aims to assess an individual’s needs and point him or her in the right direction, or even directions, where the best help can be found.

Joined-up aid might be a good way of describing Fighting Force’s ethos. Or making the best use of what’s out there.

The intention is for FF to hold regular meetings on a drop-in basis where any ex-forces veterans can call in for help and advice.

There will be a chance to chat with people over a cup of coffee, meet fellow vets and get the best information for an individual’s needs and circumstances.

The first meeting is at St Swithin’s Institute in The Trinity, Worcester, on Monday, April 16, from 7.30pm to 9pm.

At this juncture it should be said that one of the people who has played a significant part in the foundation of Fighting Force is Worcester MP Robin Walker.

He’s not blowing his own trumpet about it and had it not been for a throw-away remark during an interview I had with the organisation’s founders, I would never have known.

What had happened was that one of Mr Walker’s constituents – whom I can’t name for personal reasons – left the Army in 2008, with six years’ service and two tours of Afghanistan under his belt, in a bit of a mental mess.

Like a proportion of his colleagues who had witnessed some dreadful scenes, he had difficulty readjusting to civilian life. He went off the rails and into prison.

On his release, he had the common sense to realise his life was on the slide and decided to do something about it. He went to Mr Walker to ask if there were any agencies around he could turn to.

Completely coincidentally and a short while before, Mr Walker and every other MP in the Commons had received a communication from three university students.

They had compiled a thesis about the post-service provision, or lack of, for men and women leaving the Armed Forces.

It was called “Our Nation, Our Forces, Our Veterans, Your Responsibility”.

“Robin Walker was one of only a handful of MPs who bothered to reply to us,” said one of its authors Ben Corbridge, who lives in the New Forest.

So when Mr Walker received the visit from his ex-Army constituent, he was well placed to bring two interested parties together.

The result has been the foundation of Fighting Force, which has its heart and soul in Worcester and aspirations to go national.

Its first chairman is Mark Seyler, who served in the Royal Artillery during the first Gulf War and went on to a civilian career working with the church and young people.

Ben Corbridge is taking close involvement, because FF is virtually what he called for in his thesis: “A one-stop-shop for veterans to make contact with the support services and act as a simple single access point for cries of help”.

It is open to all former members of the Armed Forces, irrespective of length of service, time of service and, significantly, irrespective of their conduct on discharge.

It offers a mentoring service on topics such as housing, employment, medical and financial issues, and is aimed at all veterans who have “faced adverse events”

since their discharge.

Mr Seyler said: “Our mission is to put together a personalised care plan for each veteran and their family who contacts us, regardless of their personal circumstances.

“We want to take some of the stress out of coming home for people who have already gone through so much.

“We aim to provide a friendly ear, support and a community where veterans can share their experiences with each other. Long term, our goal is to lobby for better care provision for those leaving service within the Armed Forces.”

Just what Tommy Atkins needed all those years ago...