Student develops wellbeing app for veterans

Savannah Thompson said people in the military "are expected to put the service first, largely at the expense of their personal lives"

A student has developed a wellbeing app designed to help military personnel and veterans who struggle with isolation, anxiety and depression.

Savannah Thompson, who is currently a final year student at Bournemouth University, developed Ur Back Up after being medically discharged from the Army in 2021.

Ms Thompson won a place on the Virgin Money Foundation Young Change Maker Fellowship for the initial concept of the app, and received further funding from The Virgin Money Foundation and The National Lottery.

It connects its users to linked charities, who are then able to get in touch with the individual who needs help.

The Virgin Money Foundation Young Change Maker Fellowship is designed to help people achieve change in their communities

Ms Thompson said: “The concept for the app came from repeatedly hearing the same sorts of stories around people needing support but either not knowing where to go, not wanting to ask for help, or feeling rejected when they have approached charities who weren’t able to help them.

"It is a big change for personnel to transition out of the military and into the civilian world again."

She said she hoped the app would help current and ex-military personnel access mental health services more easily.

The app works like a traffic light system to lead users to the right type of services.

When amber or red is selected, a notification is sent to one of the charities linked with the app.

There is also a quiz feature for when users are unsure about what services they might require, and alert messages display the phone numbers of 24/7 crisis lines.

Some of the charities already involved include Rock2Recovery, Healthier Heroes, Tough Enough to Care, Phoenix Heroes, Veterans at Ease, Tom Harrison House and Aggie Weston’s, with Head Up due to join soon.