East Yorkshire military suicide prevention group praised by PM

Adrian and Carol Ellis pictured with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Cleethorpes MP Martin Vickers

The father of a soldier who took his own life says a military support group set up in memory of his son has helped save the lives of five veterans.

Adrian Ellis, from Barton, launched GEO - Get Emotions Out - following his 24-year-old son George's death in 2021.

Last week, he and his wife, Carol, met with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak who praised the group's work.

Mr Ellis said: "I have a broken heart, but what keeps me going is trying to improve veterans' mental health."

Adrian Ellis pictured with son George, then aged 16, at the Army Foundation College in Harrogate

GEO have been holding weekly sessions in Hull and Barton for military men, serving or retired, to talk to people in a similar situation for more than a year and, earlier this month, launched a weekly meeting in Scunthorpe.

Mr Ellis said: "We know GEO has saved the lives of five veterans. These people have told us they had suicide plans, which they tore up after coming along to the group and talking to us and other veterans - people who understand.

"We will sit around a table with a brew and just talk. The first question is always, 'How has your week been?' Sessions always end on a positive note."

Mr and Mrs Ellis told Mr Sunak about the group during a meeting organised by Cleethorpes MP Martin Vickers.

"We could almost hear George laughing that we were meeting the prime minister," said Mr Ellis.

Speaking in Parliament, Mr Sunak paid tribute to the couple's "brave work" to raise awareness of veterans' mental health.

George left Baysgarth School, in Barton, at 16 to join the Army Foundation College in Harrogate. He then joined 1st Battalion, The Yorkshire Regiment. He deployed overseas for training but did not complete any operational tours of duty.

He left in 2018, telling his family that Army life had changed after several friends had also chosen to leave.

Mr Ellis said many veterans had told him they struggle to adjust to civilian life after leaving the armed forces.

George died just weeks after a close friend and former Army colleague also took his own life.

"It came as a bombshell," he said. "George was an incredibly popular lad, with friends all over the world."

Mr Ellis said he was left with a choice when his son died: fight or flight.

"I chose to fight; fighting to help veterans," he added.

GEO forms part of the veteran's charity Hull 4 Heroes. An identical group for women, LISA - named after former soldier Lisa Bateman, who also took her own life - also runs weekly sessions in Hull, Barton and Scunthorpe.

Hull 4 Heroes founder Paul Matson said George and Lisa's families were "both immensely proud that their children's names are hopefully helping to save the lives of other military men and women".