Eager to use his military experience to help those on the coronavirus front line, Blesma Member Kirk Bowett began volunteering with disaster response charity Op RE:ACT (previously Team Rubicon UK) in April.

The former Infantryman was part of a group of 20 tasked with supporting NHS staff at Guy’s and St Thomas’ hospitals in London at the peak of the pandemic.

“Hospital staff were working 12-hour shifts and were then unable to find food as everyone was panic buying,” said Kirk, who lost his left arm below the elbow in an IED attack in Iraq in 2013.

“Initially, we set up a free marquee for staff at the hospitals offering basics like milk, bread and eggs.”

Having collected food donations from supermarkets and restaurants unable to sell their produce, the team then set up marquees for local community clinics and services. In three weeks, Kirk helped deliver and distribute PPE and helped the British Red Cross with community food banks.

“A lot of NHS staff who were treating patients were falling ill themselves. They were worn out. I’ve previously been on the front line, and this time I had a choice. NHS staff didn’t have that choice. It was a calculated risk but I wanted to support them.”

Op RE:ACT is a disaster response charity that deploys teams of highly skilled volunteers to provide essential aid to those who need it most. Staffed primarily by ex-military volunteers with experience in hostile environments, they are able to deliver life-saving aid at home or abroad.