Two Federation members have told how taking part in a five-day ‘life-changing’ mental resilience programme has helped them get their ‘mojo’ back. 

Tracy Ruff and Tim Viner have shared their experience of ‘Climbing Out’, a national charity that aims to empower people to take responsibility for their mindset, actions and behaviour following a life-changing injury, illness or trauma. 

Both Tracy and Tim have since become Ambassadors for Climbing Out and are now on a mission to raise awareness of the charity and the work it does.

“Climbing Out changed my life,” says 44-year-old Tracy, a DC who has experienced multiple traumatic experiences, both physical and mental over the past 30 years.

“The first thing for me was when my mum died when I was 19. Since then, numerous other traumatic events have happened, including a physical injury - which although it wasn’t life-changing, it impacted my body and stopped me from doing a lot of the things I used to do.

“Over time, I found I’d lost my confidence, both professionally and personally. And then I discovered Climbing Out. And genuinely, Climbing Out has changed my life. It changed my outlook on life and helped me move forward.

“Climbing Out is like magic, it’s hard to describe but it really is like magic. I thought I needed fixing, but Climbing Out made me realise I don’t need fixing after all. 

“It gave me something back that I didn’t know was missing. It gave me my mojo back.”

Climbing Out, a charity established in 2010, hosts five-day programmes shaped around building resilience through physical activities, including the likes of climbing, kayaking, hill walking, abseiling and caving.

“I’d had counselling and therapy in the past but nothing compared to what the Climbing Out programme did for me. During the programme I completely stepped outside my comfort zone and did things that I never thought I would ever do,” continued Tracy.

“It made me look at life differently. I stopped blaming others and instead started thinking about what I could do to make improvements to my life. Thanks to Climbing Out, I feel like a completely different person.”

Tracy, who explained that when she took part in the programme she was signed off work due to stress, added: “Had I not been on the programme, I don’t know if I’d even be back at work.

“Climbing Out came at completely the right time when I needed it most.”

Following the programme, all those who have taken part are invited to join the ‘Climbing Out Club’, a network of like-minded people, offering long-term friendship and support to one another.

Fellow Climbing Out ambassador Tim found his mental health ‘spiralling’ during the Covid-19 pandemic, having been classed as ‘clinically extremely vulnerable’ and told to isolate after being diagnosed with a life-changing liver condition in 2015.

“My initial diagnosis meant I had to change my job role moving from firearms to collision investigation but I’d come to terms with that and my condition and learned to live with it,” explained Tim, “But when I was told I had to isolate during the pandemic, that’s when my mental health was really impacted. I couldn’t even leave the house. I felt like Covid had completely taken away my freedom, as well as my identity and I was no longer the person I wanted to be.”

Father-of-two Tim was put in contact with Climbing Out, which led to him taking part in an online virtual course and then the in-person programme once lockdown had come to an end.

“It’s not counselling, it’s life-coaching and it made me reassess my day-to-day life,” said 40-year-old Tim.

“It encouraged me to open up and communicate while building up my mental resilience. And now, off the back of that programme, I have a whole new group of friends who I can turn to for support when I’m struggling.”

Thanks to the programme, Tim, a PC, also says he discovered a passion for helping others too, which has led to him becoming a peer support volunteer at work, as well as an ambassador for the charity.

“For me, I never really had an understanding of mental health. Like a lot of men, especially in the police, there was a real stigma surrounding mental health - and I’d found myself in a very low place, and I couldn’t get myself out of it,” continued Tim.

“I know that if I hadn’t experienced the Climbing Out programme, I would find it much more difficult to deal with my emotions on a daily basis. And I’m also encouraging my sons to open up too - because I now realise once you open up and talk about how you’re feeling, you feel so much better.

“Climbing Out has not only provided me with ongoing support, but the people I have met through the charity have become family to me too.”

Climbing Out founder Kelda Wood established the charity 12 years ago after a freak accident left her with a life-changing leg injury that ended her dreams of becoming an Olympic horse rider.

After rebuilding her own confidence, Kelda set out on a mission to help others who have also experienced life-changing mental or physical trauma or illness.

“I was once struggling to move forward with my life but I worked hard to turn my life around using mental resilience tools,” explained Kelda.

“I realised that there are so many other people like me, who are just stuck.”

Over the past few years, Climbing Out has found itself supporting numerous emergency service workers, including the police, along with the military, specifically those who have experienced trauma both at work and in their personal lives.

“Like Tim said, we don’t do counselling, we do life coaching and that’s what makes us different,” continued Kelda.

“I want to share the mental resilience tools I’ve learned, giving people the tools they need to make sense of their lives, the tools to change their lives. And it’s really working, people are really seeing and feeling the impact of building their mental resilience.

“I’ve seen officers return to work and be happy again, back fulfilling their lives.

“Climbing Out is all about empowering people to take responsibility. I compare mental wellbeing to a table, the tabletop is your mental resilience and strength, but it doesn’t work without its legs. Our table legs are the tools we need to build up our resilience - and those who take part in the programmes go away with a whole toolbox packed full of resilience techniques.”

The programmes are led by a small team of highly-qualified coaches, with each five-day course unique and tailored to those taking part.

“People don’t leave fixed, the hard work starts when they get home. Climbing Out gives you the tools you need to deal with life again, and deal with life’s challenges.”

The Climbing Out programme is fully-funded and participants can self-refer or be referred if they have experienced a life-changing injury, trauma or illness.

Members can register their interest for themselves or on behalf of somebody else by filling in an application form on the Climbing Out website. 

For further support or information, West Mercia Police Federation members can also contact either Tracy, Tim or branch chair Sarah Cooper.