Military Memories: Military Memories is a anthology of poems written by the forces community. The poems illustrate the journey taken by those who join ... families’ lives and also the trauma we face.

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I was bleeding and in a lot of pain. My mum came and got me and took me to A&E, but thankfully I was only badly bruised and cut, narrowly avoiding some dislocated and broken bones. I was alright, but the bike wasn't. It was completely trashed.

Massive thanks to everyone who attended this year’s English Veterans Awards hosted by Polly James and held at the Village Hotel and Leisure Club Bristol on the 21st September. The Awards were sponsored by Company X Consulting Ltd and in Support of The ABF The Soldiers’ Charity and The Royal Navy Royal Marines Charity! It was such a fantastic event with a great atmosphere in the room! The Veterans Awards team is headed up by Welsh Guards veteran, Sean Molino, who also covers the Welsh and Scottish Veterans Awards respectively. Gina is a Veteran, adventure racer, volunteer with the Army Cadets, volunteer Marine Mammal Medic, and successful fundraiser. She is also the editor of a poetry book, Military Memories, which was inspired by her brother’s funeral. The book is an important way of raising funds for military charities, and as a conduit for mental wellbeing, both for those who wrote the poems and those who read them. She has raised thousands of pounds for charity and is an inspirational speaker at many SSAFA events.

Ms Allsop said: “The poems illustrate the journey taken by those who join the Armed Forces, showing a lighter side to our families’ lives and the trauma we sometimes face. Gina walked away from the accident with minor injuries, but her bike was written off in the accident. SSAFA supported Gina and sourced funding to provide her with a new bike so she could continue to cycle following the death of her brother.

I started fundraising for SSAFA as I wanted to repay them for helping me during some of the most difficult times of my life. Obviously, I didn’t have to do this – I wanted to. I have raised hundreds of thousands of pounds now for military charities, but I will not stop being an advocate and raising money for SSAFA.I've been in uniform since I was 13,” Gina recalls. “I joined the Army Cadets which was the root of it all. From there I became an adult instructor, and then joined up officially aged 19 after my A-levels. I did 11 years, mainly in the Royal Signals. I left in 2006. Gina said: “The poems illustrate the journey taken by those who join the Armed Forces, showing a lighter side to our families’ lives and the trauma we sometimes face. A path taken by many, told by so few. It’s a lifetime of memories shared in one little book.”