A Veterans' Foundation grant has helped a pioneering charity use the power of photography to tackle isolation, improve wellbeing and help veterans rebuild their lives.
Thanks to a £20,000 Veterans' Foundation grant, Belfast Exposed has spent the past two years delivering weekly therapeutic photography workshops, creating a supportive community where veterans can reconnect with others, rediscover their confidence and develop new skills.
The workshops are about far more than taking photographs.
Each week, veterans leave behind the isolation that many experience after military service and spend time with people who understand them. Together they explore new locations, learn traditional and digital photography techniques, share experiences and, most importantly, build lasting friendships.
For many, the sessions have become a vital lifeline.
Mervyn Smyth, Community Engagement Manager at Belfast Exposed, said the Veterans' Foundation funding has had a lasting impact on the people involved.
"The funding has allowed us to bring people out of their own environment and away from isolation. They have two hours every week where they can focus on photography, spend time with people they can relate to and revisit a passion they all share."
The programme has evolved far beyond photography alone.
Veterans have developed the confidence to lead workshops themselves, with some now sharing their own expertise in areas such as Photoshop and Lightroom.
Others have become involved in photography clubs and exhibitions, helping them see themselves not simply as veterans, but as skilled photographers with valuable knowledge to offer.
One participant, already an accomplished photographer, is now being supported to deliver freelance photography workshops to others.
"It's about building confidence," explained Mervyn.
"People aren't coming to you because you're a veteran…they’re coming because of your knowledge of photography.
"Those are two completely different things."
Alongside the creative benefits, the project has helped veterans reconnect with the wider community through exhibitions showcasing their work.
A major therapeutic photography exhibition now features images produced during the project, bringing veterans and the public together while celebrating creativity, resilience and recovery.
"We've built a group over the past two years and we've built a support mechanism that can continue beyond the funding,” Mervyn continued.
"The funding has really, really changed their lives. It's been fantastic."
