Operation Safe Circle – Mental-Health Peer Support Training

The UK Afghanistan Veterans Community (AVC), one of 11 non‑profit organisations across the United Kingdom that Boeing are supporting this year, as an inaugural partner. AVC is running two projects in 2026 that form the foundation of Operation Safe Circle, including a bespoke mental health programme that I share with you here.

This is accredited mental-health peer‑support training for up to 100 UK Veterans of Afghanistan (and their families), equipping them to identify common mental-health crises and link to immediate frontline support. This training will expand veteran‑led support capacity and strengthen local peer‑support networks.

Operation Safe Circle, a free bespoke online mental health awareness course, run by AVC, who have teamed up with March on Stress, an organisation lead by one of the country’s leading psychiatrists and trauma experts, Professor Neil Greenberg.  As Professor of Defence Mental Health, Neil is a senior member of the King’s College London military mental health research team and is also a Veteran of Afghanistan. This course on offer today is accredited mental-health peer support training for up to 100 UK Veterans of Afghanistan, Civil Servants who served in Afghanistan, and their families, equipping them to identify common mental-health crises and link to immediate frontline support. This training will expand community-led activity and strengthen local peer support networks.

Neil said: “March on Stress is delighted to be able to work with AVC to tailor our REACTMH workshops to help support the Veteran community through Operation Safe Circle. The more Veterans we can train to understand the signs and symptoms of mental health disorders and talk about them – have a ‘psychologically savvy conversation’ – the more we are likely to reduce stigma and open the door to the right help and support for those who need it.”

REACTMH training has been tailored with its community in mind. The session is 2 hours in duration and is funded by a charitable grant from Boeing as one of their 2026 community partners, so you will be expected to commit.  You will also need to be able to access Teams or Zoom.