A woman whose veteran father passed away in a car accident is running an event to assist other veterans and their families in the community
Rob Currell GAU audience writer
05:00, 12 Sep 2025
Meg and Mike Curry(Image: Meg Curry)
A Veteran’s mental health and wellbeing awareness day will take place in Waltham this weekend. The event will provide entertainment, stalls and commemorate the unveiling of North East Lincolnshire’s first ever Listening Bench.
The day will also raise awareness of the experiences of veterans while highlighting the support available to them and their families. The idea is the brain child of Meg Curry, the daughter of Mike, a veteran who served with the Royal Anglian Regiment and completed three tours to Iraq and Afghanistan.
She hopes that this first event will become an annual fixture and open up conversations in the community about mental health. The bench is located opposite Mike’s first original gym which he started to help people with their fitness journeys.
The event takes place on Sunday from 11am at Waltham Parish Green. The soldier’s passion for fitness came during his service and culminated in an incident when he was serving in central Asia.
During some down time in Afghanistan, Mike wanted to work out but the equipment was broken or substandard. War zones often also have a problem with a lack of electricity and other infrastructure problems such as drinkable running water.
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Mike then set about designing equipment that would not require electricity and would be simple enough to provide holistic fitness in challenging environments. After Mike later broke his foot back in the UK, he invented UniKurve and the idea took off from there. The equipment, which can facilitate 300 different exercises is now used by members of several militaries including US forces and several gladiators from the TV show of the same name. Sadly, Mike died in a car accident in 2017..
Meg said: “The bench will provide a space for people to talk to one another and open up about their experiences. If someone sits on the bench, it provides an opportunity for them to have a chat with someone, it is also located not far from the cenotaph so will see a lot of veteran traffic throughout the year.
The first event will take place this Sunday and it is hoped it will become an annual fixture on the local calendar
“I couldn’t help my dad, so I will do all I can to help other people. My dad saved so many lives, it’s time for us all to try and help save others. Mental health is a battle we all face, and unfortunately we’ve all lost someone who lost their battle. Things like this day should bring us all closer, become a team and raise awareness. Veterans, civilians, serving, we’re all people. No-one is ever alone, and I need you to all know that.”
Like so many veterans, Mike struggled to readjust to civilian life but Meg said despite the challenges he battled, it was important that he was remembered as the passionate, hard-working, determined, and inspirational man he was to many people. Her dad was in the military from when she was a young girl and Meg said she noticed a change in him when she was about 16 or 17-years-old as he struggled to deal with PTSD.
Mike Curry served three tours in the army
She explained: “He did a lot for charity, running marathons and half-marathons to raise awareness for veterans. He didn’t ask for help and struggled with life. If we knew what to look out for earlier, I think we could have got my dad some assistance. “The last two years of his life, PTSD ruined him, life was hard due to the experiences he had gone through, he lost who he was and when we reached out for help, there wasn’t a lot available. So we are trying to raise awareness and have people spot the signs of when our veterans need help.”
Sunday will culminate in a gathering at the Royal British Legion in Waltham where Meg, a singer, will perform some songs and a disco will be held. Meg will then be participating in the ABP Cleethorpes Half Marathon the following Sunday, on September 21, in honour of her dad. The route will take her through Tetley and past the site of her dad’s second gym. Meg is raising money for NEL4Heroes (North East Lincolnshire 4 Heroes), a local charity that offers support and raises awareness for veterans and their families. Full details of the fundraising campaign can be found here.