A display made up of thousands of miniature figures will come to Caerphilly town centre as part of a Help for Heroes campaign.
The #40ThousandStrong campaign will see thousands of miniature figures going on display at Castle Court Shopping Centre, with each figure representing one of the 40,000 men and women who have been medically discharged from the Armed Forces over the last 20 years.
Caerphilly town has been chosen to host the display because it has a population near to 40,000.
The display will begin on Saturday, November 2, with residents able to buy some of the figures in exchange for a donation to the charity.
After the display leaves Caerphilly, it will move on to Parc y Scarlets in Llanelli for a remembrance rugby event.
Meanwhile, Caerphilly Castle will lit up in the charity’s colours – red, navy and blue – and the charity says it has been working closely with shops and businesses in the area.
The Help for Heroes Community Recovery Team, which is based in nearby Treforest, provides support to armed forces personnel, both past and present and offers a variety of activities, including model-making, sport and wellbeing sessions.
The team also provide one-to-one key workers, who can offer advice and support on a range of issues.
Shelley Elgin, Help for Heroes recovery manager for Wales and Hereford, said: “An average of seven people have been medically discharged every day since drawdown from Iraq.
“Thousands of those discharged are falling through gaps in the Ministry of Defence’s support. 70% of beneficiaries we surveyed say their transition to civilian life was a negative experience.
“That’s why we’ve created our 40,000-strong model force to help show the true scale of those who have put their lives on the line for us.”
The charity is calling on the UK government to commission an independent review into the Ministry of Defence’s medical discharge process and the support it offers service personnel as they adjust back to civilian life.