1. A dedicated department to treat PTSD
Mental health is an issue that has been taboo in the past – particularly in the armed forces.
Pictured: There is still a taboo surrounding mental health issues in the armed forces.
Although we are now gaining greater understanding of this challenge, I think that there should be a dedicated department in the health care system in Jersey for the treatment of mental illness such as traumatic stress related issues, not just for individuals or families with a services background, but also for the Police, Fire and Ambulance services and also the Coastguard and RNLI.
2. Weekly community service for all
My career in the armed forces taught me the importance of teamwork and supporting those around you.
Pictured: The whole island would benefit if everyone gave an hour of their time every week.
That’s why I would like to see everyone in secondary education and employment spending one hour a week in unpaid community service for the benefit of the Island.
3. Hop on the bus… at least once a month!
I spent an awful lot of my career yomping (a bit like walking but with much more purpose!), generally carrying huge weights on my back. I am nervous about dependency on machines that isolate and weaken human spirit and also damage the environment.
Pictured: A bus journey can be the opportunity to “mingle with fellow islanders”, according to Tim.
One of my key compulsory changes would be to decree that one day a month only public transport will be allowed on the roads and everyone will have to clamber out of their cars, mingle with their fellow islanders and catch the bus, cycle, walk, skateboard or space hopper to get around.
4. Let’s communicate with our voices… not our thumbs!
In the prophetic words of 10cc – a band I listened to on my Walkman, when in a helicopter en route to a drop off for a yomp – “Communication is the answer to our problems.” I am fed up of talking to the top of my daughter’s head because she is Facetubing a close friend in Ulan Bator.
Pictured: Tim calls for tech to be banned once a week.
In what may prove to be an unpopular move, but one that I feel may improve our ability to communicate in the traditional way with our voices, rather than our thumbs, I will be recommending a blanket ban on the transmission and reception of data, wifi and any other screen based electronic communication at least once a week.
5. Don’t ever change
My final item will be a plea not to change. Maybe because the experience of occupation by a hostile force is still in living memory, Jersey appears to have a very close tie to the military community. It is often remarked on by servicemen and women and their families who visit the island, whether on exercise, on leave or as guests of Holidays for Heroes, that the respect shown for service personnel and the warmth of Jersey hospitality is second to none.
Pictured: “The respect shown for service personnel and the warmth of Jersey hospitality is second to none,” Tim says.
We should all banish any self consciousness we may have and ensure that we maintain that appreciation for the service that our uniformed personnel give.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and not those of Bailiwick Express.