Our Patrons and Ambassadors

Ross Kemp

Ross Kemp is an actor, author and BAFTA-winning documentary maker. He rose to prominence in the role of Grant Mitchell in the BBC soap opera, EastEnders. 

Since 2006, Kemp has received international recognition for his investigative documentaries, specialising in the area of gang culture. He has also been on the front line with British Troops in Afghanistan on several occasions.

Antony Cotton MBE

The Coronation Street star has been a proud Ambassador for the charity for many years and spends much of his spare time campaigning to improve the lives of both serving personnel and Veterans alike.

Antony first became involved with Help For Heroes when one of his friends returned home after serving abroad, in need of support.

“It is a privilege and an honour to be a Patron of Help For Heroes, and I promise that I will do all I can to help.”

Lorraine Kelly CBE

Lorraine Kelly is a TV presenter and journalist, and a keen supporter of Help for Heroes Band of Sisters. She takes a personal interest in their stories and is the face of Bake for Heroes.

"I am honoured to be a Patron of Help for Heroes and to be involved in the incredible work they do. It is so important that we all get the chance to say thank you to our Armed Forces and for them to know how grateful we are for their service and sacrifices."

Gareth Southgate OBE

Gareth Southgate OBE is manager of the England football team and formerly played as defender and midfielder for several English teams.

Southgate has spoken of his close ties and affinity with the Armed Forces following his Grandfather’s service in the Second World War which has formed his sense of identity and values.

He said: “My sense of identity and values are closely tied to my family and particularly my granddad. He was a fierce patriot and a proud military man, who served during World War II. Because of him, I’ve always had an affinity for the military and service in the name of your country. I’m looking forward to working closely with Help for Heroes to support veterans and raise awareness of the great work they do to promote veterans living well after service.”

Jane Moore

Jane is a well-renowned journalist, author and television presenter who has supported Help for Heroes since its early days. A regular on Loose Women and columnist for The Sun, she is a vocal advocate for better awareness of Veterans’ mental and physical health issues. Jane has been a key part of Help for Heroes’ development, supporting many of our campaigns, taking part in fundraising events and visiting our Recovery Centres.

“I have been involved with Help for Heroes for a long time and it’s an honour to be a Patron for such a worthwhile cause that needs our ongoing support.”

Peta and Mark Cavendish MBE

The professional cycling star, and Olympic silver medalist, Mark, and his wife Peta have long been key supporters of Help for Heroes and have thrown themselves into many fundraising events and awareness raising activities for us.  Amongst Mark’s many outstanding cycling achievements, he has won thirty-four Tour de France stages.  

Mark equalled Eddy Merckx's record on the 2021 Tour. Peta was one of our most famous page 3 models and is now a busy writer, mother and professional cycling fan.

Ken Hames

Ken served in the British Army for 25 years. He started as a tank driver but after being selected for Sandhurst he spent most of his career as an officer with the Queens Regiment and the Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment and eventually became an SAS Troop and Squadron Commander where as he puts it 'he got sent away to some very unsafe places and couldn't tell anybody anything about it'! 

Ken's experiences in the Army led him to other careers in television, public speaking and leadership training.

General the Lord Dannatt GCB CBE MC DL, President

General the Lord Dannatt was commissioned into The Green Howards in 1971 and served in Northern Ireland, Cyprus, Germany and Bosnia. He took command of 3rd (United Kingdom) Division in January 1999 and served in Kosovo that year as Commander British Forces and later as the Deputy Commander Operations of the Stabilisation Force.

In March 2005 he took over as Commander-in-Chief Land Command and assumed the appointment of Chief of the General Staff in August 2006. He retired from the Army in August 2009 to become Constable of The Tower of London until 2016, was appointed to the House of Lords in 2010 and sits on the Crossbenches. 

He has been hugely involved in Help for Heroes from the start, both as a Trustee and as the first President of the Charity.

Andy McNab

From the day he was found in a carrier bag on the steps of Guy's Hospital, Andy McNab has lived an extraordinary life. As a teenage delinquent, he kicked against society. As a young soldier he waged war against the IRA in the streets and fields of South Armagh. As a member of 22 SAS he was at the centre of covert operations for nine years – on five continents. 

Awarded both the Distinguished Conduct Medal (DCM) and Military Medal (MM) during his military career, McNab was the British Army's most highly decorated serving soldier when he finally left the SAS. Since then he has become one of the world’s bestselling writers, drawing on his insider knowledge and experience.

Lucy Wyndham-Read

Army Veteran Lucy Wyndham-Read, has been involved in the Health & Fitness industry for over 25 years, and now in her late-forties, she has a wealth of experience in what works and how to get results. She has helped millions of people worldwide with her workouts.

At the age of 19, Lucy decided that despite her ‘girly image’, the fact that she had been bullied at school and that the thought of doing any sport terrified her, she wanted to take on what was for her the ultimate challenge of joining the Army. It was during her five years of serving that she learnt some of the highly effective skills which she has used to her advantage today. In particular, she learned about fitness, motivation, utter determination, and how to never give up.

"As a former soldier, it is such an honour for me to announce that I am officially a Patron for Help for Heroes! I am thrilled to be part of the team and have already met some incredible veterans. I can’t wait for what's to come!"

JJ Chalmers

JJ Chalmers joined the Royal Marines Reserve in 2005 while at university, transferring to regular service in 2010.

A year later, he was serving in Helmand Province, Afghanistan, when he suffered life-changing injuries from an IED blast. JJ lost two fingers and suffered facial and leg injuries in the incident, and his right elbow was badly damaged. 

JJ is a keen supporter of Help for Heroes and can be seen on most things Invictus Games and C4 Paralympics.  JJ also appeared in the 2020 edition of Strictly Come Dancing and made it to the Quarter Finals.

In 2021 JJ hosted the Channel 4 coverage of the Tokyo 21 Paralympics.