Andy: “Your support through some of our toughest times has been a Godsend”
With Christmas just weeks away, a visit to Jubilee House, our centre in Cumbria, in December 2025 couldn’t have come at a better time for Andy Todd and his wife, Amanda.
The couple sought support before, because Amanda lives with MS. This time though, they’d just been through an incredibly difficult few months, while financial pressures were also building.
Knowing the staff at our centre, Andy immediately felt comfortable to open up – going on to receive mental health support, as well as financial assistance – something he describes as a “Godsend”.
In fact, Andy, who’s now retired following a career with Royal Berkshire FRS and the MOD, says: “I’ve said all along, if it hadn’t been for the charity, I don’t think I’d be here.”
He first experienced Fire Fighters Charity’s support in the late 90s:
“I had a car accident and the joints in my neck became fused. I honestly didn’t think that I was ever likely to get back on duty,” he says.
“The charity’s rep told me about Jubilee House and I was able to go up for some rehabilitation. Literally within three or four weeks I was back on duty. It was brilliant.”
While there, Andy started chatting to some of the nurses and mentioned that his wife had MS.
“They told me the charity’s support was open to her too, which I had never realised. She didn’t need it at the time, but we never forgot it,” he says.
“It’s just amazing. I can’t sing their praises highly enough.”
Andy Todd
Andy went on to receive physical support at our other centres in the years that followed, before his retirement from the fire service in 2017. Since then, he’s joined Amanda at Jubilee House on a series of visits, while she’s been supported by our dedicated nursing and physiotherapy team for her MS.
“In the years since I first visited Jubilee House, Amanda now has much less mobility and issues with her balance,” Andy says. “It always makes such a difference when she visits.
“She has support from the nurses, then time with the physios and exercise therapists in the hydro pool and gym, it’s just amazing. I can’t sing their praises highly enough.
“I help to care for her at home now. She can get around on her own but she also has epilepsy so we have to be really careful with that. It means when we go to Jubilee House, it’s a break for me too. I can do a bit more walking and switch off, knowing she’s in good hands.”
It was on one of those visits, towards the end of 2025, when Andy discovered there was further support available to them.
“We went through a very difficult time as a family, following a bereavement,” he says.
“I’d noticed that my personality had changed a lot, as we dealt with the grief. It had almost become anger for me – I was feeling everything, but I wasn’t showing that emotion. I wasn’t crying, it all felt like anger.
“My son is on the job too and it was him that suggested I get in touch for some psychological support.”
Andy was invited to Harcombe House on our Reset Programme, which offers people the opportunity to attend group-based sessions focused on mental wellbeing, in a calm and compassionate environment.
“We had a fantastic group of people, all the talks were brilliant, the staff were so supportive, and we all felt so comfortable,” he says. “We actually were an all-male group which I understand is quite unusual, and we all really gelled.”
Andy and Amanda were also put in touch with our Welfare team during that period, as finances had become stretched.
“I retired slightly early and now do some work in airport transfers, but that has been really quiet recently. The charity helped us out with some financial support around Christmas, which was truly amazing.
“We give back where we can, too. We’ve rented a bungalow at Harcombe House, and also a couple of the cottages at Jubilee House with the family. We’ve absolutely loved it, and it means a lot to know it’s going towards the charity.”
Andy hopes, by sharing their story, he’ll encourage others to get in touch, should they ever need support – whether it’s for everyday challenges, or the bigger things.
If you feel you’d benefit from our health and wellbeing support, you can call our Support Line on 0800 389 8820, make an enquiry online or click below: