It is ‘Time to Talk Day’ – the nation’s biggest mental health conversation. It is a chance to listen, share and talk about what really matters. Royal Navy Veteran and Veterans Outreach Support (VOS) service user, Lee Baker, took the first step towards better mental health by seeking help and talking openly and honestly about his struggles with his mental health.
Talking can reduce stigma and help people feel comfortable enough to seek help when they need it, and can even save lives!
Here we hear from Lee Baker, about how he reached out for help after he and his wife relocated back to Portsmouth.
Facing challenges with housing, financial pressures and his mental health, Lee turned to VOS for support. In his story, he reflects on the loss of his beloved wife, the help he received and the positive difference it has made to his life.
Here is Lee’s story:
Lee “Bagsy” Baker began his Royal Navy journey in 1978, inspired by his father’s own naval service during the Korean War. His father had worked with Seahawk aircraft aboard carriers and even named him Lee Martin Baker, after the famous Martin-Baker ejector seat. Following this family legacy, Lee, originally hoping to join the Army but unable to do so for fitness reasons, chose the Royal Navy with no regrets.
After completing steward training at HMS Pembroke, Lee’s first posting was to HMS Birmingham (Type 42 destroyer) – where he served as the captain’s steward. He later trained at HMS Collingwood and volunteered for service aboard HMS Illustrious during the Falklands conflict. Joining the ship in Newcastle’s Swan Hunter shipyard, he took part in the shakedown preparations before sailing to the Falklands, where Illustrious relieved HMS Hermes and Invincible . His service earned him the Falklands Medal, presented at the Guildhall and featured on Armed Forces TV and in the local press. A reunion held at the same time gave added meaning to the moment.
Following his return from the Falklands, Lee faced severe mental health struggles that continued for 25 years, leading to repeated admissions to psychiatric hospitals. But during this difficult time, his life took a meaningful turn when he met his future wife who was also receiving mental health support – while he was serving on the hospital’s League of Friends committee. The pair married soon afterwards. For their honeymoon, they visited Portsmouth, where the Royal Maritime Hotel hosted them warmly, complete with champagne in their room. His wife loved Portsmouth so much that they moved there just two weeks later – a return to a city Lee already knew well from his early naval days in the 70s. They enjoyed 17 years of marriage until her recent passing, a loss that deeply affected him.
When they first settled in Portsmouth, Lee struggled both financially and with his mental health. A visit to Citizens Advice led him to RNRMC (through VOS), and from there, he received life-changing support. The VOS team arranged therapies, referred him to SSAFA for essential household goods including helping to secure a mobility scooter for his wife; this practical support brought her newfound freedom and allowed the couple to enjoy more time together outside the home.
The VOS team also connected Lee with additional financial support through Coffin Mew solicitors, helping him regain stability. His therapy with VOS proved transformative. Working with a psychologist and a team member named Andy, Lee found a calm, safe space to talk freely about his mental health.
He explains:
“I initially met with Andy, he was part of the VOS team and very good – we sat in a nice quiet room and he said to me, ‘Just say what you’d like to say. I’ll be writing some notes down’ and I said, ‘That’s fine about the notes.” and I talked about my mental health. I felt really good after talking about it. I had quite a few more sessions after that, including session with their in-house psychologist. They helped me so much for my mental health.”
These sessions, he says, made a profound difference – lifting a weight he had carried for decades. Today, Lee remains active in the Veterans Outreach Support community, attending the monthly Wednesday Portsmouth Drop-In days and social groups where he enjoys tea, banter, laughter and the camaraderie of fellow veterans. And when he needs more support, he knows he can reach out – whether to speak with someone privately downstairs among the many military charities or to reconnect with VOS for additional guidance. Through financial help, psychotherapy, SSAFA support, and the connection to multiple organisations under one roof, Lee describes VOS as “the best place to come” for veterans, families and carers. He credits VOS’s coordinated support with improving his life in every way – mentally, emotionally, and practically.
Lee proudly recommends that any veteran or family in need come along to the first Wednesday of each month.
“I’ve had psychotherapy, I’ve been referred to SSAFA for white goods and I believe that VOS Portsmouth Drop-In day is the best place to come as all the charities and everybody is in one place – you can get referrals and then you should get the help that you require really very quickly. VOS will help you a lot – it has done me the world of good!”
Image above: Lee Baker at Portsmouth Drop-In Day
