Volunteers' Week Spotlight: Meet Rob

As part of Volunteers' Week, we're celebrating the people who give their time, skills and experience to support Step Together and the communities we work alongside.

One of those volunteers is Rob Healey OBE, who joined our Armed Forces Community programme in October 2025 following a remarkable 41-year career in the Army.

For the final six years of his service, Rob worked within a Personnel Recovery Unit in Catterick, supporting wounded, injured and sick Service Personnel who were unable to work due to illness or injury. His role involved coordinating the non-clinical aspects of recovery and helping unit managers better understand how to support personnel experiencing complex health challenges.

Alongside his military career, Rob developed a passion for open-water swimming and has organised water-based challenges for veterans and Service Personnel since 2008, helping many people build confidence and move forward in their recovery journeys.

Following retirement, Rob wanted to remain connected to the military community while also creating space to reflect on his own transition into civilian life. Volunteering with Step Together has given him the opportunity to do both.

As Rob explains:

"Step Together Volunteering has provided me with an opportunity to volunteer, at a place I know, with people I identify with but without any of the pressures associated with my service career. I can just 'live in the moment' in the garden area, weeding the raised beds or preparing crops for the Phoenix House kitchen – it is a moment of calm each fortnight to just do stuff."

At Phoenix House in Catterick, Rob volunteers in the therapeutic garden used by Service Personnel on recovery duty. What began as helping to maintain the garden soon evolved into a self-directed project to create a sensory "Zen-bed" designed to support relaxation, reflection and wellbeing.

Bringing his creativity, gardening skills and experience to the role, Rob has developed a space that encourages people to slow down, engage their senses and take time out from the challenges they may be facing.

"As the Zen-bed develops, I hope to make it more sensory, visually, with movement, texture and colour and also use fragrant plants to bring smell into the experience."

One of the most striking features of the Zen-bed is a collection of carefully balanced stones.

"It felt great to add stone balancing into the Zen-bed a few weeks ago... when you are trying to balance stones, you have to 'be' in the moment."

Rob's story is a powerful reminder that volunteering doesn't only benefit the people receiving support. It can also provide purpose, connection and wellbeing for the volunteer themselves.

We are incredibly grateful for everything Rob brings to Step Together, Phoenix House and the wider Armed Forces community.

Thank you, Rob.