“People owe it to themselves to be the best version of themselves. Because of the childhood sexual abuse and military trauma I suffered, I have had a lot of counselling to learn what tangible supports I need to thrive. Mental health isn’t simply the absence of mental illness, and living with a mental illness doesn’t mean you can’t have sound mental health. Just as someone with diabetes can live a healthy life, so too can somebody with a mental illness. My passion - to create for this community - has become one of the most significant ways in which I maintain my mental health and well-being. I try and advocate by being open and authentic. We need to end the stigma that surrounds mental health. I refuse to be stigmatized by what 'a monster' did to a child, and the trauma I endured serving my country.'‘

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Even when he was in the British Army serving in Northern Ireland, Iraq and Cyprus, Tony Klipin was making furniture.

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