Curtis Palmer Program

Funded: May 2023

Blue Light Card Foundation is funding a series of online breathwork and cold water immersion courses to support the mental health and wellbeing of police officers and veterans.

Sectors supported: Police and veterans

The Curtis Palmer Program was set up by police staff, police officers and military veterans. After operating for three years, it has recently achieved registered charity status. They help serving and retired police staff and officers with mental health, wellbeing, physical injury, and illness through programmes including breathwork courses and expeditions.

The Curtis Palmer Program bases its operations on the NHS “5 steps to mental wellbeing” framework:

socialise with others
do physical exercise
learn new skills
Engage in teamwork, giving your time, and helping others

Practice mindfulness

The online breathwork and cold-water immersion course is run in partnership with The Breath Connection. The course is designed to help with stress, anxiety, depression and overall mental wellbeing. Participants are invited to a 10-day course over two weeks to embed techniques that are then available as a longer-term coping mechanism.

Co-CEO, Damien Isherwood FRGS, stated: “The Curtis Palmer Program is really grateful for the support and funding provided by the Blue Light Card Foundation. The vital financial support will enable us to run our 10-day online breathwork and cold water immersion course with The Breath Connection for two years.

“These courses will benefit hundreds of police and military service users all over the UK, directly and indirectly benefiting many more people. This funding means that money will not be a blocker to service users seeking help during the cost of living crisis. It means the Curtis Palmer Program can concentrate on fundraising for our other activities knowing that the 10-day online course, a stepping stone in the path of recovery for our service users, is fully funded till 2025.”

For more information on the Cutis Palmer Program, please visit their website: www.curtispalmerprogram.org .