A Lanarkshire father and Iraq war veteran has shared how support from SSAFA, the Armed Forces charity, helped him through his darkest days when debt threatened to overwhelm his life.
John McGuigan, 41, always planned to join the Army. His father and uncles had served, so enlisting at 17 after being an Army cadet from age 12 felt natural. He served eight years with the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards before transitioning to civilian life. With nearly a decade as a soldier, John had high hopes for his civilian career.
But struggling to find stable work and manage bills, John soon spent more than he earned, and his debt spiraled. “I didn’t even know what council tax was when I left the Army,” John said. “We were all weekend millionaires, and by the end of the week, we were skint. The trouble was I carried that mentality across.”
Facing eviction from his Airdrie flat due to unpaid rent, and with money worries affecting his mental health, John realized he needed help and turned to SSAFA. “For me it was an embarrassing situation – I believed that to ask for help was a sign of weakness – but SSAFA really held my hand,” he said. “All I needed was a fresh start. Without SSAFA’s help I would have dug a bigger hole for myself. It was like quicksand; SSAFA helped me get out of it and there was no going back.”
Now settled in Uddingston with his wife Stacey, the father of three is determined to give back to the charity that helped him rebuild his life. John and his daughter Sophie, 10, will take part in an epic abseil challenge at the Kelpies in Falkirk on June 20, raising funds to help SSAFA support other Scottish veterans, serving personnel, and their families.
For John, the challenge is personal – not only because of the support he received from SSAFA, but because he will be thinking of his beloved Papa George, a dedicated SSAFA volunteer. George Kirkland served 37 years in the South Staffordshire Regiment and joined SSAFA after retiring from the Army, achieving 25 years of voluntary service with SSAFA’s Lanarkshire Branch before he passed away in 2013.
John said: “My Papa used to give so much of his time to help people who were ex-Forces, like himself, or who had married into the Forces. I have always tried to replicate what he was like, and I feel as if he has passed the mantle on to me now.”
To donate to John’s fundraising for SSAFA, visit his fundraising page. To find out more and sign up to the Kelpies Aerial Experience, visit the SSAFA website.
