Royal British Legion beneficiary

Gunner Mark Stonelake, of 29 Commando Regiment, Royal Artillery had his left leg amputated in December 2008 in Afghanistan, when the vehicle he was driving hit a roadside bomb.

As well as having his leg amputated, the blast also left him with a badly damaged right foot, fractured back, broken bones in both legs and broken nose, jaw and teeth. A friend and colleague also in the vehicle at the time has been left permanently brain-damaged by the incident, and has to communicate through a computer.

View our video interview with Mark below.

How we're helping Mark

Mark is still serving in the British Armed Forces, along with his fiancée Donna Canty, an Able Seaman in the Royal Navy.

He is one of the first wounded soldiers to have benefited from the Battle Back programme whilst receiving treatment at Headley Court, after he took to the skies in a glider whilst still recovering from the IED blast. The Legion has committed the funding to build, equip and operate The Royal British Legion Battle Back Centre  and Personnel Recovery Centres (PRCs), part of the MoD's Personnel Recovery Capability, which will be designed for rehabilitating injured Service personnel through the medium of sports and adventurous training.

Mark recently took part in the Sail4Heroes fundraiser, sailing from Plymouth to London, in order to raise money for The Royal British Legion and is also a member of the Legion.

The Legion is funding necessary home adaptations to Mark's home, in order to make it easier for him to carry out essential everyday activities. Adaptations will include building an extension to the house to have a wet room.

"The Royal British Legion is my personal favourite charity, and the people at the Legion down in Devon are helping me while I'm in the Army, but I know that help will continue, should myself or my family need it if I leave the Army," he says.

"The PRCs will be fantastic for lads like me."