“It’s a big honour having known the guys who set it up and being talked through what the charity does and how it helps servicemen. It strikes a chord with me and is something I really wanted to get involved in right from the start.”

Panteg-born, just a short few miles from the charity’s head office Ian Gough is a name synonymous with Wales rugby. With 64 international caps, under five differing coaching regimes, Ian played an instrumental role in Wales’ 2005 and 2008 Grand Slams. In domestic competition Ian enjoyed stints with Newport Gwent Dragons and Ospreys, amassing over 300 appearances before moving across the Severn Bridge to London Irish for a season. The 2014 season saw Ian return to South Wales and back to Rodney Parade with Newport Gwent Dragons.

Ian’s support of Hire a Hero and its work extends from fundraising,  ascending Mount Elbrus alongside a ten-strong team of serving and civilian personnel, to speaking and representing the charity at events.