31 July 2020 
This is a heart-warming story about how one injured veteran is helping other injured veterans and proves that camaraderie never stops.
The story began when John Geden, veteran Army Captain turned beekeeper, met injured veterans at the Help For Heroes recovery centre at Tidworth, Wiltshire.
John is himself a beneficiary of the charity having had a diagnosis of PTSD and also ongoing physical injuries which will ultimately lead to the amputation of his right leg.
He got to know a few of the amputees, with many of them reporting discomfort from wearing prosthetic limbs, and he realised that he could help because the answer lay within his beehives as beeswax, honey and propolis (described as one of nature’s most effective defence systems) could be made into a 100% natural skin balm to alleviate soreness and accelerate cell growth.
Ever resourceful, John set about making a few batches in his kitchen at home and gave them to some of his former colleagues to try out. The feedback was immediately positive, and it was clear that he would struggle to keep up with the demand.
When he was introduced to Debbie Mulkern, qualified aromatherapist and trained natural perfumier who owns New Forest Aromatics based in Brockenhurst, the pair realised that they shared similar knowledge and enthusiasms and together could become a driving force to help charitable causes. Like John, Debbie has an inbuilt desire to help others and so their business relationship was an instant success. Supported by X Forces Enterprises they formed WiSP Care Products, placing social responsibility at its heart and then building the business around making profits for charity.
And so, their first product, WiSP balm was born… the name being based on an abbreviation used by the military to describe ‘Wounded, Injured and Sick’ Personnel.
The basic premise is to use ingredients from John’s beehives to create a balm that soothes and helps to heal damaged skin, now not just for wounded servicemen and women, but for everyone. It has already been discovered by marathon runners and sports people to prevent or heal chaffing, blisters, etc.
WiSP comes in a neat 55g tin so is the perfect travel product. It costs £9.50 and £1 of that is donated to charity. Another bonus is that it is available on Amazon so it is available to everyone. Try it for yourself.
