Bryn Parry, the founder and chief executive of Help for Heroes, has refuted allegations made by The Times newspaper.

He published an open letter this afternoon, after The Times front page claimed that: “Millions spent on Help for Heroes centres with empty beds”.

Parry said The Times’ story suggested that “we had, in effect, done too good a job supporting our wounded Veterans and their loved ones”.

He said the charity had originally been set up just to build a swimming pool, but it had grown because it had been asked to do more.

“We could have stopped then but we listened to the wounded who told us that ‘while a pool will be great, what are we going to do for the rest of our lives?’
 
“So, hearing that, we set out to do our bit to ensure that they would get the best possible support. The Army asked us to fund a Pathfinder Recovery Centre in Edinburgh and we did. Then, as more were wounded in the bloody dust of the Sangin valley, we were asked to deliver three more Centres and we did.”

According to Help for Heroes 3,836 men and women used its Recovery Centres between March 2014 and March 2015 and in June and July of this year 70 per cent of the overnight rooms at one of its centres were used.

Parry added that: “Recovery is not measured in the number of beds occupied on any particular night; we are not running a Travelodge. These centres are helping to rebuild lives.”

“Help for Heroes has done and continues to do what it says on the tin; we support our wounded,” he said. “We do that in partnership with the military, other charities, our corporate friends and our superb supporters.”

 Colonel David Richmond, director of recovery at Help for Heroes and the most senior British army officer to be wounded in Afghanistan, said: “I was overwhelmed by the public respect for its wounded and for the way Help for Heroes was there for us when we needed them.

“Most people who are injured in the Forces are young, have their whole lives ahead of them and find themselves in a very difficult position. The worst thing we could do as a nation is to neglect those who served their country and take away their hope.”  

The full letter can be read on the charity’s website.