About me.

My name is Alexander Asplen-Taylor. I’m a Royal Marine, and I served alongside Tom for several years — we went through training together. He was a better Marine than I’ll ever be, and a better mate than most of us deserve.

I’m not a clinician. I’m not a charity sector veteran. I’m someone who watched a friend struggle in a system that wasn’t quite shaped for him, and who has spent enough time with serving lads and ex-service lads to notice the same pattern again and again.

There’s a hole between what the military can offer and what the NHS is set up to deliver, and most of the people I care about seem to fall straight through it. On top of that, the stigma around mental health — especially for men, and especially for men who have built their identity around being capable — quietly does an enormous amount of damage.

Hearth is an attempt to find a sensible middle ground. Real support, given by peers who actually understand, alongside the tools, structure and encouragement to stand on your own two feet again. Not coddling. Not a lecture. Just a fire to sit around with people who get it, and somewhere to go when things feel heavier than they should.

I don’t pretend to have this figured out. We’re in open beta, we’re running a study with King’s College London to honestly test whether what we’re doing actually helps, and we’ll change anything that doesn’t. If you’d like to take part, push back, or just say hello, please do — you can reach me directly at alex@bastionconsultants.co.uk.

Thank you for reading.