A former soldier from Dagenham is set to launch his new online coaching business for veterans to “change as many lives as possible”.

Nicky Morris served as a lance bombardier in Iraq and Afghanistan with 1st Regiment Royal Horse Artillery, but left the army in 2012 to care for his dad, Raymond.

He hopes to launch a new business in the coming weeks, conducting one-on-one Zoom sessions with new clients while promoting his website and related e-book online.

The 12-week programme he will offer is an opportunity for veterans to “discover their values, find their reason for being…and build their goals around what they really want to do”.

Nicky says he will help veterans “regain your identity, to find your purpose and to live a life of fulfillment”

The 33-year-old said he felt “lost” after leaving the army at 24, and described a “huge self-development journey” where he was evicted from his council-owned house, rehomed and worked to save money for years before moving into coaching.

“This is where I felt lost…I was working 13-14 hours a day for someone else and it wasn't aligned with my own values…then I discovered coaching.

“I've always wanted to work for myself and build my own life instead of just going to a job and working for someone else.”

Nicky said coaching is all about helping the client to remain “in the now” and meet their human needs such as confidence and a sense of achievement.

“We've got a certain amount of human needs that need to be met, you have a lot of those needs met when you’re in the forces, such as a sense of belonging, self-esteem.

“When you're serving queen and country you're a part of something greater than yourself, but when you leave, you lose a sense of belonging.”

Nicky took a 15-week coaching course in 2021 to become certified and is also training to become a neuro-linguistic programming practitioner (NLP) to aid those veterans who struggle with PTSD.

The programme's prices will be decided in each introductory call with a client, Nicky said.

This comes after Nicky came to the Post in 2015 to speak out about his housing problems.