Veterans' Services Update

Unforgotten Forces Autumn Gathering: Save the Date

The Unforgotten Forces 2024 Autumn Gathering will be held on Tuesday 12 November 2024 at The Barracks Conference Centre, Forthside Way, Stirling FK8 1QZ.

Programme details and booking information will be circulated soon.

Regional collaboration forums for supporters of older veterans

Unforgotten Forces is inviting paid staff and volunteers who support older veterans in Scotland to take part in its regional forums.  Forum events take place every 3 months for the West, East, North and North-east of Scotland, with options to join online or in person. Involvement with an Unforgotten Forces partner charity is not required. See the Events calendar below for dates of forthcoming Regional Forum meetings.

Contact veteransproject@agescotland.org.uk to sign up to join a Regional Forum.  Find out more

Fighting with Pride Review & Directory

Unforgotten Forces partner, Fighting with Pride, has published a review of its activities and successes in 2024. The review document also includes a directory of all the organisations, including most Unforgotten Forces partners, that have obtained the Pride in Veterans Standard. You can read or download the review and directory here: Fighting With Pride Review & Directory 2024 | TheVeteran.UK

LGBT Armed Forces Community Memorial

One of the recommendations in the LGBT Veterans Independent Review by Lord Etherton was that there should be a Government-funded, public memorial at the National Memorial Arboretum, to all LGBT people who have served and continue to serve in the military. The Government has agreed to fund a memorial and has allocated a grant to Fighting with Pride (FWP) for this purpose.

Roly Woods has been appointed by the FWP Board of Trustees to lead the project. A steering group has been established, comprising individuals from organisations and charities with in depth knowledge of memorialisation, together with veterans and serving military LGBT advocates. A series of virtual townhall meetings and in-person regional meetings will be held to gather the views of the LGBT Armed Forces Community. Ideas and proposals from these community consultations will then help inform the design process and final selection via the steering group and board of trustees at FWP.

The FWP website and monthly newsletter will feature regular articles, and updates will be provided as appropriate. The aim is to ensure that everyone interested in this important and exciting project is kept up to date with progress. You can find out more about the Memorial Team here.

Veterans Link Scotland

The Veterans Voice Group, Veterans’ Link Scotland, was established to provide a safe space where veterans can draw on their lived experience to offer guidance and advice to the Scottish Government and influence aspects of service design and delivery.

The remit of the group is:

To provide advice and guidance to the Scottish Government on veterans’ mental health policy and service design.

To advise the Scottish Government and the Veterans Mental Health Advisory Group on the design and delivery of the Veterans Mental Health and Wellbeing Scotland pathway.

To ensure that the views of a wide range of veterans are gathered and considered.

To engage with veterans from outwith the group, and from across Scotland to ensure the views and experiences of the veterans’ community are gathered and considered.

Veterans Link Scotland currently has around 15 veterans who are members of the group. They come from across Scotland and from different branches of the armed forces. This group will be important and influential as we develop the veterans mental health pathway and representatives from the group already sit on the Advisory Group and will sit on the Operational Working Group.

The Scottish Government is keen to increase the membership of this group. If you are a veteran you might consider joining, or you could bring the group to the attention of someone you think might be interested.

For more information please contact Julie Crawford:  Julie.Crawford@gov.scot

ACTIVATE: reducing gambling-related harm in veterans with PTSD

Unforgotten Forces partner Combat Stress is working with researchers from Swansea University and Kings College London on a project called ACTIVATE, which has developed an app-based approach to reduce gambling-related harm among veterans with PTSD. They are seeking volunteers to sign up for a programme which will help to evaluate the usefulness of the app. Find out more here

Communities Round-Up

Winter Fuel Payments

Age Scotland and many other organisations have been urging the UK government to reverse its decision to restrict winter fuel payments to pensioners who are in receipt in pension credit or other means-tested benefits.

In light of the planned scrapping of winter fuel payment as a universal benefit, it is even more important that older veterans are find out if they are entitled to claim pension credit, given that many pensioners could receive the benefit but don't realise they could claim it.

The Age Scotland Helpline can carry out a full benefits check if you give them a call on 0800 12 44 222.

You can also sign the petition to Save the Winter Fuel Payment here

Accessible Venues

Sight Scotland Veterans and Sight Scotland have published a helpful guide for venue owners which highlights best practices and makes recommendations to make events spaces more accessible, to better meet the needs of blind and partially-sighted people. You can find out more and read the report here: Accessible venues | Sight Scotland

Garden Therapy

The Dundee Therapy Garden offers a relaxed and welcoming environment where veterans of the armed forces and blue light services can access counselling and mental health support for help with a range of issues including physical, psychological and social well-being.

Further details from:

Dundee Therapy Garden
16 Dudhope Terrace, Dudhope Park, Dundee, DD3 6HG.
Phone: 01382 202660
Mobile: 07483 102448
Email: dundeetherapygarden@hotmail.com
Website: www.dundeetherapygarden.org

Training & Events

The Combat Stress Centre for Applied Military Health Research is offering a free programme of education and training focussing on the needs and experiences of women veterans. Further details on these programmes can be found at: https://veterans.training

Funding

The Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust

Applications are invited to the Hidden Voices Programme, which can provide grants up to £20,000 to support projects that provide accessible mental health and wellbeing services for under-represented serving Armed Forces personnel, Reservists, Veterans and families.

Closing date for applications: noon on 11 September 2024.

More details and information on applying here:

Hidden Voices programme now open for applications! : Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust

Applications can also be made to the Service Women: Seen and Heard programme, which can provide one-year grants up to £50,000 or two-year grants up to £100,000 for projects which can:

• enable Service Women to choose activities and or/find advice that improves their wellbeing, whether preventatively or at times of crisis;
• open up choices for Service women who may not otherwise know where to seek help for issues which specifically affect them.

Closing date for applications: noon on 25 September 2024.

More details and information on applying here: Support for Service women in latest Covenant Fund programme : Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust

The AFCFT is also inviting applications to its Free from Fear programme, which can provide grants of between £75,000 and £150,000 for up to two years for projects which can:

• Deliver effective, preventative, and educational measures regarding domestic abuse within Armed Forces communities, by addressing emerging and current challenges.
• Provide clear routes, or remove barriers, to enable victim-survivors to access effective support, including the ability to recognise and report domestic abuse. 
• Establish long-term, sustainable improvements and adaptation of support to meet the evolving needs of victim-survivors.

Closing date for applications: noon on 16 October 2024.

More details and information on applying here: Support for serving Forces community affected by domestic abuse (covenantfund.org.uk)

The Major Capital Grants Programme offers grants of £75,000 and £500,000 for projects completing significant refurbishment, including extensions and new builds, of rental accommodation for veterans with a housing need.  Larger grants may be available for exceptional projects, charities and social housing providers (with relevant experience) can apply.

Next application deadline: 8 January 2025.

Details and applications

The Veterans’ Foundation

Grants for charities, community interest companies and other organisations delivering charitable activity to support those in need among serving armed forces personnel, veterans, operationally qualified seafarers, and their immediate families.  The grants fund a wide variety of projects including those that reduce homelessness, increase employment, provide welfare and medical support, increase confidence and social integration, as well as reduce dependence on alcohol and drugs.

Next deadline:

30th September 2024 for Small grants

8 October 2024 for Standard/Salary grants.

Details and application

BFBS Big Salute

BFBS is inviting applications for up to £10,000 for its annual Big Salute grant round.  It is looking to fund impactful projects that address the diverse needs of service personnel, veterans, and their families.  Deadline: 30th September 2024. Details and application