£20,000 funding boost for Councils’ Armed Forces Project
Melton, Rushcliffe and Charnwood Borough Councils have successfully bid for £20,000 from the Armed Forces Covenant Fund to support vulnerable veterans in their areas.
The funding boost will be used by each Council to increase their understanding of issues faced by military personnel in their geographical area and to also improve the level of support available.
The authorities’ partnership was awarded the Gold Award from the Armed Forces Covenant Ministry of Defence Employer Recognition Scheme last year, acknowledging their awareness of the variety of transferable skills reservists, veterans and current personnel can bring to the civilian workplace.
The Councils’ new project is set to focus on supporting veterans to reduce isolation and promote integration into society, supporting post-COVID-19 recovery in Armed Forces communities at risk of social isolation.
Former members of the Armed Forces that will require care support, those that are part of the LGBTQ+ community and those living in rural locations are set to be the focus of the project’s work.
Teams from each Council will look to work with care companies and agencies to identify and support veterans by linking them to charities and other Armed Forces services to improve the lives of the most vulnerable.
Cllr Pearson, Portfolio Holder for Housing and Communities at Melton Borough Council said: “We are pleased that our partnership has received this additional funding. Melton has a long-standing history with the Armed Forces and we want to make sure we continue to provide vital support to our Armed Forces and veteran families.
“This funding will help us to provide the right support to the families within our community by ensuring we continue to understand and assess the issues they are facing and improve the support to those harder-to-reach veterans.”
Rushcliffe Borough Council’s Cabinet Portfolio Holder for Community and The Environment and Covenant Champion Cllr Abby Brennan met with Bingham Royal British Legion member and RAF Veteran Bart Luckhurst to chat further about the scheme.
Cllr Brennan said: "It is brilliant to receive this funding towards a project that will provide vital support to vulnerable veterans in Rushcliffe.
"We are incredibly keen to offer as much support as possible to those who are serving or who have served in our Armed Forces.
“These funds will allow us to continue to do everything we can to support those with a military background and to explore further ways we can assist hard-to-reach veterans and their families with the support they may require."
Bart added: “I have experienced first-hand the difference that initiatives and events for former members of the Armed Forces can make to their wellbeing.
“This funding will play an important part in engaging the wider network of communities, individuals and especially those who require further assistance.”
Charnwood Borough Council’s Armed Forces Champion, Cllr Hilary Fryer said: “This is fantastic news for the project. The funding will allow us to expand on the work we’ve been doing to support veterans and their families in Charnwood. It will also help us look at different ways to identify and support veterans in our communities who can be more difficult to reach.
“I’m also pleased to see the project will play a vital role in helping our armed forces communities recover from what has been a difficult 12 months during the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Care companies who are interested in getting involved can contact Victoria Coomber, Armed Forces Community Covenant Development Officer for Charnwood Melton and Rushcliffe, by emailing Victoria.Coomber@charnwood.gov.uk.
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