Veterans for Veterans in Care (VFVIC) is a charity with a real passion for making a difference to the lives of veterans living in care homes. Our mission is to find and support the estimated 26,000 veterans living in care homes across England and Wales, who we refer to as the Forgotten Army.
We believe that no veteran should ever feel forgotten, especially in their later years. These men and women have given so much during their lives, and we want to make sure they continue to feel valued, respected and part of the military family.
Our volunteers visit veterans, spend time listening to their stories, build friendships and bring a little happiness into their day. We also help care homes organise coffee mornings, breakfast clubs and events that bring Veterans and communities together. Alongside this, we work closely with care homes, helping staff better understand veterans and their military backgrounds through our Empowerment Workshops.
It’s not just about visiting someone. It’s about building friendships, creating memories and making sure our Forgotten Army knows that someone is there for them, and they are no longer forgotten.
At Veterans for Veterans in Care, we support the Armed Forces community by making sure veterans living in care homes are never forgotten or left feeling alone. Through our Veteran Visitor Programme, we bring veterans, serving personnel and volunteers together to offer friendship, companionship and a chance to share memories with people who understand military life.
Bringing communities and generations together has so many positive outcomes. Whether its young cadets meeting older veterans, local groups getting involved or families sharing special moments, these connections help keep our veterans’ stories alive for future generations.
What’s equally important is what our Veteran Visitors get from these experiences. Many find a renewed sense of purpose, belonging and pride in giving something back. The friendships formed, the stories shared and knowing they’ve made someone’s day brighter can have a real positive impact on their own wellbeing too.
Where additional support is needed, we connect veterans and their families with other military charities and organisations. It’s about building friendships, supporting each other and making sure no veteran feels forgotten.
What makes us most proud is seeing the difference we make to the lives of veterans living in care homes. Sometimes something as simple as sitting down, having a cuppa and sharing a few memories can mean the world to someone.
We’ve seen veterans who rarely speak suddenly come to life when they meet someone from the military community. We’ve witnessed smiles, laughter, friendships being formed and families seeing a side of their loved ones they haven’t seen for years. We’re also incredibly proud of our volunteers, who give up their own time to make sure our Forgotten Army is never forgotten.
Another thing that makes us proud is seeing care homes, military charities, serving personnel and local communities coming together with a shared purpose.
But what really makes it special is knowing that through our work, we can restore a veteran’s pride through recognition of their service and give them back that sense of belonging that military life once gave them. It’s about reminding our veterans that they still matter, they still have a purpose and, most importantly, they are still part of the military family.
Being a member of Cobseo gives Veterans for Veterans in Care the opportunity to be part of a wider military charity family, all working towards the same goal of supporting our Armed Forces community.
For a small but growing charity like ours, having those connections is incredibly valuable. It allows us to build relationships, share ideas, learn from others and work alongside organisations that have years of experience supporting veterans and their families. It also gives us a platform to raise awareness of our Forgotten Army and the challenges veterans face in care homes.
We believe working together makes us stronger, and being part of Cobseo helps us make sure no veteran in care is forgotten.
Afghanistan support
In light of recent events in Afghanistan, please find information and support resources here