Member Directory

Charity Number: 1039386
Company Number: 2751104

Change Step is a veteran to veteran peer mentoring and advice service. This service is for military veterans and others with post-traumatic stress disorder and a range of psychosocial problems who want to make positive changes to their lives.

Change Step offers effective support for veterans, their families and carers in Wales – enabling them to access vital support services and tackle serious stress and related issues.

Our team of peer mentors use their own experiences to help fellow veterans and their loved ones confront challenges in their lives and manage their journeys of recovery.

Contact Information

http://www.changestepwales.co.uk/
Ask@change-step.co.uk
Ty Dafydd Alun
39 Princes Drive
Colwyn Bay
LL29 8LA
0300 777 2259

Support Offered

The programme offers peer support, training and case management through engagement with relevant health and welfare services. Change Step works collaboratively with statutory bodies and other relevant organisations to ensure an accessible and comprehensive framework by which to guide individuals towards the most appropriate service.

Charity Number: 1048212
Company Number: 02334459

Age UK Waltham Forest, established in 1982, stands as an independent, self-funded, user-led charity. Our mission is rooted in creating an inclusive, respectful, and supportive society, where each older person enjoys a high-quality, fulfilling life, supported to live independently at home for as long as they desire.

Vision:
Our vision revolves around fostering a society where every older person is empowered to lead a life filled with quality, enjoyment, and fulfilment. We are dedicated to ensuring that individuals can age with dignity, supported by our commitment to facilitating independent living for as long as they wish.

Contact Information

http://www.ageuk.org.uk/walthamforest/
info@ageukwalthamforest.org.uk
Waltham Forest Resource Hub (North)
58 Hall Lane
Chingford
E4 8EU

Support Offered

Age UK Waltham Forest, with its experienced staff and volunteers, annually supports over 6,000 older people in the local area through a diverse range of services including Information and Advice Service, Befriending, Independent Living Services, Veterans Group and 30 weekly activities that include Digital support, coffee Mornings, Zumba, Table Tennis, Walking football. Our work is shaped by the priorities identified by older people themselves, with a focus on money, wellbeing, and inclusion.

Aims:
Reduced Social Isolation: We actively work to diminish social isolation by assisting older individuals in reconnecting with the community. This involves helping them find places to go, engaging in activities, and facilitating connections with new people.

Improved Mental and Physical Health: Our services contribute to improved mental and physical health by enhancing understanding and
self-management of health conditions. We provide information and assist in accessing local health and support services, prioritising the overall wellbeing of our beneficiaries.

Improved Finances and Reduction in Poverty: With expert assistance, we aim to advise and support older people in maximising their incomes, thereby contributing to improved financial stability and a reduction in poverty.

Support for Independent Living: We offer comprehensive support for independent living, including assistance at home, handyperson services, and gardening services, recognising the importance of a safe and comfortable living environment.

Our Veteran support services cover a broad spectrum, including accommodation, health support, addressing social isolation, and organising various events.

Our Joint Coordinators work directly with veterans, providing information and advice services for rehoming, referrals to specialists, and assistance with mental health issues.

They also play a crucial role in facilitating social events, monthly lunches, breakfast clubs, coffee club meetings, and annual Christmas lunches, contributing to building a strong sense of community among veterans. Actively engaging with other veteran organisations, our coordinators have forged partnerships with SSAFA, The Royal British Legion, Veterans Aid, and more. This collaboration ensures veterans are directed to specialised services when needed. Our involvement with Leyton Orient Football Foundation, resulting in monthly lunches and match tickets, exemplifies the positive impact of these collaborations.

Charity Number: 1176596

Dedicated to supporting the serving men and women of the Royal Navy, Royal Marines, and their families.

Contact Information

http://aggies.org.uk/
office@aggies.org.uk
Castaway House
311 Twyford Avenue
Portsmouth
PO2 8RN
02392 650505

Support Offered

Pastoral support to serving personnel and their families centred on Chaplaincy based ‘Havens’ situated on bases and Families Centres in SFA areas around the UK.

Storybook Waves provides the opportunity for service personnel who are deploying to record bedtime stories for their children.

Academic Institution

Contact Information

http://anglia.ac.uk/vfi
Matt.fossey@anglia.ac.uk
Veterans & Families Institute
Anglia Ruskin University
Chelmsford Campus, Bishop Hall Lane,Chelmsford
CM1 1SQ

Support Offered

The Veteran & Families Institute Director, Matt Fossey has extensive expertise in the UK voluntary sector, including working with the mental health charities Mind and Rethink Mental Illness as National Stakeholder Manager on the national anti-stigma campaign “Time to Change”. Matt is chair of the National Veterans Offender Working Group and is also a member of the DWP Veterans Working Group. Matt is a Senior Associate with the Centre for Mental Health and is also vice-chair of Healthwatch Essex. Matt has written widely including publications on veterans’ health and wellbeing, mental health and liaison psychiatry, including a number of key publications with economist Michael Parsonage.
Matt is supported by a host of academics researching issues related to veterans and their families including, Post Operational Stress Management, the effects of limb loss, Sexual Violence, Veterans in the Criminal Justice System, Spousal Employment and , Mental Health.

The Veterans Research Hub provides an accessible, contemporary and authoritative repository of UK and international research-related resources and literature on military veterans and their families, including transitions to civilian lives, that informs and stimulates research, policy development, improved service delivery and journalistic enquiry.”Work on the project began in autumn 2015, hosted within the Veterans & Families Institute (VFI), and will run to autumn 2017, by which time the Hub itself will be established.

Charity Number: 1191968

The Hub provides a Tri-Service Hub offering a safe environment with a single point of focus for Armed Forces Personnel, Service Leavers, Veterans and their families/dependents providing the best, timely, on-going, comprehensive and appropriate support/signposting through various diverse and trusted providers using a multi-disciplined approach of joined up working to achieve an optimised, efficient, person centred service to its users promoting high levels of engagement, increased confidence, resilience and well-being, self-efficacy and the facilitation of skills transfer for the individual back into the community.

The Hub researched ‘best practice’ by working with veterans and has obtained a reputation for focusing its outcomes on work and health related activities. Whereas other veteran charities focused on generic counselling and support services, The Hub focuses on working with veterans to stabilise their lives and then help them back into work, resulting in real job outcomes and improving their quality of life.

Contact Information

http://
info@armedforceshub.org
First Floor
6 Southernhay West
Exeter
EX1 1JG

Support Offered

The Hub Offer, Products and Services, Key Features and Benefits:

• City Centre Location, easy access in the heart of the Community.
• The model is both enabling and supportive, perceiving the wounded, injured and sick part of the veteran and service leaver’s community as an asset. Our activities are driven by our values which include Community, Peer Support, Voluntary Service, Professionalism, independence and inclusivity (service available to all eligible).
• It is not a military charity, therefore non-judgmental. We will treat all Veterans and Service Leavers with unconditional regard whatever their circumstances or experience.
• Complimentary service NOT a competitive one. A catalyst between organisations providing a common link but a single point of triage.
• Identifies critical issues and deals with them.
• Person-centred and solution focused speaking the same language as client group.
• Appointments are not time bound and clients are seen immediately.
• Not constrained by the ‘Form A’ process of other military charities, more flexible so can provide help immediately.
• Community focused (Local service with local connections and opportunities) with defined objective of transferring veteran’s and service leaver’s skills back into the Community i.e. Employment, Volunteering, Work Experience or other meaningful occupation.
• Offers ‘safe’ environment where clients are therefore happy to engage, re-instating a feeling of trust and self-worth.
• Bespoke employment and training information and advice.
• Bespoke personalized support, mentoring and coaching.
• Reduced isolation and increased integration with society/community through Peer Support and Volunteering.
• Access to advice and information surgeries.
• Quicker referral routes/access to specialist services – Help for Heroes, Veterans UK, SSAFA,
NHS Veterans Mental Health Services, op Courage, Combat Stress, RBL contact centre, for those currently serving, Service Leavers, Veterans and their families/Dependents, Assistance
with claims to DWP Benefits (JSA, ESA, PIP), Homelessness/Housing Advice, RFEA, Poppy
Factory, RAFA, Officer’s Association, Drug and Alcohol Services, War pensions & Armed Forces
Compensation Scheme (AFCS) advisor service – support with appeals.
• As a result of above reduced pressure on statutory services.
• Bespoke support for those leaving the Criminal Justice System or at risk of offending/re-offending working with The Police and NHS Liaison and Diversion Services.
• Partnership approach of “The Hub” – by working together with military services and charities, means that overall military based services are not duplicating support. Charities are working together to make sure that their services are not duplicated and can work directly with other military organisations.
• Closers connections – closer working results in closer connections and faster action for client. A wrap-around service is provided to the client in one location – resulting in less travel, less form filling, less referral appointments and a truly in-depth service that meets most of the client’s needs.

Charity Number: 249636

The AFCU’s objective is to extend the Kingdom of Jesus Christ in and through the Armed Forces by prayerfully: encouraging Christians in the Armed Forces to live out and develop their faith, act as salt and light, and encourage others to come to a committed faith in the Lord Jesus Christ: working for unity amongst Christians in the Armed Forces, and working alongside Military Christian Organisations in support of chaplains; supporting the Armed
Forces, providing Godly influence upon military culture; and exposing the role of Christians in the Armed Forces to the wider Christian and secular community.

Contact Information

https://www.afcu.org.uk/
office@afcu.org.uk
Unit 24
Shrivenham Hundred Business Park
Watchfield
SN6 8TZ
01793 783123

Support Offered

Support – we run a series of 13 week-long and weekend events throughout the year to support our members. These cover Christian support to serving personnel and their families. We provide pastoral support to Christian veterans in custody. We also support the MOD Service of Prayer held annually in London prior to Remembrance Sunday.

Expertise – we are practitioners of prayerful support for Christians in the Armed Forces. We are developing some non-clinical expertise in assisting sufferers of PTSD through prayer support to heal the spirit and alleviate mental pain.

Cooperation – We already collaborate with service chaplaincies, Aggie Weston’s and other faith networks. We are one of the organisations in the MOD Diversity and Inclusion Networks. We are listed as part of the Defence Employee Support Network in the Army publication ‘Widening Opportunities – A British Army Commander’s Guide to Employee Support Networks and attend associated meetings.

Charity Number: 1146420
Scottish Charity Number: SC039189

The Army Benevolent Fund is the Army’s national charity, here for soldiers, past and present, and their families for life.

We stand at the forefront of support for the Army family, last year supporting 65,000 people in 48 countries around the world. As one of the largest funders in the sector, we award grants to individuals and families, and fund leading organisations that support soldiers, former soldiers, and their families. When we hear of a person or family in need, we aim to respond within 48 hours.

Contact Information

http://www.armybenevolentfund.org
info@armybenevolentfund.org
Mountbarrow House
6-20 Elizabeth Street
London
SW1W 9RB
0207 901 8900

Support Offered

Financial assistance to relieve hardship:

Grants for living costs, emergency needs, debt relief

Provision of annuities and Educational Bursaries

Care home fees

Home adaptations

Furnishing and equipment

Mobility assistance

Funding Holiday breaks

Charity Number: 1064522

The Army Dependants’ Trust is a charity which provides discretionary cash awards to dependants of officers & soldiers who die in service, from whatever cause, on or off duty.

Contact Information

office@armydependantstrust.org
Building 183
Trenchard Lines
Upavon,Pewsey
SN9 6BE

Support Offered

For a small annual donation the Trust relieves financial hardship for the member’s family in the immediate period following their loss. The Trust also supports ABF – The Soldier’s Charity, in its work with dependants. All members of the Army – Regular, Reserve and MPGS – are eligible to be members. This includes FTRS and NRPS personnel.

Charity Number: 1176393
Scottish Charity Number: SC048282

AFF is the voice of the Army family. It empowers and acts as an advocate and an independent expert witness to promote a quality of life which reflects the military covenant.

Contact Information

http://www.aff.org.uk
contact@aff.org.uk
IDL 414, Floor 1, Zone 7
Ramillies Buildings Marlborough Lines
Monxton Road ,Andover
SP11 8HJ
01264 382326

Support Offered

Highlights problems to chain of command and service providers.

Sign-posting service for assistance of every kind.

Charity Number: 518806
Company Number: 01944414

BASIC exists to serve people recovering from a traumatic brain injury or neurological illness. The organisation specialises in rehabilitation services for people and their families who are recovering from stroke, head and spinal injury, brain haemorrhage, brain tumour or similar injury/condition.

Contact Information

http://www.basiccharity.org.uk
enquiries@basiccharity.org.uk
554 Eccles New Rd
M5 5AP

Support Offered

Mental health services
Physical rehabilitation services
Cognitive rehabilitation services
Vocational support services
Complimentary therapies
Benefits and welfare rights advice
Social and therapeutic activities

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Our Executive Members

By @Cobseo 55 years ago

Afghanistan support

In light of recent events in Afghanistan, please find information and support resources here