Member Directory

Anglia Ruskin University (Veterans&Families Inst)

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.

Armed Forces Community HQ CIC

Company Number: 11246325

Armed Forces Community HQ (AFCHQ) was established in November 2018 in Wigan. Our main objective is to support all members of the Armed Forces community to: unite, becoming socially included; inspire, reducing stigma and improving access for those that need help and; achieve better life chances. Our approach is trauma-informed and delivered by people with lived experience; over 80% of our dedicated team of staff and volunteers are members of the Armed Forces community. Designing and developing interventions in co-production with our service users is paramount to the success in supporting them to live well. Our geographical footprint has expanded into Greater Manchester and across the wider North West

Contact Information

http://armedforceshq.org.uk/
info@armedforceshq.org.uk
Molyneux House
School Lane
Wigan
WN1 3SE
01942 821293

Support Offered

Our work spans health & wellbeing, housing & homelessness, skills & employment, relationships & family support, welfare & debt, substance use & addictions, justice system, and social inclusion.

Armed Forces Education Trust

Charity Number: 1167682

The Armed Forces Education Trust is a charity working for children and young adults whose education has been compromised or put at risk as a result of parents’ past or current service in our Armed Forces. The grants we give make a difference to young lives, helping improve their educational opportunities or supporting special skills or talents.

Contact Information

http://armedforceseducation.org/
admin@armedforceseducation.org
PO Box 684
Farnham
GU9 1LP

Support Offered

The Armed Forces Education Trust target young people under the age of 25 who are, or were, dependents of serving members of the UK armed forces, who would not achieve their educational potential without extra financial support. We support those who fit these criteria who can demonstrate that they have been impacted or disadvantaged, or have financial difficulties, as a consequence of the service of the relative on whom they depend.

Armed Forces Para SnowSports Team

Charity Number: 1142135

The charity was formed in 2011 to provide our injured, wounded and sick service personnel and veterans support in their recovery journey through the medium of competitive Winter Sports. The opportunities we provide have allowed our Athletes the chance to redefine themselves and regain the spirit of challenge and competition. The Winter Sports environment transforms an Athletes drive and energy to overcome adversity, provides focus during difficult recovery journey’s and gives a sense of freedom that had once been lost.

Contact Information

http://www.afpst.co.uk
nordic@afpst.co.uk
RMA Sandhurst
Camberley
GU15 4PQ
07508 015053

Support Offered

1. To provide an opportunity for our wounded, injured and sick service personnel and veterans to grow, develop and perform at the highest level of competition in Para Winter Sports including; Nordic, Alpine and Snowboarding.
2. To provide an opportunity for our wounded, injured and sick service personnel and veterans that are unclassifiable, to grow, develop and perform at the highest level of competition as Coaches and Guides.
3. To inspire all to see what can be achieved through the correct support, guidance, coaching and opportunity for our Athletes to live their dreams and and fulfill their aspirations.

Armed Forces’ Christian Union

Charity Number: 249636

The Armed Forces Christian Union (AFCU) exists to enable, equip and encourage Christian members of the Armed Forces through discipleship, fellowship and prayer.
AFCU is a home for military Christians.

We know that life in the Armed Forces often means frequent moves, new units, and deployments to distant lands. We therefore know that at times it can feel like you don’t have a home, and that, as a result, you feel isolated and alone.

But you do have a home, the AFCU. We are much more than just an organisation; we are a welcoming family, a place to connect and share genuine fellowship with those who truly understand the unique military journey. United by our faith in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour, we are here to support one another through every season of life.

Contact Information

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

Support Offered

Discipleship – A cornerstone of our AFCU family.
Just as we nourish our bodies, our spirits also need consistent, intentional feeding to grow strong and resilient. Discipleship is about that journey of spiritual growth – becoming more like Jesus each day, rooted deeply in His Word and living out His love in the world.

Fellowship – Central to life in the AFCU family is the opportunity to build strong bonds.

It’s more than just gathering; it’s about sharing life, encouraging one another, praying together, and knowing you’re deeply connected to others who walk a similar path of faith, especially within the unique context of military life.

Prayer – The very foundation of all that the AFCU does.
It’s not just a practice; it’s our passion, underpinning every connection and every fellowship moment. Prayer is how AFCU began. For 175 years, since 1851, we’ve been faithfully praying for the military, and we’ve been blessed to witness countless answers to those prayers.

Please do visit our website – www.afcu.org.uk – to find out more about the AFCU and if you have any questions, please do email us at: office@afcu.org.uk

Association of Service Drop-In Centres (ASDIC)

Charity Number: 1190952
Company Number: 12727846

We are the Association of Service Drop-In Centres, better known as ASDIC. We represent, advise and unite service drop-in centres across the UK, working together to ensure veterans and their families receive the comradeship and support they need in their local community.

Contact Information

http://www.asdic.org.uk
admin@asdic.org.uk
c/o RBLI Village
Hall Road
Aylesford
ME20 7NL

Support Offered

When a Drop-In Centre becomes a member of ASDIC, they join a supportive network that spans the UK with every member working towards the same goal – to improve support for veterans in the places they call home. We believe together is stronger, so as your Association we encourage collaboration and create opportunities to exchange ideas and overcome shared challenges as a community. Your free membership also includes:
Advocacy: we make sure your voice is represented at all levels of the veterans’ welfare system
Guidance: we offer advice on governance, share best practice on all aspects of Drop-In operations, and offer a Code of Conduct to support our members
Freedom: we do not over-regulate or enforce restrictive practices so you can best serve the unique challenges within your local community
Online support: you’ll have access to the online Community Hub, where you can connect with other members, and get real-time updates on available services and assistance
Fast service verification: you’ll have exclusive access to VetCheck to verify Drop-In users’ service records within hours, created by ASDIC in partnership with Veterans UK
Funding guidance: we signpost funding opportunities and offer advice on applications
Training: we create and signpost training and development opportunities
Events: from regional workshops to national conferences

Association of Wrens

Charity Number: 257040

The Association of Wrens and Women of the Royal Naval Services exists to bind together in practical friendship women of the Royal Naval Services, past and present, by sharing achievements, traditions and heritage.

Contact Information

http://www.wrens.org.uk
office@wrens.org.uk
Building 1/87
Scott Road
HM Naval Base,Portsmouth
PO1 3LU
02392 725141

Support Offered

Frequent meetings / reunions held throughout UK. Representation at military parades / commemorative events, throughout UK

In-house magazine ‘The Wren’ posted to all members.

Opportunity to attend reunions, meet locally, find former colleagues.
Contact with HM Ships / RN establishments.

Referrals to WRNS Benevolent Trust.

Beacon Counselling Trust

Charity Number: 1140011

Beacon Counselling Trust (BCT) is a North West England based education, treatment and support charity, which employs fully qualified therapists and practitioners who have extensive experience working in the area of mild to moderate mental health to support individuals on our Merseyside based suicide bereavement programme and our National Armed Forces Gambling Support Network programme.

Beacon Counselling Trust was awarded charitable status in 2010.

BCT works in a strictly confidential manner and adheres to strict professional guidelines that include a Code of Ethics as set out by the British Association of Counsellors and Psychotherapy (BACP). All our therapists and practitioners hold enhanced DBS certificates.

Contact Information

http://beaconcounsellingtrust.co.uk/
support@beaconcounsellingtrust.co.uk
263 Townsend Land
Clubmoor
L13 9DG
0151 226 0696

Support Offered

Beacon Counselling Trust (BCT) is a North West based mental health charity which was established in 2010 and offers a range of mild to moderate community-based mental health support programmes. BCT is one of the leading providers of gambling-related harms education and support within the UK, and leads the Armed Forces Gambling Support Network (AFGSN) UK wide programme.

A primary focus of the AFGSN is the ‘Battling the Odds’ programme, which is a tailored armed forces educational offer and a first aid approach in tackling gambling related harms. Members of the armed forces community and those who provide support can access either of the following training offers for free, which includes:

· Battling the Odds: Bet You Can Help Now! A 90-minute introductory session delivered online providing insight into gambling-related harms and how the Armed Forces Community are impacted.

· Battling the Odds: Bet You Can Help Level Two Award. Accredited by RSPH and Ofqual regulated, this full day programme delves deeper into the issue of gambling related harms through group discussion and exercises designed to increase confidence in supporting those who require support through the successful completion of a short assessment.

An integral aspect of the AFGSN is the provision of specialist treatment and support concerning gambling related harms. The AFGSN provides free and confidential specialist treatment and support for any member of the armed forces and veterans community
experiencing, or at risk of, gambling-related harms. This can be for the gambler themselves, or those affected by someone else’s gambling.

Services include:
· Gambling harms education and training
· 1-2-1 therapeutic support
· Recovery and aftercare provision
· Lived Experience Alliance
· Onward referral to appropriate support

You can reach us via 0151 226 0696 or by email at support@beaconcounsellingtrust.co.uk
or our website – https://beaconcounsellingtrust.co.uk/armed-forces-community-programme/

Blesma, The Limbless Veterans

Charity Number: 1084189
Scottish Charity Number: SC010315
Company Number: 4102768

Blesma is a national charity that helps serving and ex-service men and women who have experienced loss of limb, use of limbs, sight, speech or hearing, either during or after service.

Contact Information

http://www.blesma.org/join
ChadwellHeath@blesma.org
115 New London Road
Chelmsford
CM2 0QT
020 8590 1124

Support Offered

They provide practical, emotional and financial support to injured veterans and their families and widows as they rebuild their lives.

If you have served in the British Armed Forces and have suffered life changing injury, either during or after your service you can be eligible for Blesma Membership. Your injury does not need to have been sustained during combat, it could have happened during a training exercise or have been due to an accident or illness.

Blind Veterans UK

Charity Number: 216227
Scottish Charity Number: SC039411

Support for blind and vision-impaired ex-Servicemen and women.

Contact Information

http://www.blindveterans.org.uk/
supporter.services@blindveterans.org.uk
Blind Veterans UK
3 Queen Square
London
WC1N 3AR
020 7723 5021

Support Offered

Blind Veterans UK can help you to live a fulfilling, independent life after sight loss. We believe that no one should battle blindness alone.

We offer a bespoke service to every one of our beneficiaries, providing rehabilitation, training, practical advice and emotional support for life.

Whether you need help with day-to-day living, getting out and about or staying in touch with loved ones, our expert staff are here to help you adjust to life with a vision impairment and relearn vital life skills.

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Our Executive Members

By @Cobseo 56 years ago

Afghanistan support

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