Forces Children Scotland supports children and young people from serving personnel, reservist and veteran families to reach their potential and thrive. We achieve this by working collaboratively across sectors to drive improvements which reflect and support the unique challenges they face. We amplify their voices, ensuring they are heard and influence the development of policy and practice.
We support the children and young people of Scottish regular and reservist personnel as well as veterans of all arms of the British Armed Forces, who reside anywhere across the United Kingdom. We also support the children and young people of regular and reservist personnel who aren’t Scottish and are currently based or residing in Scotland.
• We create opportunities for children and young people to be heard, make new friends and get involved in lots of different, creative ways
• We give financial support in different ways for children, young people and their families including our School Children’s Fund, College & University Student’s Fund, Support in a Crisis, Family Time Break Fund, Young Carers Support
• We deliver projects and services that help support children and young people with their mental health and wellbeing and education and learning
• We provide advice and support to those who support children and young people through a programme of training, resources, research, and access to our advisory service
• We build sector partnerships to help influence change in policy and practice
As a charity we are devoted to working together to help children in need whose father or mother has died, or has sustained life threatening injuries whilst serving as a member of the British Armed Forces.
Educational trips, Holidays, Help with extra curricula activities, Bereavement Counselling Weekends, plus many other activities.
FIMT Objectives are:
The prevention and relief of poverty ,the protection of mental and physical health and the relief of sickness and need amongst serving and former serving members of the armed forces by means of the provision of mentoring, services, facilities and equipment to support their treatment, rehabilitation, resettlement, education, training and employment and thereby support their transition to civilian life
The protection of the mental and physical health, and the relief of poverty of the families and dependants of serving and former serving members of the armed forces in all cases for the benefit of the public.
Forces in the Community is a local charity committed to supporting ex-service personnel, reservists and their families to reach their full potential. The charity supports the clients and their families, who are often disadvantaged and at a point of crisis in their lives. We provide a community focal point. The aim is to transform lives.
Tailored employment guidance including CV, interview techniques and job search
Mental health support and counselling
In-house training courses
Housing advice and assistance
Welfare support
Debt and finance signposting
Prison work and offender support
Mentoring and Befriending
Community outreach services
Peer led community centre
The Forces Pension Society is an independent, not-for-profit membership funded organisation that acts as a pension watchdog for the whole military community.
The Society (FPS) empowers its members to make better, well-informed choices about their Armed Forces Pension by providing members of the Schemes and their partners with personalised pension guidance. FPS influences at the ‘top table’, working in collaboration with government for the appropriate delivery of your pension. The society also runs a series of roadshows, webinars and other educational sessions to better prepare the Armed Forces community on all pension matters. Members receive a variety of benefits including significant discounts and deals across a wide range of commercial goods and services.
Our purpose is to provide practical support to improve the quality of life for bereaved military family members – parents, partners and children. We also contribute to the provision of good quality, affordable and sustainable accommodation through partnerships with housing associations for ex-service personnel, so they can build new and rewarding lives when their service careers finish.
We offer hands-on support including garden maintenance, painting and decorating and other DIY services based on requests made by bereaved families. To date we have completed nearly 600 projects in the UK. We have supplied 300+ remembrance benches and fire pits as well as hundreds of remembrance cards to families to ensure they do not feel forgotten, and personalised memory books. We have also commissioned 10 personal portraits of fallen soldiers.
In support of veterans we are currently working alongside Broughton House based in Manchester to provide funding to expand their Armed Forces Support Hub. This is a one-stop shop that provides tailored advice and support for health, housing, welfare, social and employment issues. We are also working with Haig Housing Trust on various projects. One example is funded scooter shelters for veteran homes in Moredon.
Forward Assist is a ‘Veteran Centric’ Registered Charity based in North Tyneside. Its core aim is to enrich the lives of UK veterans by connecting them to their community through physical and social activity. Forward Assist believes that by promoting ‘active citizenship’ former servicemen and women will become both, ‘key stakeholders’ and ‘community leaders’ in their chosen communities. Forward Assist enables veterans to use their transferable military skills to do good for others through well supervised projects that support those less well off than themselves. Forward Assist provides ‘life changing’ opportunities such as international travel, whilst increasing self-esteem and the aspirations of those that have served in British Armed Forces. In doing so Veterans gain the respect of the wider civilian community, significant others, thus facilitating a smoother transition to civilian life.
Forward Assist have developed a portfolio of local employers who support our veteran community by working closely with our Education Training & Employment Coordinators to facilitate vital work experience/ placements, career advice and guidance, interview skills, and realistic employment opportunities.
1. Support all HM Armed Forces veterans & Reservists regardless of time served, age or physical/mental condition.
2. Refer and chaperone process to supporting Charities & Organisations for assistance with health, substance abuse, family breakdown, legal advice, education & training, homelessness, Criminal Justice system involvement, financial & debt advice, welfare, funding options etc.
3. Diversionary activities to encourage engagement and deter social isolation.
4. Mental & physical wellbeing through sporting activities.
5. Community benefit projects to underpin confidence, team work, self-worth and community integration.
6. Full employment support package including CV writing (tailored for the applied role), interpreting transferable skills, interview preparation, variations of application formats, arranging work placements specific to the veterans targeted career goal, identifying training gaps/courses/funding options, volunteering opportunities while searching for employment.
7. Development of independent living skills.
8. Mentoring through unemployment and external agency support.
9. Opportunity of annual international travel (France/USA) for engaged and progressed veterans.
Future for Heroes is a charity organisation serving the British armed forces. Formed in 2008, the charity was originally called Remount, using the strap line ‘the future for heroes’.
It was recognised that some armed forces personnel leaving the military needed help in making the physical and emotional adjustments necessary to successfully reintegrate into civilian life. Many who struggle to make the adjustment can end up living rough or in prison. Others can look to dependency for the answers. We provide free residential courses where individuals are encouraged to reflect and learn from their past, realise their current circumstances and begin to plan for their future.
The object of the charity is to develop the ability of both serving and retired members of the armed forces, as well as their spouses/partners, to manage the dramatic change in cultures when resuming civilian life. The individuals, from across all ranks of the 3 services, are better able to identify and meet their post-military needs and so can participate fully in society.
The Armed Forces Outreach Service (AFOS) is a local authority partnership. Gateshead Council is the lead organisation but AFOS is a partnership with local authorities and social housing providers in Gateshead, Newcastle upon Tyne, Durham and Northumberland.
The Armed Forces Community Outreach Service provides a single point of contact for those due to be discharged, veterans, serving reservists and all family members. Based within a housing setting, the service provides housing advice and support but support and advice can also be provided on a range of issues including benefits, debt, pensions, substance mis-use, accessing employment, education, accessing community groups and any aspects of the general transition into civilian life. Advice and support can be provided directly or through partnership work and signposting to more specialist agencies. All of our existing staff have previously served in the forces and understand the barriers that the transition into civilian life can bring. The service operates across the area of Gateshead, Newcastle upon Tyne, Durham and Northumberland.
Afghanistan support
In light of recent events in Afghanistan, please find information and support resources here