Rural Veterans Hubs (Kirklees)
We hold two sessions per month (with ad hoc trips, meals out, education etc) and we are committed to supporting veterans and their families within the Kirklees rural community. We aim to provide social, services and sanctuary for military veterans. We provide indoor and outdoor projects, education with speakers on all manner of subjects from medical healthcare, (our local GPs were involved in setting these hubs up), history of the area, learning to do things, for example, cookery, wood whittling, wreath making, Jesmonite models. Our aim is to integrate some of our more vulnerable veterans back into society, with trips out, with doing some woodwork for a local school, art work. We have found that some of our veterans suffering with combat related PTSD are enjoying being with like-minded veterans and the more vulnerable are being looked after and are speaking freely with others about their trauma which is helping them tremendously. We have done questionnaires which shows we have got this right, with one veteran saying “we had saved his life”.
Contact Information
Shepley
HD8 8DN
Support Offered
We are fully supported by our local GPs and if we have a veteran we are worried about we can call that persons GP. (The GPs will then contact that veteran for a medicines review so that they can speak to the veteran and ascertain whether or not they need help). All our Trustees have had first aid training, MH training and some counselling (although we do not counsel our veterans).
We have regular talks from GPs, OTs, Physiotherapists, Advanced Nurse Practitioners and the aim is to ensure that our veterans do not miss out on their medical checks as the hubs were set up to address health inequalities in the rural areas of Huddersfield and veterans were seen to be the ones missing out.
We believe that whilst doing crafts etc our veterans are bonding with their colleagues and this is the time when they all get to speak about their ‘war experiences’. There is lots of banter and laughs.
We have veterans who are physically disabled as well as those with mental health problems, CPTSD, anxiety, depression, loneliness and some who are just there for the banter, talks and crafting sessions. Veterans are making new friends and with that comes the “If you need someone to go with you, Ill go with you” attitude, offering lifts and offering help with things that the more disabled veterans cannot do.
We liaise with the RBL, SSAFA if any of our veterans need help and support. We also liaise with the local council re: housing and in the past have used H4H for various activities.
The local social prescribers at our GP practices refer into us as do Walking with the Wounded and H4H.
