Former Minister of State for the Armed Forces and current MP for Rayleigh and Wickford attended the weekly session
On Thursday 30th November, the Southend Veterans’ Club welcomed Mark Francois, Conservative MP for Rayleigh and Wickford.
The visit was part of Mark’s ongoing commitment and personal interest in the military community, which he is closely affiliated with.
Read moreNHS England is in the process of procuring a veterans’ mental health complex treatment service (VMH CTS) that will launch on 1 April 2018.
The purpose of the VMH CTS, which builds on the recent launch of the NHS veterans’ mental health transition, liaison and intervention service (VMH TIL service), is to provide an enhanced service for veterans who have military attributable complex mental health problems, many of whom will have experienced trauma, which have not been resolved earlier in the care/support pathway.
The service will focus on veterans who will benefit from the intensive provision of a range of mental health and social interventions. This may include (but is not limited to) substance misuse, occupational therapy, physical health, employment, accommodation, relationships, finances and trauma focused therapy.
Read moreNew £4m RBLI apartments, specifically designed for veterans, opened by Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon
The Secretary of State for Defence, Sir Michael Fallon, has today opened Royal British Legion Industries’ new £4m apartments for injured veterans. The apartments, which were funded by the Government through The Libor Fund and four corporate donors, including the Morrisons Foundation, were officially opened at a grand event on Friday with over 250 attendees.
Situated on Hermitage Lane near Maidstone, the apartments have been built specifically for veterans who are wounded, injured, sick, or at risk of homelessness. The houses host 24 one and two-bed flats, all with special adaptations to make the lives of those with disabilities easier.
Read moreSecondary Legislation to enable charitable companies and Community Interest Companies to convert into CIOs has been laid in Parliament. Subject to Parliamentary approval, phased implementation of CIO conversions could begin from January 2018.
In 2013, the Charitable Incorporated Organisations (CIO) was introduced as a new legal structure to meet the needs of small charities in England and Wales. Since then, it has proved popular with over 12,500 new CIOs registered by the Charity Commission.
Read moreBlind Veterans UK is welcoming a new Certificate of Vision Impairment (CVI) form and accompanying Explanatory Notes for ophthalmologists which have been launched on the Department of Health website.
The military charity is part of a working group with other charities, led by the RNIB, which has supported the development of the new CVI form. This form is issued to patients assessed by a consultant ophthalmologist as being vision-impaired and often provides the first opportunity for patients to access information about support and services.
Read moreIts team of 41 Armed Forces veterans hand assemble more than five million poppies and 12,000 wreaths every year, but now Lady Haig’s Poppy Factory (LHPF) can add another feather to its cap after becoming an accredited Living Wage Employer.
The commitment by LHPF to the Living Wage will ensure that all staff – regardless of whether they are direct employees or working on a third-party contractual basis – receive a minimum hourly wage of £8.45. This rate is significantly higher than the statutory minimum rate for over-25s of £7.50 per hour introduced earlier this year.
Read moreOn 19 and 20 July 2017, Defence Minister Tobias Ellwood hosted the International Ministerial Conference on Veterans’ Issues.
On 19 and 20 July 2017, Minister for Defence People and Veterans Tobias Ellwood welcomed delegations from the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand to the International Ministerial Conference on Veterans’ Issues at the Royal Hospital Chelsea.
Read moreStoll has welcomed an international delegation including Veterans’ Ministers from around the world to meet Veterans in London. Ministers from the British Government, Canada, the United States, Australia and New Zealand discussed the bespoke housing and employment support that helps ex-Servicemen and women lead independent lives.
The delegation toured Stoll’s main housing scheme which is home to 150 Veterans, many of whom have experienced mental illness and physical injuries as a result of their Service.
Read moreMinister for Defence People and Veterans Tobias Ellwood launches innovative mental health strategy at major international veterans conference
Tobias Ellwood, Minister for Defence People and Veterans, has today launched an innovative strategy to improve the mental health and wellbeing of the Armed Forces, their families, veterans, and Defence civilians.
While rates of mental disorder are slightly lower in the Armed Forces (3.2%) than in the general population (3.5%), the challenge of improving the mental health of the MOD’s entire workforce is an important one.
Read more
Do you know an exceptional woman, man or team in UK defence? Why not nominate them for a Women in Defence UK award?
Women in Defence UK is an independent group created to provide a platform for networking, discussion and the exchange of ideas and experiences for the thousands of women working at all levels of UK defence. PA Consulting have been a key sponsor since its inception.
Read more
Afghanistan support
In light of recent events in Afghanistan, please find information and support resources here
