The OA has produced an infographic to sit alongside their latest report – funded by the Forces in Mind Trust (FiMT) and released last week. The report provides a definitive demographic profile of the serving and ex-officer community.
OAinfograph
Demographic Research of the Serving and Former Officer Community, states that there are over 26,820 serving UK officers, and an estimated 371,600 veteran officers in Great Britain, including 19,200 over ninety years of age.
Read moreOver the last two weeks we have taken two separate groups of service men and women with physical and mental injuries on skiing holidays to Breckenridge in Colorado. Skiing and the other challenging activities that we offer enable younger injured beneficiaries to overcome many of their fears and doubts about their capabilities post physical or mental injury.
Read moreIn December last year DMWS Welfare Officer Isaac Smith met Rick for the first time. At that point Rick was homeless and sleeping rough in a Manchester Park. His benefits had been suspended and he found himself with no money. Worse, he was suffering with anxiety, depression and alcohol issues.
Rick was then referred to Isaac from Salford probation via the Ex Forces Action Network (E-Fan) for some extra support around his housing situation and his benefits. E-Fan is a new initiative set up to connect ex-forces personnel, who’ve had any contact with the Criminal Justice System, to a wide range of services in partnership with the Defence Medical Welfare Service.
Read moreThe Trust works with a lot of organisations in Nepal, from DFID and the British Gurkhas to the Nepali government and other international NGOs.
One of our closest partners is the Kadoorie Agricultural Aid Association (KAAA). It started in the late 1960s, at the same time as the Trust, when Major General ‘Bunny’ Burnett raised concerns about support for Gurkha veterans returning to Nepal.
Read moreTWO disabled veterans are planning to cycle over 500 miles from Edinburgh to Exeter this summer to raise money for the charities who are supporting their recovery.
Laura Ellis, 33, from Blackburn in West Lothian, and Patrick Medhurst-Feeney, 27, of Plymouth, are aiming to raise over £6000 for Help for Heroes and Veterans with Dogs, who have both been helping the veterans to recover from life-changing physical and mental health problems.
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Prince Harry will attend the Veterans’ Mental Health Conference at King’s College London on Thursday 16 March, where he will lead a panel discussion with three veterans on the benefits of having open conversations and getting the right support for a range of mental health issues.
Read moreA blind veteran from Chorley, Lancashire is planning on celebrating his 90th birthday by traveling down Zip World Velocity in Bethesda, North-West Wales, the fastest zip line in the world, and the longest in Europe.
Bob Hill, currently 89, will be raising money for Blind Veterans UK, the national charity for blind and vision-impaired ex-Service men and women, by flying down the world famous wire, on which pervious participants have been known to travel as fast as 100mph.
Read moreThe Army Families Federation (AFF) has published the results of their most recent survey, which focussed specifically on families posted to Scotland.
The feedback they’ve received from Army families in Scotland has helped the charity to learn more about Army family life there, and will be used to help shape their upcoming Scotland roadshow in Kinloss on 23 March.
Read moreA blind veteran from Fareham, Hampshire has been invited to compete in the inaugural Holman Prize, a $25,000 prize that will enable the winner to fulfil a life ambition.
Penny Melville-Brown OBE, has been invited to compete for the prize as a result of the profile she has built for herself across the internet and social media. If victorious, she hopes to take her baking project, Baking Blind, global. She says: “My adventure is all about food, because it delights me! It’s also a universal language with the power to bring us all together.”
Read moreA woman from Horsham is preparing to compete in an incredible three marathons in three consecutive days, with half the money raised going to Blind Veterans UK, the national charity for vision-impaired ex-Service men and women.
Sarah McCarthy, 50 and originally from East Grinstead, will be competing in the Jurassic Coast Challenge, a three day challenge beginning on March 24. The picturesque coastal route will see participants begin in Charmouth, before heading through to Weymouth, Portland and Lulworth Cove, ultimately finishing in Shell Bay.
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Afghanistan support
In light of recent events in Afghanistan, please find information and support resources here
