AFF Great Britain - Latest News
On this page:
20 Apr - Hull progresses its promise to service personnel
21 Mar - Help for Heroes donates to the Victory Service Club
08 Feb - Garrison FM heads to the Highlands
Updated 15 Feb - Welsh Government Package of Support to the Armed Forces
Hull progresses its promise to service personnel
Hull is taking a further step forward to honour its commitment to serving and veteran personnel from the Armed Services and Merchant Navy, Reservists and their families, outlined in the city's Armed Forces and Veterans Charter, which was signed in October last year.
The core principles of the Charter is that members of the Armed Forces and their families do not suffer disadvantages as a result of their service and that they receive appropriate support commensurate with their need.
On Tuesday 6 March, the Council and a range of partners that includes NHS Hull, Humberside Police, Department of Work and Pensions, Hull College, Hull Credit Union developed four key pathways to deliver this promise through service level agreements and enhanced working partnerships.
The four support pathways that are being developed:
Housing and related support - led by Hull City Council, aims to ensure that the Armed Forces community are able to find housing appropriate to their circumstances.
Health and wellbeing - led by the NHS, is being developed so that veterans receive access to treatment relating to conditions which results from their service, subject to clinical need.
Welfare - led by Hull Community Legal Advice Centre (CLAC), hopes to achieve equal access to advice on benefits, debt, housing, community care, family, employment and other sources of advice for Servicemen and women's veterans and their families.
Employment, education, training and self employment - led by Job Centre Plus, offering training, education and skills support to help ex-Service personnel find sustainable employment after leaving the Forces.
At the same event and supporting with the delivery of the Charter and Covenant support pathways on Tuesday 6 March, Councillor Steve Walker and Lieutenant Colonel JC Connelly of 150 (Yorkshire) Transport Regiment RLC a local Regiment to Hull and the surrounding area, launched a "Heroes Welcome."
The "Heroes Welcome" showed the city's appreciation of the commitment and bravery of our Armed Forces. It was free for traders and organisations to join, and they received a "Heroes Welcome" pack that included posters and window stickers. It is up to individual members whether they offer a discount or special deals exclusively for Service personnel.
Councillor Steve Walker, who led negotiations to develop the Armed Forces and Veterans Charter, said:
"I am proud of the way the city has embraced the Charter and the generosity and support being shown to members of the Services and their families. The pathways we are developing add further substance to our promise of giving real, practical assistance to the Armed Forces community."
Lieutenant Colonel John Connelly, based in Hull with 150 Tpt Regt said:
"Hull is exemplary in the way it has approached adopting its Charter and the Community Covenant and in progressing the support pathways, in order to get as much appropriate support to veterans and their families as possible.
"If we can mobilise the business community behind the Heroes Welcome this would be another example of the city's recognition of the work we do in the Armed Forces. This year with the help of Councillor Walker and Mitch Upfold we hope to hold the first Hull Armed Forces Day on 23 June, it is humbling to be in a city that is so in touch with its military heritage."
A Jobs Fair is to be held on 25 May 12 at the Octagon Conference Suite, Walker Street , Hull, 1100 – 1600 for all Service personnel, ex Service personnel, their families, widow(er)s and carers from the Royal Navy, Army, Royal Air Force, Merchant Navy, Reservists and Veterans.
Help for Heroes donates to the Victory Service Club
Help for Heroes have generously donated £100,000 to the Victory Services Club. The donation has been used to fund special facilities for two fully equipped rooms for the disabled. These rooms are used for their “Respite and Welfare Breaks” which are offered to those who have been wounded on operations.
As a charity, the Victory Services Club, relies on donations to ensure accommodation is deserving of our Armed Forces and the maimed in particular. “Respite and Welfare” breaks are provided for the wounded who are recovering from serious war wounds from current and past operational theatres. The breaks include provision for a carer and have benefited those who are genuinely distressed and in need of a break in the Nation’s Capital. This also applies to those who are identified by the major Armed Forces charities as suitable beneficiaries of this scheme.
The Victory Services Club is a Tri-Service, All Ranks Club for both serving and retired members of the Armed Forces including the Reserves. Membership is open to All Ranks of the British Armed Forces (Royal Navy, Royal Marines, Army and the Royal Air Force) and those of all Allied, Commonwealth and NATO countries. Serving and Retired members of the Armed Forces, their families, widows and widowers are all welcome. The Club offers the bedroom facilities at a 50% discount to those returning on R&R through their “Haven for Heroes” scheme that was launched by General The Lord Dannatt and Martin Bell back in 2007. It has 191 bedrooms, a restaurant, a bar, a reading room, and substantial events and conferencing facilities for re-unions both large and small.
Garrison FM heads to the Highlands
The British Army’s radio service has headed to the Scottish Highlands to provide Garrison FM in two new locations. The 3rd Battalion the Royal Regiment of Scotland is now receiving the popular FM broadcasts at their historic Fort George base and in the nearby Cameron barracks area of Inverness.
Families at home in Inverness will now be able hear their loved ones in weekly link ups to 3 SCOTS base in Afghanistan, broadcast on 87.7 FM in both locations.
Over in Inverness, the city’s Provost, Councillor Jimmy Gray, joined Army families at the welcome event at the Wimberley Way Community Centre to officially launch Garrison FM’s twelth UK location.
Inverness is now the second city to receive Garrison FM broadcasts, after Edinburgh. The new locations were launched by live broadcasts hosted by Edinburgh Garrison FM’s Mark McKenzie and Managing Director Mark Page.
Welsh Government Package of Support to the Armed Forces
The Welsh Government is supporting the Armed Forces Community in Wales by working with public services to ensure that serving personnel, veterans and forces’ families can access local services which meet their specific needs.
As part of this, the Welsh Government has published its “Package of Support” which sets out the commitments to the armed forces community in Wales. Policies that the Welsh Government has in place or plans to implement include:
- In education, changes to the schools administration policy to better support Armed Forces families being posted in Wales,
- In housing, extending the Homebuy scheme to cover widows and widowers of personnel killed in action, amendments to the Disabled Facilities Grant means testing process and a commitment to prevent homelessness amongst Veterans in the Ten Year Homelessness Plan.
- A 50% council tax discount on second homes owned by Armed Forces personnel who live in accommodation provided by the Ministry of Defence;
- Priority status for Service Personnel and veterans in our Homebuy scheme;
- Priority for childcare as part of the Childcare Policy Statement “Nurturing Children, Supporting Families” that was launched in February 2011.
A copy of the Package can be accessed on the Welsh Government website.
And this is not the end of the process. The Welsh Government has set up an “Expert Group” to advise on the public service needs of Armed Forces personnel, their families, and veterans in Wales. Membership of the Group includes representatives from the three Armed Services, the Families Federations, the Royal British Legion, the Confederation of Service Charities and HIVE.
The Package of Support will be reviewed and updated as new initiatives are introduced. The Expert Group will support this by identifying future needs and gaps in service.
For further information please contact ArmedForces@wales.gsi.gov.uk.
UPDATE 15 Feb: Minister for Local Government and Communities Carl Sargeant has reiterated the Welsh Government’s commitment to supporting the Armed Forces Community in Wales.
The Minister was speaking at a conference initiated by the Welsh Government and organised in partnership with the WLGA with strong support from the Armed Forces community.
As well as providing information on services and support that members of the Armed Forces community in Wales and their families are entitled to, the conference aims to raise awareness of the Armed Forces Community Covenant. The Community Covenant is intended to complement, at a local level, the Armed Forces Covenant, and encourage local communities to support the Service community in their area as well as promote understanding of issues affecting the Armed Forces Community.
With an estimated 5000 plus forces family members, 200,000 plus veterans and 2100 reservists in Wales the Minister said he wanted to ensure that serving personnel, veterans and forces’ families have access to services which meet their specific needs and that they are not disadvantaged as a result of their service.
Carl Sargeant said:
"Not to take account of the needs of such a significant number in our communities – around a quarter of a million people – would be a failure on our part.
"Both local and national governments have a role to ensure that the whole public sector, including health, education and housing sectors, can work together with the armed forces, and the organisations that represent the armed forces community.
"I want to ensure that the armed forces community understand their entitlements, and are able to communicate to us when things need to change.”
Cllr John Davies (Pembrokeshire), WLGA Leader said:
"The WLGA is pleased to have worked with the Welsh Government to deliver today’s conference.
"Local government recognises the sacrifices made by members of the armed forces community and the importance of providing public services to meet their needs, in flexible ways that take account of the unique nature of their jobs.
"We welcome the work currently being undertaken at UK and national level to ensure the Armed forces Community are not disadvantaged in the provision of services and also acknowledge the actions that local authorities can and are taking to improve the current situation, for example improving signposting to support and information agencies. Local government is committed to improving the lives of soldiers, veterans and their families and the WLGA will support all local authorities to deliver improvements."
