Veterans Information and Communications Hub

This collaborative mission is delivered by Defence Relationship Administration and Cobseo (The Confederation of Service Charities). The Hub permits forces-friendly organisations throughout all sectors to showcase the continued worth of the UK’s highly-skilled veteran neighborhood.

Newest information

Studying Pressure memoir writing competitors

Studying Pressure have introduced their 2025 memoir writing competitors open to tri-service members of the armed forces neighborhood, together with serving, veteran, spouses, companions, kids and relations. Prizes embody the possibility to be revealed by Pen & Sword publishing home, Military & You, Homeport, and Envoy magazines.

Entries will be submitted from 1 Might to 1 August 2025.

Extra data and easy methods to enter

Employment evaluation of UK armed forces veterans

The OVA and MOD have launched a report analysing responses to the Veterans’ Survey 2022, with a concentrate on employment, abilities and volunteering.

Learn the total report

BuildForce’s Armed Forces Perception Day

BuildForce are internet hosting their nationwide Armed Forces Perception Day on 1 Might 2025, sponsored by Laing O’Rourke.

BuildForce helps service leavers, veterans, reservists, and spouses as they transition into long-term careers in building and the broader constructed surroundings. Their perception day is the possibility to have interaction with consultants, contractors, house-builders and the provision chain to listen to about their work and profession alternatives.

Extra data on the occasion

Forces in Thoughts Belief Analysis Centre annual convention

The Forces in Thoughts Belief (FiMT) Analysis Centre annual convention will likely be held on 20 Might 2025 in Bush Home, London. The convention will characteristic displays on points impacting the worldwide armed forces neighborhood, panel discussions and networking alternatives. Attendees will likely be from a variety of sectors, together with analysis, coverage and healthcare each inside and outdoors of the armed forces.

Registration for the occasion is open and closes on 2 Might 2025.

Extra data on the FiMT annual convention

What’s a veteran?

Veterans are outlined as anybody who has served for at the least in the future in His Majesty’s Armed Forces (Common or Reserve) or Service provider Mariners who’ve seen obligation on legally outlined army operations. There are at the moment 2.4 million veterans in Nice Britain.

There are 2.4 million veterans in Nice Britain. 40% of veterans are 16-64 years outdated. The share of working age veterans is ready to extend to 44% by 2028. 60% of veterans are over 65. 75% of veterans personal their house or have a mortgage. It’s estimated that 3% to six% of these sleeping tough have served within the Armed Forces. 75% are wholesome, 17% have truthful well being and eight% have unhealthy well being. Need to study extra? Tune in to our ‘being forces pleasant’ podcast’.

Take heed to our crew of veterans speak about their experiences: transitioning from the UK Armed Forces and what the phrase ‘veteran’ means to them.

You could find and hearken to all of our Being Forces Pleasant podcast episodes on Anchor.

Share your story: what does the phrase “veteran” imply to you? Use the hashtag #ProudToBeAVeteran on the platforms under:

Veterans’ employment

Workplace for Veterans’ Affairs (OVA)

The Workplace for Veterans’ Affairs (OVA) is a part of the MOD, main on the federal government’s coverage on veterans. The OVA work with devolved administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Eire, native governments, charities and companies to supply help to veterans after they want it. They provide applications and assets to assist veterans get into higher employment and proceed making nice contributions to society after leaving the armed forces.

An employers’ information to hiring veterans

The information offers help to organisations that search steerage and greatest practices for the employment, retention, and profession growth of veterans. Case research from present organisations are included, offering suggestions and lived experiences.

Learn the employers’ information to hiring veterans

OP ASCEND – careers after service

Veterans within the UK now have entry to OP ASCEND, which goals to enhance the profession help obtainable to veterans, no matter after they left service.

Signal as much as Op ASCEND

The Reed Group

The Reed Group has created an inner Armed Forces Veterans and Reservists Group (AFVR) neighborhood.

The AFVR Group’s advantages embody:

• providing workers a help group of individuals with related experiences
• recreating a way of camaraderie that they might be lacking from their time within the forces
• providing an non-obligatory buddy system for mentoring new employees, particularly when this can be a member’s first civilian job
• sharing Armed Forces occasions, information and experiences

Joanna Chapman, Reed Group enterprise growth supervisor, has stated:

This exhibits our dedication to supporting Armed Forces personnel and guaranteeing they don’t seem to be deprived by their Service. We work constantly to create new and enhance present insurance policies and initiatives that help those that have served and people who proceed to serve, together with steerage paperwork for our recruiting employees and job software help for these making use of to work for Reed.

Their working group will even maintain group-wide talks to boost consciousness for using the Armed Forces Neighborhood, the advantages they create to employers, and the way they are often supported. Reed opens group talks to exterior stakeholders to host and produce their experience, and so they welcome anybody who could be fascinated about attending. If you need to take part, electronic mail the Reed Armed Forces Neighborhood at ArmedForces.Neighborhood@reed.com.

The Forces Employment Charity

The Forces Employment Charity stands by ex-Forces personnel via a vary of programmes and sensible help. Supporting anybody who has served at the least in the future in His Majesty’s Common Armed Forces, or Service provider Mariners who’ve seen obligation on legally outlined army operations. Help is delivered by skilled advisors, a lot of whom additionally served. The Forces Employment Charity advisors are dedicated to serving to veterans succeed via their working lives.

The Forces Employment Charity programmes present a variety of sensible instruments and recommendation to assist veterans use their army abilities to face out from the gang.

The help offered consists of:

• recommendation on profession selections
• researching the job market
• job matching
• recommendation on coaching
• suggestions for programs and schooling
• help with writing a CV
• recommendation on interview strategies
• professional business data and updates
• occasions and employment gala’s

For extra data go to The Forces Employment Charity.

Forces-friendly employers

Greater than 12,000 organisations have dedicated to bettering the lives of Service folks and their households.

Since 2011, the Armed Forces Covenant has been a promise that, as a society, we’ll acknowledge that those that serve or have served within the Armed Forces and their households ought to be handled with equity and respect.

Learn extra about Forces-friendly employers

Hiring a veteran is nice for enterprise

New figures have been launched by the Forces Employment Charity on Armed Forces Day 2024, revealing that the variety of employers actively seeking to rent veterans has risen by over 20% within the final 5 years. This is a rise from 2,981 in 2018, to three,603 in 2023.

Learn the total story

Veterans and small companies

Veterans: A Pressure for Enterprise

X-Forces Enterprise (XFE) and the Federation of Small Enterprise (FSB) have collaborated extensively over the previous couple of years, starting with an insightful report into the enterprise panorama for Service leavers: A Pressure For Enterprise.

The report highlights the contribution of the UK’s veteran inhabitants to the small enterprise sector, with 6% of small enterprise owned by veterans in Nice Britain. Nonetheless the report exhibits that there’s scope for this to be elevated, larger numbers of veterans beginning, rising or working in Nice Britain’s tens of millions of small companies would see advantages for people, companies and communities.

Veterans’ help

Help for veterans and their households – OVA listing

The Workplace for Veterans’ Affairs (OVA) and Ministry of Defence (MOD) have launched Help for veterans and their households, changing the Veterans Gateway.

The companies embody help with bodily and psychological well being, finance, employment, housing and social care.

Armed Forces & Veterans’ Breakfast Golf equipment

The Armed Forces & Veterans Breakfast Golf equipment (AFVBC) is now the one largest veterans organisation within the UK, and membership rising weekly.

With over 400 golf equipment nationally and 15 abroad, the AFVBC seeks to finish social isolation for veterans. The golf equipment convey folks with a connection to the UK Armed Forces collectively and affords an opportunity to reminisce, share tales and work together with a neighborhood that’s missed by most when leaving the Armed Forces.

The AFVBC can also be conducting 5 pilot programmes in HM prisons throughout the UK, constructing a Armed Forces neighborhood inside HM prisons. These pilot programmes assist with social interplay, rehabilitation and a help construction for veterans who’re at the moment throughout the legal justice system.

Discover your native AFVBC

Royal British Legion

Because the nation’s largest armed forces charity, the Royal British Legion affords a wide variety of help to the neighborhood. They provide help after simply in the future of Service and regularly via life, lengthy after Service is over.

The Royal British Legion’s on-line data base may also help you discover out what help the charity affords and what you would be eligible for as somebody who has served.

Discover out extra in regards to the Royal British Legion

Forces Pension Society

The Forces Pension Society is an impartial, not-for-profit membership funded organisation. They act as a pension watchdog for the entire armed forces neighborhood and lift consciousness in regards to the complexities and advantages of their Armed Forces Pension. The Society empowers its members to make higher, well-informed selections about their Armed Forces Pension, and supply members of the Armed Forces Pension Schemes and their companions with personalised pension steerage.

Additionally they work in collaboration with authorities to make sure the suitable supply of your pension, and run a sequence of roadshows and different academic classes to higher put together the Armed Forces neighborhood on all pension issues.

Extra details about the Forces Pension Society

2025 Unclaimed Pensions marketing campaign

Blind Veterans UK

Blind Veterans UK is the nationwide charity for ex-service women and men with extreme sight loss.

The charity helps blind veterans to study important life abilities and provides them the rehabilitation, coaching and help they should reside impartial lives.

Discover out extra about Blind Veterans UK

Veterans and the devolved nations

Northern Eire

The Veterans Commissioner offers an impartial voice on behalf of veterans and their households dwelling in Northern Eire on a variety of points, together with well being, housing, welfare and social interplay.

Extra details about Northern Eire’s Veterans Commissioner

Honouring Captain John Gough’s 100 years

On 26 April 2025, household, pals, dignitaries and comrades gathered exterior Newry to mark the one hundredth birthday of Captain John Gough, a proud Irish Guards veteran of World Battle Two.

Learn the total story

Scotland

The Scottish Veterans Commissioner works to enhance outcomes and alternatives for veterans and their households in Scotland. This includes influencing policymakers to handle any adjustments required in devolved public companies.

Extra data on the Scottish Veterans Commissioner

The Scottish Authorities and its Veterans Unit help the veterans and their households in Scotland. They will inform you and your subsequent of kin about subjects together with housing, schooling, or employment.

Observe the Veterans Unit on X

Marking the Month of the Army Baby in Scotland

Forces Kids Scotland is a charity devoted to supporting younger folks from Armed Forces households in Scotland.

This 12 months, the charity is marking the Month of the Army Baby (April) by highlighting the positivity, braveness, and flexibility these younger folks show every single day. A few of their initiatives embody:

• The Lighthouse Venture – a wellbeing hub providing one-to-one classes, peer help teams, mentorship, and co-created studying instruments for the entire college neighborhood.
• Ruby Boots – a mission designed by younger folks themselves, supporting pupils in Edinburgh and Fife as they transition from army to civilian life.
• The Forces Kids’s Rights Constitution – outlines the rights they worth most – together with being heard, feeling secure, equal entry to schooling, healthcare, hobbies, and tailor-made help throughout key moments resembling deployments, relocations, and leaving the army.

Learn extra about their work

Veterans Help Scotland

Veterans Help Scotland is a platform created for veterans and Armed Forces households dwelling in Scotland. The web site holds assets assets they may want together with assist discovering the fitting college or faculty; choices for locations to reside; gaining access to a Battle Disablement pension; and routes into employment.

Wales

Welsh Authorities, public sector our bodies, the tri-Providers, employers and the charitable sector work in partnership to supply data and help for Armed Forces personnel, veterans and their households in Wales.

Particular data and steerage is out there within the following areas:

Grants and funding

Funding and grants can be found for organisations wishing to help the Armed Forces; nonetheless, they won’t be obtainable for particular person help. For those who require particular and particular person help, please get in contact, and we’ll advise you on one of the best plan of action.

Armed Covenant Fund Belief

The Armed Forces Covenant Fund Belief (The Belief) funds initiatives that help the supply of the nation’s covenant promise to our serving personnel, veterans and their households.

The Belief is a charity and is assessed as a Non-Departmental Public Physique (NDPB). It administers the Armed Forces Covenant Fund, price £10 million annually. 

The Armed Forces Covenant Fund has 4 goals:

1. Offering non-core healthcare companies for veterans
2. Eradicating boundaries to household life
3. Supporting serving personnel and veterans who need assistance
4. Integrating army and civilian communities and permitting the armed forces neighborhood to take part as residents

In 2024 the Belief launched its first Covenant Fund funding mannequin based mostly on proof gathered from a wide-ranging session.

Discover out extra in regards to the funding mannequin

Obtainable funding alternatives

Organisations which were awarded grant funding

Details about the impression of the Belief’s work

Veterans Basis

The Veterans’ Basis was arrange in 2016 to boost funds to assist enhance the lives of all throughout the armed forces neighborhood who want it. The funds raised are then donated to charities and organisations which have an actual impression on these at the moment serving, veterans, and their households. These organisations help a variety of wants, together with psychological well being, bodily remedy and rehabilitation, homelessness and schooling and coaching and extra.

Charities and charitable organisations discover it more and more tough to boost the funds they should proceed their important and sometimes life-changing work and depend on The Veterans’ Basis for grants to help them. That was why retired Main Basic David Shaw arrange The Veterans’ Basis in 2016 and why it has grown to be one of many UK’s main army charities.

Its primary fundraising car is the Veterans’ Lottery – the most important single-cause lottery within the UK – that has raised tens of millions of kilos and enabled greater than £25 million to be donated to good causes that help the armed forces neighborhood.

Apply for a grant

Veteran schooling

Excessive Floor

Excessive Floor helps Service leavers, reservists and veterans assess their army abilities and expertise and the way these apply to the land-based sector. It additionally affords many alternatives for employment and self-employment.

Excessive Floor affords Rural Weeks: 5 totally residential days at an agricultural faculty for 8 Service leavers, reservists and veterans to study extra in regards to the land-based sector from topic issues specialists.

Additional schooling profession help for feminine veterans

HighGround has developed a two-year programme designed to help feminine veterans of their transition to careers throughout the additional schooling land-based sector, together with a Stage 3 Award in Schooling and Coaching (AET) recognised qualification.

Additional data on the course

Households and kids

Schooling help is out there for veterans and serving households via the next programmes:

• Armed Forces Schooling Belief – for youngsters and younger adults whose schooling has been compromised because of a mother and father’ previous or present Service.
• Studying Pressure – makes use of studying to convey forces kids and households nearer collectively.
• Forces Kids Scotland – offers common help for youngsters and younger folks from Armed Forces households in Scotland.
• Scotty’s Little Troopers – Scotty’s Little Troopers is a charity devoted to supporting kids and younger folks from 0 to 25 years who’ve skilled the demise of a mother or father who served within the British Armed Forces. When a teen joins Scotty’s, they grow to be a member and are supported till their twenty fifth birthday. Whether or not or not it’s one-to-one bereavement help, a respite break with the household, a chance to fulfill others in an identical scenario, or entry to extracurricular actions, Scotty’s is at all times there for its members to make sure they don’t really feel alone.

Service Charity Sector: Perception and Engagement

Cobseo (The Confederation of Service Charities), via its membership of Service charities represents the entire serving and Veterans Neighborhood. Go to the Cobseo web site the place you will discover the freshest information, funding alternatives, assist and transition steerage for Veterans and their households.

Veterans Awards

Firms and organisations throughout the UK are celebrated for his or her help to the Armed Forces neighborhood.

The Veterans Awards

The Veterans Awards are open to all Armed Forces veterans, serving reservists and organisations and firms that help or make use of folks from the Armed Forces neighborhood.

Purposes are open:

• Scottish Veterans Awards: 1 December 2024 – 23 February 2025
• Welsh Veterans Awards: 1 March – 24 Might 2025
• English Veterans Awards – 1 June – 17 August 2025

Soldiering On Awards

The Soldiering On Awards recognise excellent achievement within the Armed Forces neighborhood.

Soldiering On Awards opens for nominations

The Soldiering On Awards have opened nominations for 2025, marking 15 years of celebrating the exceptional achievements of the armed forces neighborhood.

Since its inception the Soldiering On Awards has showcased the resilience, innovation, and dedication of those that serve or help our armed forces neighborhood.

Nominations are actually open in twelve classes, providing alternatives to have fun those that encourage, innovate, and make a long-lasting distinction. From Household Values and Animal Partnership to Defence Inclusivity, Inspiration, and Enterprise, there’s a class for each story of extraordinary achievement.

Key dates for 2025:

• Nominations open: 9am, 13 January 2025
• Nominations shut: 11:59pm, 30 March 2025

Go to the Soldiering On Awards web site to submit your nominations.

Heropreneurs Awards

The Heropreneurs Awards have fun the achievements of the army and veteran neighborhood in a business surroundings.

Nominations for the 2025 Heropreneurs Awards are actually open. This 12 months’s ceremony will likely be held on 3 November at The Shard, London.

Learn in regards to the classes and submit a nomination

Enquiries

When you have a query about help and companies obtainable to veterans, please contact us.

E-newsletter

Signal as much as our month-to-month publication to remain up to date on veterans’ information, supplying you with direct data from across the veteran eco system.

So as to add your updates to the Veterans Information and Communication Hub please contact: CO-COMMS@RFCA.MOD.UK.

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