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Issue 25 September 2012 ®
BomberCommandRemembered
Rais ing awareness o f t he r ange o f he lp and adv ice ava i l ab le to ve t e rans
Call the Veterans-UK Helpline 0800 169 2277* Email [email protected]
Visit www.veterans-uk.info Facebook Service Personnel and Veterans Agency (MOD) Twitter@SPVAmod
HELP AND SUPPORT FROMSERVICE PERSONNEL AND VETERANS AGENCY
You may be offered a call back if lines are busy
Service Personnel & Veterans Agency
®
3Issue 25 September 2012
Accessing HelpHow Scottish veterans are being supported
Making the Covenant realFirst year of the Covenant yielding results
Creating EmploymentOpportunitiesThe Poppy Factory’s career support package
PioneersFrom First World War to present day, Queen
Alexandria Hospital Home’s rehabilitation
work with veterans continues
Ready to HelpSPVA’s new dedicated bereavement line
RegularsNews in Brief
SPVA News
IN THIS ISSUE6-7
8-9
12-13
20-21
22
4-5
25
Veterans WORLD is distributed to those who work in anadvisory role.Managing Editor: Laurie MantonEditor: Clare EllisEmail: [email protected]
Want to make an editorial contribution?Contributions are most welcome.To raise awareness of an initiative, scheme or organisation thatoffers help, advice or support to veterans, contact the EditorialTeam by Email: [email protected] or by calling:01253 338816
For distribution enquiriesEmail: [email protected] or call: 01253 338811
© Crown copyright 2012
For advertising opportunities please contact:
Front cover: Bomber Command veteran Alan Biffen,
see page 5.
The content of Veterans WORLD is provided to raise awareness ofhelp, advice and support available to the veterans community.Publication of articles on services provided or developmentsaffecting the veterans community does not mean that they areendorsed by Veterans WORLD or the Ministry of Defence.
Contents Issue 25
September 2012
20-21
22
6-7
12-13
4
News in brief
The Combat Veteran Players, a theatre company comprisedentirely of veterans performing Shakespeare whileovercoming mental trauma, has announced partnershipswith The Old Vic Tunnels and Royal Shakespeare Company(RSC) Open Stages.
Following a well-received closed performance of A Midsummer Night's Dream at London’s Old Vic Tunnels inMarch, the Combat Veteran Players are now in residence atThe Old Vic Tunnels for the next three years. Openperformances of A Midsummer Night’s Dream took place inJuly, and immediate plans include the opening of Henry Vin October, with future productions to be announced.
The Combat Veteran Playersare also now part of the RSCOpen Stages programme andwill benefit from world-classacting workshops and stagecombat training. Thispartnership will run alongsidethe staging of Henry V.
Ed Tytherleigh, Chief Executiveof Stoll, which supportsCombat Veteran Players, said:
“When on the stage, theactors become just that –actors – leaving behind theirbackgrounds and issues. Thebenefits of taking part in thegroup have been clear and I
am delighted that the partnerships with The Old VicTunnels – giving the company a ‘home’ – and the RSCOpen Stage – giving them coaching – will help the actorsto move onto the next level.”
For The Old Vic Tunnels, the partnership will enable themto support a company that would not otherwise haveaccess to a public stage.
Information about performances by the Combat VeteranPlayers will be available from www.oldvictunnels.comand tickets can be booked online or by calling 0844 871 7628 or visiting www.stoll.org.uk
Correction for the Education opportunity for Servicefamilies’ article published on page 21 in VeteransWORLD Issue 24. The article contained inconsistentreferences to the rank of the late Lieutenant ColonelRupert Thorneloe. We apologise for this error and theonline and audio versions of Veterans WORLD have beencorrected.
Royal British Legion Industries (RBLI) has produced ashort film about LifeWorks, an innovative work-focusedassessment and employability course for the ArmedForces Community that includes follow-up information,advice and guidance and ongoing support to set thedelegates on the right track in the world of civilianwork.
In this new short film, RBLI aims to give potentialdelegates a feel for what to expect during theLifeWorks course. You can view the film Equipping YouFor The Journey on YouTube The film is available to viewon RBLI’s YouTube channel:http://youtu.be/K3Wa_JZv4C0
Myhealthlondon offersnew one-stop-shop forveterans
A new one-stop-shop for veterans in the capital wasbeen launched by the award winningMyhealthlondon. The new online service bringstogether for the first time, information in one place onall the help, advice and support available to ex-Servicemen and women and their families in theLondon area.
The new Myhealthlondon webpage covers four specificareas – welfare, health, housing and general help andsupport – and has been developed to provide a singlepoint where veterans can see and access the range ofsupport services available to them. The website offerslinks to the many different services that work withveterans across London and will be kept regularlyupdated with news and features on the supportavailable.
Kevin Alderton, a former army officer who inpartnership with healthcare professionals andcharities has led the development of this new resourcesaid:
“This easy to use webpage provides veterans withinformation about the numerous support servicesavailable to them with details about who to contactfor further information about accessing these services.It fills a void in the information available and I hope itwill prove to be a valuable resource for our forcesveterans and their families.” www.myhealth.london.nhs.uk
In Memoriam 2014was delighted to welcomeWar Memorials Trust’s Patron The Duchess ofCornwall to the Royal Artillery Memorial. Shemarked the memorial with SmartWater as part of anational campaign to protect war memorials.
In Memoriam 2014 is a partnership between WarMemorials Trust and the SmartWater Foundation toprovide greater protection to war memorials across theUK. Each sculpture and plaque on memorials will beforensically marked with SmartWater, giving them astate‐of‐the‐art forensic signature that can only be seenunder UV light. Once applied, SmartWater is virtuallyimpossible to remove and can withstand burning, sandblasting and long term exposure to UV.
Launched in 2011, In Memoriam 2014 is offeringSmartWater free of charge to the custodians of theestimated 100,000 war memorials across the country.Many war memorials have already been protected and InMemoriam 2014 is calling upon anyone yet to take up thisoffer to ensure their war memorial is protected.
In Memoriam 2014 was launched to coincide with theforthcoming centenary of the First World War. The nation’svalued war memorials are under increasing threat from
thieves and vandals attempting to steal metal frommonuments. Despite the metal having relatively littlemonetary value it is estimated that on average one warmemorial a week is being targeted by thieves looking toillegally remove bronze, copper or other metals to sell onfor scrap.
Anyone wishing to take part in this project or register awar memorial can visit www.inmemoriam2014.org formore information.
Royal support for the national campaignto reduce war memorial theft
New theatre partnerships benefits veterans
Editor’s Note:
LifeWorks video
The Duchess of Cornwall marks the Royal Artillery war memorial
The Combat Players in rehearsal
Imag
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5Issue 25 September 2012
A new Rugby Union Club has been founded in theWigan area. The Military & Military Veterans' RUFCis open to men who have served in the HM ArmedForces and members of Territorial and ReserveForces.
People with little or no experience are welcome tojoin, as a high standard of coaching will beprovided by the club. The club has highly qualifiedcoaches, who will be assisted by very experiencedplayers and former players which is supported byWigan Council, who is providing the facilities.
The club will provide an opportunity for veteransto become part of a team again, and to socialisewith other veterans and their families. It’s alreadymaking a huge difference to the lives of some ofits members.
For more information, call Stephen Hawkins,Chairman of the Club on 07968 928739 or [email protected] or visitwww.milandvetsrufc.webs.com
Veterans wanted fornew rugby club The Memorial to commemorate the loss of 55,573 Bomber
Command airmen in the Second World War was unveiled inGreen Park, London, on June 28, 2012.
The event brought together thousands of BomberCommand veterans, widows and family members from allover the world, to commemorate the bravery and sacrificeof their lost relatives and comrades. The Memorial alsocommemorates the people of all nations who lost their livesin the bombing campaigns of 1939-1945, with aninscription remembering that loss.
Bomber Command veteran Alan Biffen (pictured), 87 years-old, attended the Dedication and Unveiling event. He joinedBomber Command in 1944 and flew in 10 missions. He said:
“I find it difficult to emphasise even to my grandchildrenwhat the Bomber Command Memorial means to me.
Sometimes Ilook back andwonder, ‘did it allreally happen?’. Iam so glad thatat long lastBomberCommand isbeingremembered notonly for what itachieved butalso for the livesof the youngmen who nevercame back.
Many of them were boys. I myself added a year to my age at16 so that I could join the Air Force.”
The RAF’s leading welfare charity, the RAF Benevolent Fund,took over guardianship of the Memorial after the unveiling.It will ensure that the Memorial continues to be a lastingtribute to the men who gave their lives serving in BomberCommand and a symbol of peace and reconciliation forfuture generations.
For more information go to www.bombercommand.com orwww.rafbf.org/bc
Angus Council has launchedan initiative drawingtogether help and supportfor the county’s veterans.
The Veterans FirstPartnership will identifyand coordinate the services available toveterans in a one-stoppaper and onlineinformation resource.
The new partnership will work alongside the Firmbasegroup which has been established as a cross-forces groupwithin Tayside to support collaborations with localauthorities and their partners and provide a joined-upapproach to helping veterans.
The partnership’s first publication Veterans First has beenlaunched. It was designed in partnership with the AngusCommunity Planning Partnership, SSAFA Forces Help andThe Royal British Legion. The booklet is available as aresource for personnel who have just left the Armed Forcesand for those who was to help the Armed ForcesCommunity.
The council has appointed a Veterans’ Champion, CouncillorRonnie Proctor MBE (pictured), a retired Black Watch Major,to champion the needs of veterans and support therelationship between the council and the British military.
Cllr Proctor joinedthe army at theage of 15 andspent the next40 years workinghis way up theranks tobecome aMajor.
Cllr Proctorsaid:
“We have a strong tradition of partnership with the UK’smilitary services and want to continue and strengthen thisby making access to services easier and better coordinatedthan at present, for the benefit and support of veterans.”
He added:
“I am delighted and honoured to be leading for allcouncillors on Veterans issues. I pay tribute to the work ofthe Council members and officers to date which has helpedfoster and build on the excellent relationship we enjoy withall our armed forces both past and present”.
To request a copy of the booklet visit Angus Council’s ACCESSoffices, libraries, Angus doctors surgeries, British Legionsand SSAFA Forces Help. An electronic copy is also availableat www.angus.gov.uk or by calling ACCESSLine on 08452 777 778.
Bereavement is a time people should be spendingwith their family and friends, not navigatinggovernment red tape.
The Tell Us Once service recently won theprestigious Virgin Media/Guardian ‘InnovationNation Award’ for delivery of frontline services. Ithas been hugely popular with the public whovoted in droves for the service to win.
The Tell Us Once service allows people to notify keylocal and central government departments andservices of a death (or birth). The service is nowavailable in over 80 per cent of Local Authorities inEngland, Scotland and Wales. As well as a face toface and telephony service, there is an onlineoption as well. The death must be registered beforethe Tell Us Once service can be used.
Tell Us Once informs up to 28 services in centraland local government including the ServicePersonnel and Veterans Agency who use theinformation to update War Pension Schemerecords.
More information about Tell Us Once is available at:www.direct.gov.uk/death-tellusonce
Bomber Command Memorial
A quarter of a millionpeople use awardwinning Tell Us OnceService
Angus Veterans’ Partnership
6
There are approximately 400,000veterans living in Scotland, and everyyear many of the 2,000 who leave the
Armed Forces opt to settle in Scotland’stowns, rural communities and cities.
SCOTLAND’S veterans are a diverse group –
males and females aged 16 to 100 plus -
who may have served as linguists, caterers,
engineers, etc in active service or postings,
from the Second World War to current
operations in Afghanistan, the Falkland
Islands to serving overseas in Cyprus.
Former Royal Marine, Keith Brown, was
appointed to the post of Scotland’s Armed
Forces and Veterans Minister in May, last
year. Having served in the Falklands war in
1982, Keith returned to the Islands in June
to commemorate the 30th anniversary of
the liberation of the Falkland Islands.
Keith commented:
“I was delighted when the First Minister
announced the creation of the Armed
Forces and Veterans Minister role in 2008.
We created this portfolio because we
wanted to make sure that the interests,
needs and aspirations of veterans were at
the centre of our policy thinking here in
Scotland.
“Following the last Scottish parliamentary
elections, I was extremely pleased to take on
the mantle of Armed Forces and Veterans
Minister - to continue the excellent work
undertaken by my predecessors Stuart
Maxwell and Alex Neil.
“I am proud to say that over the past year
we have made considerable progress on a
number of key veterans’ issues, and there is
plenty more to come over the coming
months.”
Keith’s day-to-day responsibilities as Armed
Forces and Veterans Minister include
meeting with veterans’ organisations,
engaging with colleagues at the Ministry of
Defence (MOD), participating in
parliamentary debates and liaising with
stakeholder groups including local
authorities and health boards.
On behalf of the Scottish Government, Keith
has endorsed the Armed Forces Covenant,
and has appointed a senior official to
represent Scotland on the Covenant
Reference Group, which has been tasked
with managing
the delivery of
the Covenant
across the UK.
Keith is in
regular
discussions
with Defence
Ministers, both
about the
Covenant and
on wider
veterans’ issues.
He is due to
meet with his
Ministerial
counterpart to discuss the roll out of the
Covenant in further detail.
In addition to his ongoing work with
colleagues at Westminster, Keith is also
overseeing the development of a key policy
document which sets out the Scottish
Government’s long term commitment to
delivering advice, assistance and support to
the Armed Forces community. The
document, entitled ‘Scottish GovernmentSupport for the Armed Forces Community inScotland – our Commitments’ will cover a
Making commitments a reality How the Scottish Government is meeting the needs and aspirations of its veterans’ community
“. . . resources
and support
available to our
Veterans and
the NHS
inform Website
will rest at the
heart of how
we deliver . . .”
As a Falklands veteran
himself, Armed Forces
and Veterans Minister
Keith Brown is aware of
the issues veterans face.
The Scottish Parliament Building which is situated at the foot of Royal Mile in Edinburgh
7Issue 25 September 2012
Contacts
range of policy areas that are of devolved
responsibility from Westminster, including:
health, housing, education, justice and sport.
The Commitments paper will ensure that the
Scottish Government’s support for veterans
is tailored specifically to the legislative and
administrative landscape in Scotland.
Keith continued:
“The aim of the Commitments paper is to
help ensure that the Armed Forces
community in Scotland have access to the
public services that they require. The
Scottish Government is working proactively
with organisations like Veterans Scotland,
the Reserve Forces and Cadet Associations,
the Army Families Federation and the
Service Personnel and Veterans Agency to
ensure that we have a comprehensive,
joined up approach.”
With the Commitments paper due to be
published shortly, Keith officially launched
an online Veteran Healthcare Guide in July.
The resource, available via the NHS inform
website, offers guidance to healthcare
professionals and veterans on specific health
concerns and provides advice on subjects
such as mental health and physical recovery.
In parallel, a Healthcare Providers Awareness
leaflet was also launched to help ensure that
more veterans in Scotland are identified by
health workers as Armed Forces veterans. By
ensuring veterans are known to their health
providers, they can more easily obtain access
to specialist advice services on offer to them
through NHS Scotland, including priority
treatment for Service-related conditions,
subject to clinical need.
The leaflet has been distributed to all GP
practices and other primary care providers
including hospitals and health centres via
the 14 NHS Boards.
At the official launch event in Stirling, Keith
made clear that these two new resources will
be invaluable to the country’s former Service
personnel in helping them to identify new
sources of support and advice on health
issues. He said:
“The launch of NHS inform information zone
on veterans’ health provides an excellent
source of rich and detailed information on a
whole host of clinical and social issues which
can impact Scottish veterans, and is
designed to enhance their health and
wellbeing.
“There has clearly been huge progress in
how we help veterans access the public
services that they have a right to. However,
we know we need to improve further to give
back to those who have given so much.
Keith’s comments were supported by
Colonel Martin Gibson from Veterans
Scotland – the representative body for
veterans’ organisations in Scotland. He said:
“I am enormously grateful to the Health
Information Services team at NHS 24 who
have made these new resources possible
and I would highly recommend those who
have an interest or role in caring for
Scotland’s Veterans to make full use of the
information provided.
“The Scottish Government has gone to great
lengths to make resources and support
available to our Veterans and the NHS inform
Website will rest at the heart of how we
deliver to the many thousands of men and
women who have served in our Armed
Forces.”
Keith is dedicated to ensuring that
Scotland’s veterans population have access
to the support and advice they require to
live healthy and peaceful lives when they
leave the service.
You can follow the Scottish Government
Veterans feed on Twitter -
@scotgovveterans or for further
information, call Veterans Scotland on
0131 550 1569. The Veterans Healthcare
Guide can be found at
http://www.nhsinform.co.uk/
VeteransHealth/Useful-Documents
Armed Forces and Veterans Minister Keith Brown launches the Veteran Healthcare Guide and
the Healthcare Providers Awareness leaflet at the Stirling Citizens Advice Bureau in July 2012.
Armed Forces & Veterans Minister Keith Brown met Arctic Convoy veterans in May and
presented them with a cheque for £5,000 for Arctic Convoy Museum fund.
8
Since the Armed Forces Covenant waspublished just over a year ago, theGovernment, Local Authorities,charities and voluntary organisations
have been very busy. A range ofmeasures have been delivered to make
life easier for the Armed ForcesCommunity, including the introduction
of the Community Covenant with a £30million grant scheme to support it.Veterans are being given a great deal ofconsideration and will benefit from theCovenant.
Here the MOD’s Covenant Team givesVeterans WORLD the latest update . . .
THE principle behind the Covenant is that
the Armed Forces community should not
face disadvantage because of its military
experience. In some cases, such as the sick,
injured or bereaved, this means giving
special consideration to enable access to
public or commercial services that civilians
wouldn’t receive. The Covenant covers
issues from housing, health and education
to support after service. Here are just a few
of the commitments the Government has
made to veterans...
Housing
When it comes to accessing social
housing, we’ve made sure Service leavers
aren’t disadvantaged by the amount of
times they’ve had to move with the job by
putting them on an equal footing with
civilians already living in an area in terms
of a ‘local connection’. For those veterans
who are seriously injured as a result of
service, we’ve ensured extra preference
when applying for specially adapted
housing.
If you are a veteran, you can get help to
find somewhere to live from your local
council. They can give you free advice on
housing options and advice if you are
homeless or threatened with
homelessness.
Healthcare
It’s incredibly important to tell your GP
that you’re a veteran, because if you have
a medical condition as a result of your
time in service you should be given
priority in NHS treatment, subject to
clinical need. If you were injured in Service
and need prosthetic limbs, you will receive
the same access and specialist care from
the NHS as you did from Defence Medical
Services. [Please see the article on page 14for further information on prosthetic care.]
It’s in healthcare where the ‘special
treatment’ part of the Covenant comes
into play. For example, veterans who have
suffered injuries that mean they can no
longer have children are guaranteed three
cycles of IVF on the NHS.
What does the Armed Forces C Not just a paper exercise, the Covenant is making a significant differen
The Covenant signing in Test Valley, Hampshire earlier this year. Seated, left to right: Lt Col Jason Kerr - CO 22 Engineer Regiment, Brig Richard
Dennis - Colonel of the Regiment (Princess of Wales’s Royal Regiment), Councillor Ian Carr - Leader of Test Valley Borough Council, Brig David
Greenwood - Army Headquarters, Col Murray Whiteside - Commandant Army Aviation Centre
Veterans will benefit from a number of
commitments outlined in the Covenant
9Issue 25September 2012
(from l to r) Billy, Charlie and Chris handing
the ‘key’ to Mark Lovatt
s Covenant do for Veterans? ence to the Armed Forces Community
The same goes for any mental health
issues you might face. First of all, Service
people are entitled to use the military
mental health centres for up to six months
after they leave. There’s also the Big White
Wall website (www.bigwhitewall.com)
where you can discuss your problems and
get support and information if you need it,
completely anonymously. If you are
worried about your mental health you
should seek professional advice as soon as
possible.
Further education
Making sure Service people have enough
qualifications to help them succeed in
Civvy Street after they leave is a top
priority for the Government. Most of this
sort of work is done through Enhanced
Learning Credits which you build up
during Service. They can fund education
for up to 10 years after leaving the Forces.
Troops to Teachers is another scheme
designed for Service leavers who want to
become teachers and provides
sponsorship for training. It’s run by the
Department for Education (DfE) and the
first 150 people will start in September
2013. Full details on how to sign up aren’t
available yet, so keep an eye on DfE’s
website if it’s something that interests
you:
http://www.education.gov.uk/get-into-
teaching/troops-to-teachers.aspx
Community Covenant
The Covenant is not just about the
Government delivering commitments on a
national level. More than 100 local
communities have signed a Community
Covenant. It is a voluntary statement of
mutual support between civilians and the
Armed Forces in their area to encourage
mutual understanding and to bring the
two communities together. Alongside it
we run the Community Covenant Grant
Scheme, set up to fund local projects that
support its aims, like the Swan Forces
which helps prevent social exclusion
among ex-Service personnel and their
families in Wiltshire. More than £4 million
has been allocated so far via the scheme
to more than 80 projects.
The work doesn’t stop
There are a host of commitments relating
to veterans – we’ve covered just a few in
this article and more will be added to the
list as we go. To keep tabs on the progress
we’re making, the first statutory Annual
Report on the Armed Forces Covenant will
be published later this year. Please keep
an eye out for updates on our website
www.mod.uk/covenant where you can
find out more about the commitments the
Government has made, what is being
done to implement these commitments
and where you should go if you need help
or advice.
“We’ve made sureService leaversaren’tdisadvantaged bythe amount oftimes they’ve hadto move with thejob by puttingthem on an equalfooting withcivilians alreadyliving in an area interms of a ‘localconnection’.
Communities are getting behind the Armed Forces Covenant
Bolsover, Chesterfield and North East
Derbyshire Councils signed their Community
Covenant in July
10
Live at-Ease is a new programme,commissioned by the NHS, beingpiloted across the North West. Theprogramme offers free one-to-onesupport to ex-Service personnel andtheir families to deal with issues thathave occurred during or after spending
time in the Armed Forces.
LIVE AT-EASE provides non-clinical
additional support through dedicated
caseworkers who help to assess the needs
and options of ex-Service personnel and
their families and liaise with approved
service organisations that can help.
Launched in April 2012, the pilot period
will run until June 30, 2013.
Non-clinical support
Ex-Service people may need clinical
support with mental and physical health
problems when they leave the forces. The
NHS and other providers offer an array of
services to support physically injured
personnel and a range of talking therapies
and other mental health services are also
available through regional IAPTs
(Improving Access to Psychological
Therapies) - NHS services that treat people
with depression and anxiety.
Over the years, clinical service providers
have noticed that there are many other
issues that ex-Service personnel come up
against - relationship breakdown, housing
issues, unemployment, drug and alcohol
addiction and money management
problems. It is widely acknowledged that
mental health needs can’t be met if
support isn’t in place to help with these
other non-clinical issues. From
caseworker support, building confidence
in applying for jobs to creating money
management plans, there is support for
issues that veterans may be facing.
How does the pilot work?
Live At-Ease works with existing Armed
Forces organisations and charities,
voluntary organisations, NHS and
Probation services to join them together
and provide the most effective support.
Each client has a dedicated caseworker
who puts a support plan together and
who is there throughout the client’s time
with Live At-Ease to ensure they get
exactly the right support.
Anyone who has ever served in the armed
forces and who lives in the North West
can use Live At-Ease. They can be any age
and could have left the military yesterday
or 40 years ago. The programme is also
available to the families of ex-Service
personnel.
Peter’s story
Peter Wilcox, 53, is an Army veteran who
lives in Greater Manchester with his wife
and two daughters.
Since leaving the army, Peter has needed
support with a number of challenges
including finding employment and the
strain Army life has put on his family.
Peter recently used Live At-Ease’s services
to cope with some of the challenges he’s
encountered in civilian life. He said:
“Balancing the things you’ve seen in the
field with the normality of family life and a
civvy job can create a big strain. I really
struggled with finding employment and
getting used to the work place after being
in the Army for eight years. Lots of
ex-soldiers have similar problems and
sometimes it’s a slow process finding
help. But Live At-Ease supported me
straight away with finding training and a
job. They understood my challenges and I
was able to move forward with my life. I
would recommend other veterans get in
touch as Live At-Ease can help quickly
with a wide range of non-medical
problems.”
New NHS programme piloted in the North WestLive At-Ease programme provides non-clinical support to veterans
ContactsTo contact Live At-Ease:
email [email protected]
call 0808 123 1123
or visit www.liveat-ease.org.uk
Peter (circled) in his Army’s days on exercise in Scotland
Peter Wilcox and his family today
“They understood mychallenges and I wasable to move forwardwith my life.”
12
Celebrating the past andlooking to the future The Poppy Factory’s 90th Anniversary
The Poppy Factory modern
day – Darryl Oung (centre),
ex-Royal Engineers,
supported by the Poppy
Factory.
The Team working at the Poppy Factory in Richmond, 1932
13Issue 25 September 2012
This year marks the 90th Anniversaryof The Poppy Factory, which, ninedecades on is still doing exactly whatits founder, Major George Howson MC,
set out to do – creating employmentopportunities for wounded veterans.
RETURNING from the First World War,
Howson was devastated by the thought
that the men he had served alongside
were arriving home to find that, because
of the injuries they sustained as a result
of their Service, they were no longer
employable. He was so moved that in
1922 he founded The Disabled Society,
which later became The Poppy Factory,
in order to provide employment for
disabled soldiers.
Although much has changed since the
1920s, the fact remains that wounded,
injured and sick ex-Service personnel can
still face an uncertain future, having to
come to terms with a very different career
path to what they had imagined for
themselves. What has changed is that the
diversity in skills and experiences and the
professional aspirations of wounded,
injured and sick ex-Service personnel
mean that the most appropriate
employment opportunities now lie within
communities and businesses around the
UK. As a result, Howson’s original vision
has been expanded. The Poppy Factory now offers a
comprehensive career support package to
help wounded, injured and sick ex-Service
personnel find and sustain civilian
employment. It sources appropriate
opportunities for work and seeks to help
remove the barriers which might prevent
ex-Service personnel from easily accessing
the civilian workplace.
As an employer of wounded, injured and
sick ex-Service personnel, The Poppy
Factory can advise and support employers
in achieving the best results for both the
employee and the employer. The results
speak for themselves. Since the expansion
of the programme in 2010, The Poppy
Factory has supported 156 clients into
work and is having a wider impact.
Moreover, it is changing the lives of its
clients.
“I now have a purpose, a reason to get up
in the morning” says Tony, ex-Royal Tank
Regiment.
The Poppy Factory’s current priority is to
help 500 wounded, injured and sick ex-
Service personnel like Darryl and Tony into
work by 2015 and welcomes any support
which will help to achieve this goal.
In its 90th year, The Poppy Factory
celebrates the fact that the vision of its
founder, Major George Howson MC,
remains relevant, viable and vibrant for
the modern age.
Contacts
The Team working at the Poppy Factory in Richmond, 1932
For further information
call: 020 8940 3305, Fax: 020 8332 1205
or visit poppyfactory.org
The Poppy Factory wins anInternational Outstanding
Achievement Web Award -www.poppyfactory.org
Generate UK entered the website they
designed for The Poppy Factory into the
Interactive Media Awards 2012 under the
category 'Employment Websites'. This
recently resulted in The Poppy Factory’s
website winning the IMA Outstanding
Achievement Award 2012. The
Outstanding Achievement Award is the
second highest honour bestowed by the
Interactive Media Award and an
extremely challenging award to win. The
website designed and built by Generate
UK, using the content composed by The
Poppy Factory, has excelled in all areas of
the judging criteria and represents a very
high standard of planning, execution and
overall professionalism.
“. . . I couldn’t keep up physically,”
Darryl, ex Royal Engineers, who is now aCourse Director for the New HorizonsProject at West Kent YMCA said.
“When I came here to work as a Mentorand Trainer three and a half years ago, Ihadn’t worked for 12 years.”
He continued: “I couldn’t keep upphysically, but here they go with whatyou can do and don’t expect you towreck yourself. I now have the confidenceto work elsewhere, but I don’t want to. Ilove this job. I still battle coming here, wecan’t change how we are made, but wecan adapt to civilian life.”
14
Creating a better dealRecommendations on prosthetics care are taking shape
ContactsAnyone interested in learning more can
visit the webpage run by NHS London
http://www.london.nhs.uk/what-we-
do/our-current-projects/armed-forces-
healthcare/veterans-prosthetics. Twitter
users can also sign up to follow
@steveatDH.
“Investment has beensignificant, with the PrimeMinister pledging up to £15million over three years tosupport Dr Murrison’srecommendations.”
Dr Andrew Murrison MD MP hasbeen in high demand recently. Less
than two years after the publicationof ‘Fighting Fit’, he is back in thespotlight again with ‘A Better Dealfor Military Amputees’ – having
been commissioned by theGovernment to carry out a review ofprosthetics services for ex-Serviceamputees who have lost limbs due toactivities while serving their country.
THE Government asked Dr Murrison to
lead the review back in January 2011,
following mounting concern from
Service charities - and some serving
personnel who had been seriously
injured - that the NHS might not be
equipped to provide prosthetic services
to the same standard as the Defence
Medical Service at Headley Court. It is
easy to see where this concern stems
from when you consider that there are
now many young veterans surviving
combat situations with the loss of two
or even three limbs. The severity of this
type of injury often leaves them
requiring care for the rest of their lives.
The new deal
It’s against this tough backdrop that ‘A Better
Deal’ was published in October 2011. An
implementation plan followed quickly, and
some excellent progress has been made since
then. Phase one of the plan is now in place,
with over £100,000 having been used to
provide veterans with high-quality prosthetics.
The next stage will be for the Department of
Health to introduce a number of enhanced
national specialist prosthetic and
rehabilitation centres for amputee veterans
across the country. This needs to be in place
by March 2013. Investment has been
significant, with the Prime Minister pledging
up to £15 million over three years to support
Dr Murrison’s recommendations.
Although the onus is now on the Department
of Health, this won’t be a case of Government
working in isolation. The Department is
working collaboratively with service charities –
including the British Limbless Ex-Servicemen’s
Association (BLESMA) – as well as specialists
within the NHS and the Ministry of Defence, to
ensure that high-quality facilities are made
available to our ex-Service amputees.
Keeping informed
All of this work is moving extremely quickly
with progress being made every day. With
this in mind, good communications are
essential. The teams involved in the setup are
making full use of social media to spread the
positive message about what they are doing.
Over £100,000 has been used to provide veterans with high quality prosthetics
15Issue 25 September 2012
Contacts
The NHS in the north east has launcheda new mental health service for the200,000 veterans living in the region -the Veterans’ Wellbeing Assessmentand Liaison Service (VWALS).
SIMPLY by calling 0191 441 5974 or
emailing [email protected], north east
veterans can now get support to help
them access local mental health and
social care services.
Symon Day, clinical psychologist at Tees,
Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation
Trust, said:
“The experiences people have during
their military service, or in trying to adjust
to civilian life after leaving the forces, can
sometimes lead to anxiety, depression,
stress or even alcohol and drug misuse.
Veterans are also susceptible to post
traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
“However, for a veteran experiencing
mental health problems it can sometimes
be difficult to know which of the many
local NHS services and charities to
contact for help and support - especially
if they have only recently left the armed
forces and are still adjusting to civilian
life.
“VWALS provides a solution to this issue
by giving veterans a single point of
contact and directing them to the local
services which are best placed to provide
the support that they need.”
Thirty eight year old Richard Blackburn
(pictured above), from Cramlington,
served in the army for six years. When he
left the forces in 1997, he experienced
post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and
struggled to adjust to civilian life. Richard
said:
“When I first left the army, I felt like I
couldn’t function properly – I was
struggling to remember simple things,
such as taking medication. I just wasn’t
myself.
“I didn’t know where to start when it
came to seeking help, and it took me a
long time to find a service which worked
for me.
“Just having one number to contact will
make things much easier for those who
are struggling with a mental health issue.
I would encourage anyone in the north
east who has been in the armed forces to
contact VWALS if they are worried about
their mental health.”
After a veteran gets in touch, an outreach
worker from VWALS will visit the veteran
in their own home to carry out an
assessment to determine which local NHS
services, social care organisations and
charities are best placed to provide the
help they need.
Factors such as housing, welfare and
employment will also be considered to
ensure veterans receive support in these
areas as part of their care. The NHS will be
working closely with The Royal British
Legion to provide support in these areas.
Andrew Drake, manager of The Royal
British Legion in the North, said:
“The Legion welcomes the launch of this
much-needed service in the north east
which represents the NHS working
towards fulfilling aims set out in the
Military Covenant - the nation’s pledge to
look after our Armed Forces – specifically
that they should face no disadvantage as
a result of the unique nature of military
service.”
To contact VWALS simply call 0191 441
5974 (lines are open Monday-Friday,
9am-5pm), email [email protected] or
visit www.northeast.nhs.uk/vwals
New mental health service launched for
north east veterans
“Just having one
number to contact
will make things
much easier for
those who are
struggling with a
mental health issue.”
The VWALS Team
16
Contacts
A service for veterans living inHounslow, Kingston, Merton &Richmond offering support aroundhousing issues, applying for benefits,debt, physical and mental healthproblems, alcohol and drug issues,maintaining your tenancy, findingemployment, training and activities.
SPEAR is a London based charity that’s
been supporting homeless people in and
around Richmond since 1987. Its
dedicated Veterans support service,
launched in 2010, is funded by The Royal
British Legion.
The charity provides a wide range of
support in areas including dealing with
debt, benefits, accessing employment and
education, housing, tenancy sustainment,
social inclusion, improving living skills and
mental and physical wellbeing. The
charity works closely with many
organisations and services, such as The
Royal British Legion, Combat Stress,
SSAFA, Gardening Leave, Ghurkha Welfare
Trust, etc to provide a signposting and
referral service, when needed.
Social inclusion is important to the charity
which has created strong links within the
community to help improve the life of its
clients. It’s there for its clients as they
step towards a better life, as Marscha
Ross, the Veterans Support Worker
explained:
‘It’s very important to support veterans,
especially now that many Servicemen are
being made redundant and could end up
homeless and unemployed. We want to
support our clients so they can live
independently, reach their goals and live
fulfilling lives. ‘
“2012 is our 25th anniversary year and
since our beginnings in the 1980’s we as a
charity have evolved to include more
dedicated service to the veterans needing
support. The service has proved a success
which, as the Veterans Support Worker, I
take personal pride in. After providing a
quarter of a century of support, SPEAR will
continue ensuring that we are there ready
to support veterans in our community.”
Veteran Support ServiceProviding support to ex-Service personnel and their families
If you know a veteran needing SPEAR’s
support or want further information call
0207 036 9778/9775, email
www.spearlondon.org
Jimmy* was referred to the service by
Combat Stress. Jimmy suffers from
PTSD and Chronic Severe Anxiety
Disorder.
Jimmy was very worried about his
income as he had lost his job in January
and did not have enough money to pay
the rent and bills for the next month.
The Veteran Support service supported
Jimmy to apply for Disability Living
Allowance (DLA), Housing Benefit and
Employment and Support Allowance.
They also referred him to the Veterans
Welfare Service, who helped him apply
for a war pension. Jimmy was awarded
the Employment and Support
Allowance but the DLA was turned
down. The Veterans Support Service
went to the Citizens Advice Bureau to
receive debt advice and to appeal the
DLA decision.
Jimmy used to have weekly massages
for his severe back pain but he could no
longer afford these. A grant was
applied for via the Royal British Legion
and funding was received from the
Army Air Corps Fund, to pay for this
treatment. The Service is now currently
in the process of applying for a
Freedom Pass and a Community Care
Grant.
Jimmy was also feeling bored and
depressed sitting at home. He was
taken to the ‘Gardening Leave Project’
where he has met ex-Service men in a
similar situation and where he can go
and attend gardening therapy.
SPEAR provides support in the
London boroughs of Richmond,
Merton, Hounslow or Kingston.
“. . . we want tosupport our clientsso they can liveindependently,reach their goalsand live fulfillinglives.”
*Name changed to protect privacy.
Social inclusion is an important aspect of the charity’s work
17Issue 25 September 2012
For over 90 years, the Officers’Association (OA) has been the onlyService charity to deal specifically withthe needs of officers and theirdependants.
SET up in the aftermath of the First World
War, to provide vital help to injured and
disabled servicemen and assist them in
finding employment, the Association’s
commitment to ensuring officers live with
dignity and independence has changed
little over the years.
Today’s officers have a different set of
challenges to face but, as the family
member of a retired officer recently
suggested, they may be less likely to seek
help when they have been so used to
taking a leadership role. With an
increasing number of officers affected by
the instabilities of the current economic
climate, the OA aims to assist officers and
former officers who are making the
all-important transition from the Services
into civilian employment.
Cdr Ted Main was one of over a thousand
clients that the OA helped towards finding
work last year. After 34 years in the Royal
Navy, he didn’t want to leave the Service
and had a tough year dealing with the
transition to the civilian job market. Ted
spent some time in Tanzania achieving
the summit of Kilimanjaro over his
discharge date to help lighten the
transition, before continuing his
resettlement with the help of the OA.
He now works as a Business
Developmental Project Manager at
Babcock International Group, Warships
(Marine and Technology) Division, where
he has been able to transfer his service
engineering experience into his new
civilian job role. Ted describes the service
he received at the OA as ‘second to none’
adding:
“The OA provided the advice, guidance,
practical support and ‘know how’ to get
from the training courses and knowledge-
improvement phase to the sharp end of
accessing the job market and achieving a
successful interview.”
As well as advising officers on
employment matters, the OA
Benevolence Department provides advice
on a wide range of state benefits and
financial support to former officers and
their dependants, as an important part of
its commitment to lifetime support for
officers and their families. Of the
beneficiaries, just over 50 per cent are
from the Army and the rest are evenly
split between the Royal Air Force and the
Royal Navy. The team liaises closely with
other Service and civilian charities, to help
support each individual with a bespoke
solution.
The financial support takes the form of
annual allowances or one-off grants to
help with specific items. The list is wide
ranging, from household goods to
disability items including mobility
scooters and stair lifts. There is also help
available for shortfalls in care home fees.
A lifetime of supportA charity’s commitment to ensuring officers live with dignity and independence
ContactsFor further information visit
www.officersassociation.org.uk or call
0207 808 4160. If in doubt, or in need
of advice, just give the OA a call.
‘Pick of the Week’ gives former officers exclusive access to a wide range of industry positions
The team liaisesclosely with otherService and civiliancharities, to helpsupport eachindividual with abespoke solution.
Gordon Ross, one of OA employment
consultant
Quarterly symposiums give former officers
the opportunity to network with potential
employers
18
A group ofwar blinded
AmericanArmed Forcesveterans met
up with a
delegation ofBritish blind
ex-Servicemenin the UK inMay as part of
a special
exchangeprogramme
with Blind Veterans UK (formerly
St Dunstan’s).
THE activity packed stay was part of a joint
initiative known as Project Gemini, set up
by Blind Veterans UK - the charity for
vision impaired veterans, and the US
organisation Blinded Veterans Association
(BVA). The name stems from the fact that
Gemini is a transatlantic communications
cable that links the UK and the US.
Project Gemini offers blind veterans from
both sides of the Atlantic the opportunity
to share knowledge and experience of
rehabilitation and independent living
training, vision research, and adaptive
technology for blind people.
A high point of the week was visiting Blind
Veterans UK’s rehabilitation and training
centre in Brighton, which helps ex-Service
personnel who have lost their sight due to
conflict, age or illness. There the American
veterans were shown some of the cutting
edge techniques and equipment the
centre uses to give thousands of blind
veterans greater independence, and they
also enjoyed a strong camaraderie with
the Blind Veterans UK beneficiaries.
On a recreational level they tried out
archery and acoustic rifle shooting.
Ray Hazan, President of Blind Veterans UK
said
“The visit extends the co-operation
between our two nations both on the
battlefield and its subsequent
consequences. Throughout its 97 year
existence, Blind Veterans UK has advised
and encouraged other similar blind
organisations.”
Tom Zampieri, BVA Director Government
Relations and member of the Project
Gemini delegation said:
“On behalf of the Blinded Veterans
Association, we are so honored to be able
to participate in the Project Gemini
program. Like Blind Veterans UK the BVA
has striven over decades to help each
generation of vision impaired veterans. We
constantly work with our Department of
Veterans Affairs Blind Services to facilitate
new ways to improve on the technology
training and vision research services for
our blinded veterans”
.
Tom added:
“We are coming over to learn from each
other and strengthen the bonds that we
share as veterans.”
This is the second year that there have
been exchange visits between Blind
Veterans UK and the BVA, and both
organisations anticipate that Project
Gemini will go from strength to strength -
helping to improve the lives of blind
ex-Service men and women.
Two nations unite tohelp blind veteransThe Project Gemini initiative
Contacts
For further information call 0207 723
5021, Follow @blindveterans on
Twitter, Join them on
www.facebook.com/BlindVeteransUK
or visit www.blindveterans.org.uk.
“We are comingover to learnfrom each otherand strengthenthe bonds thatwe share asveterans.”
The Project Gemini Group
19Issue 25 September 2012
Visibility is a charity that provides arange of services for blind andpartially-sighted people throughoutthe west of Scotland, includingDumfries and Galloway.
THEIR Sealladh project works with people
who have neurological sight loss
following a brain injury. Neurological
sight loss is where the brain has difficulty
translating the messages which come
from the eye. This kind of sight loss can
be caused by strokes, road traffic
accidents, assaults, and combat injuries –
in fact, many different types of head
injury.
Originally funded by Scottish War Blinded
to work with military veterans, the charity
has now expanded to work with non-
veterans, mainly stroke patients.
Visibility trains people to use their
remaining vision more effectively by
using a technique called compensatory
scanning. It uses a system called
Neurovision Technology (NVT) which
involves assessment and training using a
panel of lights linked to a computer
programme. The charity then works with
the person over a number of sessions to
improve scanning ability and outdoor
mobility
Gaining independence
Stuart is 32 and a former soldier. A year
after leaving the army he was involved in
a serious car crash which left him with
severe head injuries and some mobility
problems. Although the mobility
problems were soon overcome, he was
left with an acquired brain injury which
has affected his short term memory and
left him with a complete loss of vision on
the right.
Discharged from hospital and living on his
own, he was referred to the ‘Sealladh’
project to see if they could help.
“I felt hopeless; I used to be so confident
and did everything at 100 miles an hour.”
said Stuart,
” I kept tripping over and bumping into
people, it was easier just to get my sister
to do my shopping and I just stayed at
home watching telly.”
Ideally Stuart wanted to be able to learn
to use his remaining sight better and to
be able to go to the supermarket to do
his own shopping and even to go back to
watching his football team on a Saturday,
simple things that most of us take for
granted.
Visibility provided a number of training
sessions for Stuart in their Glasgow office
where he was taught compensatory
scanning where he learned just how
much of his visual field was missing and
strategies for him to see everything he
needed to.
“It was amazing, once I knew what I was
missing; I learned to start looking around
by turning my head fully to the right.
That way I use the good half of my vision
like a searchlight. It seems simple enough
but I had no idea that’s what I had to do.”
Stuart’s memory problems meant the
project had to constantly reinforce his
scanning strategy but they got there in
the end and moved out of Visibility and
into mobility training around a busy town
centre. This included crossing roads safely
and finding his way around crowded
environments.
A year on, Stuart is a much more
confident man, he is happier going out
and about on his own, is scanning with
great accuracy and is hoping to go to
Europe to follow his team (if they qualify.)
Building confidenceSupporting veterans with sight loss
ContactsFor more information call 0141 332
4632, email [email protected] or
visit www.visibility.org.uk
Sealladh won the Innovation in Service
Delivery category at the prestigious
Military and Civilian Health Awards in
2009.
Helping regain much needed independence
Visibility use the Neurovision
Technology system, which involves
using training using a panel of lights
linked to a computer system
Sealladh means ‘sight’ and ispronounced Shallach.
20
The Queen Alexandra Hospital Home
(QAHH) was founded in 1919 to carefor those who were permanentlydisabled when casualties in the First
World War reached appallingnumbers. From the outset, the homepioneered medical and social care
procedures which are taken forgranted today.
THAT work continues today with QAHH
providing care and rehabilitation for
people with physical and/or neurological
disabilities, predominantly Servicemen
and women. QAHH supports, on average
140 Servicemen and women and their
families, every year. Although based in
Worthing, they accept residents from
across the UK.
Its residents range in age from 25 to 102
years old and represent the tri–Services.
The home has 60 beds offering for some
a placement for life and for others a slow
stream rehabilitation pathway to
regaining as much independence as
possible.
There are many different types of nursing
care undertaken throughout the Hospital
Home that are reflective of the
disabilities suffered by our residents. 90
per cent of the residents the charity cares
for are wheelchair users, some residents
have motor neurone diseases, central
nervous system disease and spinal
injuries and others are unable to
communicate because of Acquired Brain
Injury (ABI).
QAHH aim to give Servicemen and
women their independence back by
improving their mobility through regular
physiotherapy sessions, teaching them
new ways to communicate through
speech therapy, and empowering them
with new techniques to accomplish
everyday living tasks such as getting
dressed, cooking a meal, or taking a trip
to the shops. Services include:
Physiotherapy, Occupational therapy,
Speech therapy, Counselling, Chaplaincy,
and End of Life Care.
Now in its 93rd year of operation, QAHH
specialise in the rehabilitation of those
with an Acquired Brain Injury (ABI). ABI is
the term used to relate to a non-
degenerative brain injury incurred after
birth. People who suffer from an ABI
often have varying levels of physical and
communicative abilities and the greatest
challenge they face is coming to terms
with these abrupt changes and learning
to live with them.
QAHH currently have 25 residents
suffering with ABI and are welcoming an
increasing number of younger residents
with their lives ahead of them, making its
commitment to rehabilitation even more
important.
Charity has been supporting disabled veterans of all ages since 1919
“Art keeps themind goingand thetherapeuticeffects are justas good astablets andmedicines”
Bridging the generation gap
21Issue 25 September 2012
Contacts
For further information on QAHH: call
01903 213458, email [email protected]
or visit www.qahh.org.uk .
You can also find QAHH on
Facebook or follow them on Twitter
@QAHH.
Pat Kilmartin, one of QAHH’s
permanent residents is a testament to
the therapeutic benefits of its social
and recreational sessions. Pat's love of
painting became very much a way of
life for the ex-Soldier after he was shot
in the leg in the Second World War.
The War Pensions Committee
encouraged injured service personnel
to keep active and to develop hobbies
and Pat chose to paint.
Pat can often be found in the Social
and Recreational department where
he has a regular spot set up for his
materials. He said
“With the department open at
weekends, I enjoy being able to do my
art when I wish. Art keeps the mind
going and the therapeutic effects are
just as good as tablets and medicines.”
He has particularly valued the Social
and recreational department
expanding their hours into the
weekends and evenings and is taking
full advantage of this.
*Name has been changed to protectidentity
Jack* was in the Royal Navy for 25
years before leaving the Service in
the 80's. Like many Service men
and women he found adjusting to
civilian life difficult, and to make
matters worse suffered a stroke at
just 47. The stroke left him with
weakness down the left side of his
body which has not only affected
his mobility but his tongue and
innovation of muscles and co-
ordination. His muscle movements
are less clear and can often lead to
unpredictable speech patterns and
speech sounds.
Jack is one of the four residents
who attend the weekly Speech
Intelligibility Group sessions. The
Speech and Language Therapy
team support the groups to carry
out daily functional tasks with the
aim of increasing their clarity of
speech.
A typical task is to make a smoothie
drink. In the first week residents
will search recipes on the internet
by calling out search items for the
speech therapists. This encourages
them to accurately produce vowel
and consonant sounds and achieve
clear dialogue. The next stage is to
meet kitchen staff, introduce
themselves and explain what they
want to do and what ingredients
they need. Once the ingredients
are received, work is taken to the
rehabilitation kitchen where
residents direct the Speech
therapist to carry out actions to
make the smoothies. These
sessions improve vocal frequency
range and improve speech
intelligibility. As a result residents
are able to interact better with
friends and family, feel socially
included and independent.
Speech Therapy
Therapeutic Benefits
QAHH have been pioneers in medical and social care since 1919
Learning new techniques to accomplish everyday tasks
22
The Service Personnel and VeteransAgency’s (SPVA) Veterans-UK Helplinehave launched a dedicatedBereavement line to enable the lovedones or nominated representatives ofserving and ex-Service personnel tohave a priority line to report their loss.
LAUNCHED at the beginning of June, the
dedicated bereavement line is an
enhancement to the advice and support
the SPVA can provide, at a time when it is
needed most.
This customer service enhancement
evolved from complaints from customers
who had experienced unsatisfactory
service when trying to contact the
Helpline during busy periods. SPVA
wanted to ensure that they could
prioritise what is the most difficult and
sensitive news for anyone, in reporting
the loss of a loved one, especially those
who have served.
To contact the Bereavement line call
0800 169 3458. The line was and also
remains a line for SPVA customers who
are hard of hearing and have to utilise the
facilities of a mini-com machine.
Escalating a call
To contact the Bereavement line, the caller
simply needs to call 0800 169 3458. The
line by-passes the normal route into the
Veterans-UK telephony system and gets
escalated within the telephony system to
prioritise callers to the next available
operator, removing the requirement for
them to ‘queue’.
The Helpline Operator will be able to
identify that a call is coming through via
the Bereavement line and can prepare
themselves for what can be a sensitive call.
Victoria Bell, who manages the
Veterans-UK Helpline, explained why the
line was introduced:
“In 2011, our helpline took approximately
7,000 reports of Bereavement via the old
route and we felt the new route would
enable us to facilitate more calls. This
additional facility will also provide a more
streamlined process helping us to improve
our customer service. It could also reduce
potential overpayments of War
Disablement Pension and Armed Forces
Compensation Scheme which can cause
unnecessary upset at a time when it is not
needed.”
General Enquiries
For all general enquiries, please use the
main Veterans-UK helpline number
0800 169 2277. The helpline will be
unable to answer general queries
received on the bereavement line, as it
needs to remain free for its intended use.
If the customers’ query is not regarding
Bereavement, they will be invited to
provide their name and number and
someone will call them back within 48
hours.
Making the hardest callNew bereavement line to support Armed Forces Community
Calls regarding bereavement can be routed through the system and prioritised
In 2011, the helpline received 7,000 calls
relating to bereavement
23Issue 25 September 2012
A charity which helps the children offallen service men and women has
opened the first of a planned networkof holiday homes across the UK.
SCOTTY’S LITTLE SOLDIERS, named after
Corporal Lee Scott, who was killed by a
roadside bomb in Afghanistan in 2009,
and run by his widow Nikki, has raised
more than £100,000 to pay for its first
property in Great Yarmouth.
Dubbed Scotty Lodges, the holiday
homes will enable the children and their
families to take much-needed breaks,
free of charge, at seaside resorts.
The first to open is a £105,000, three-
bedroom lodge at the Haven Seashore
Holiday Park in Yarmouth, Norfolk, which
sleeps eight.
“We chose Seashore as the site for our
first lodge because it has absolutely
everything a child could want while on
holiday, with so many activities to keep
them entertained,” said Nikki.
“The lodge itself is out of this world. I
can’t wait to send our first members
there. It’s been a hard but amazing
journey so far and I am so proud of
everyone who has helped make this
possible.”
The charity will continue to provide days
out, plus birthday and Christmas gifts,
but the opening of the first holiday
lodge is the first major milestone since
Nikki started the charity after seeing the
reaction of her own children, eight year
old Kai and three year old Brooke, to a
holiday to Turkey following the death of
their father.
“When we were away, I saw Kai laughing
the way he’d laughed before Lee died,”
said Nikki, who lives in West Norfolk.
“I realised it was the first time I’d really
seen him laugh for months. He hadn’t
been the same little boy – there was a
constant sadness in his eyes, even when
he was smiling.
“It was as if getting away from the house
meant that we could put our grief on
hold and relax for the first time. I felt as if
a weight had been lifted from my
shoulders and for the first time, that
there was hope for the future.”
Each lodge will come equipped with a
fully-stocked fridge, toys, and games and
visitors will have access to the park’s
facilities including indoor pool and
outdoor SplashZone, play areas, sports
pitches, restaurants and entertainment.
Adam Daniel, senior sales consultant at
Haven Seashore, was delighted to
welcome Scotty’s Little Soldiers as the
park’s newest owners.
“Nikki has done a wonderful job and
we’re very pleased to be able to be a
part of the great work her and the
Scotty’s team are doing,” he added.
“We’re looking forward to welcoming the
families to Yarmouth, putting a smile on
their faces and giving them a great
holiday.”
Nikki added:
“We may not be able to personally thank
our fallen heroes for making the ultimate
sacrifice but, through Scotty’s Little
Soldiers, we can help and support their
loved ones.”
Holiday home joy for charityfor bereaved childrenThe first Scotty Lodge opened in Yarmouth
ContactsFor more information about
Scotty’s Little Soldiers please visit
www.scottyslittlesoldiers.co.uk
The first Scotty Lodge was officially opened
on July 7, this year
“I felt as if aweight had beenlifted from my
shoulders and forthe first time, thatthere was hope for
the future.”
Nikki Scott at the opening of the Scotty Lodge at Haven Seashore Holiday Park in Yarmouth, Norfolk
The Lyneal Trust is keen to welcomeveterans and their families to canal-based holidays in Shropshire followingits recent successful collaboration withwounded and injured military
personnel as part of the Queen’sdiamond jubilee celebrations.
THE Trust’s two disabled-friendly narrow
boats set off from their base at Lyneal
Wharf near Ellesmere, Shropshire at the
end of April to take part in the Thames
River Pageant on June 3. The Shropshire
Lass was crewed by civilian disabled
customers of the Trust, while the
Shropshire Lad was crewed over several
legs by nine wounded and injured
soldiers under the care of the Personnel
Recovery Unit based at Copthorne
Barracks, Shrewsbury.
Staff Sgt John Scarff from Woburn, who
was on board when the boats joined the
1,000-strong flotilla on Pageant Day, said
that this once-in-a–lifetime journey had
played a big part in his recovery plan.
“I came on board as a sick soldier and it
gave me back a feeling of independence
because we were largely left to get on
with it.”
Staff Sgt Mike Clubb
from Blandford,
Dorset said that “it
was terrific to get
back into army life
again.”
“I enjoyed the banter
with the lads and the
whole week was so
relaxing that I felt
really chilled. I
definitely want to go
on a canal holiday
again.”
The Lyneal Trust offers a flexible package
of options to enable disabled groups or
families to enjoy canal or canal-side
holidays. The Shropshire Lass has sleeping
accommodation for up to eight people
and the Wharf Cottage and bungalows
can accommodate up to fourteen people,
and are for hire with or without the boats.
The Shropshire Lad has no sleeping
accommodation and is suitable for day
trips on the canal. In addition to disabled-
friendly interiors, the boats have hydraulic
steering that enables everyone, including
wheelchair users, to take part in the
running of the boats.
Chris Symes, Chairman of the Lyneal
Trust, particularly encourages veterans to
visit Shropshire, having seen the
beneficial effect the canal experience had
on the servicemen fortunate enough to
take part in the Jubilee events.
“The scenery here and in north Wales is
stunning, especially from the 120-feet
high Pontcysyllte aqueduct over the River
Dee. There are only a few locks, level
towpaths, occasional shops, and plenty of
friendly and accessible pubs for the end of
each day.”
Canal-based holidays available to veterans
Shropshire Charity OffersHolidays Afloat
Further information can be found at
www.lynealtrust.org, Twitter:
@LynealTrust or Facebook: search for
Lyneal Trust.
The Shropshire Lad setting off
“. . . it gave me
back a feeling of
independence . . .”
Contacts
The Shropshire Lass
The cottage and bungalows
24
25
SPVA News
Issue 25 September 2012
The regular feature providing you with updatesfrom the Service Personnel and Veterans Agency
SPVA awards contract to CSC
Computer Sciences Corporation (CSC) has
been awarded a new contract to provide
pay and HR services for the UK’s Armed
Forces. This commercial arrangement will
underpin the way SPVA will deliver its
services to our Armed Forces over the
next seven years.
The Contract, for service delivery, will
come into effect on 13 November.
Charity Hub – have we got your details?
At the beginning of 2012 SPVA launched
their new Charity Hub, which provides
detailed information on charities and
other organisations that provide support
to the Armed Forces community online.
Progress is being made on the Hub with
over 60 charities and organisations added
to the Hub but work continues on making
the Hub a useful working resource for the
Armed Forces Community.
Karen Awere, SPVA Communications
Officer for the Hub explains:
“We’re making progress but still want
more organisations to add their details to
the Hub. We are aware that there any
many charities, organisations and
initiatives supporting the Armed Forces
Community, so its important to make sure
that they are included in our Charity Hub.
It’s not exclusive; we want to hear from
charities, organisations, social enterprises
and community interest groups that are
supporting this community. We want to
make sure that we can provide great
opportunities to help raise awareness of
their services.”
You can visit the Hub at
http://www.veterans-uk.info
/veterans_community_news/
charity_org1.html
To express an interest in being added to
the Hub, drop an email to:
Latest Veterans Today video nowonline
The seventh Veterans Today video has
been launched which focuses on the
Armed Forces Compensation Scheme and
includes an interview with Sharon
Tabeart, Assistant Head of AFCS and the
War Pension Scheme.
The video can be found on the Defence
Headquarters YouTube channel.
The MOD is preparing to launch a new
Defence Discount Service which will
replace the old Defence discount
directory in the near future.
High profile companies are already on
board and will be offering discounts on
cars, supermarket shops, holidays and
phones from the launch. The new
scheme will be available to members of
the Armed Forces community including
Serving regular and Reserve personnel,
Armed Forces veterans, spouses/partners
of Service personnel and bereaved
spouses/partners. It is also open to MOD
civil servants, members of the cadet
forces and NATO personnel serving in
UK-based posts
A key part of the new Defence discount
service will be a privilege card available
for a small cost. Members will be invited
to apply for the card which will facilitate
access to a wide range of discounts and
privileges, as recommended under the
Armed Forces Covenant in recognition of
the contribution made by the Armed
Forces community to our national life.
Watch this spaceSTOP PRESS...STOP PRESS...STOP PRESS...
STOP PRESS...STOP PRESS...STOP PRESS...
Welfare Supportacross the UKThe Veterans Welfare Service is part of the MOD’s Service
Personnel and Veterans
Agency’s services to the Armed
Forces Community across the
UK.
From advice on Service pensions, referrals
to ex-Service organisations to accessing
your Welfare needs, there may be
something we can help you with. The
Veterans Welfare Service provides a
personal caseworker service that can
support you via the telephone or home
visits, if needed.
The Veterans Welfare Service can also
be contacted via one of the four
Veterans Welfare Centres:
A VWS Manager giving advice atTedworth House
Kidderminster (based in Worcester)
call 01562 825527
email [email protected]
Centurion (based in Gosport)
call 02392 702232
email [email protected]
Norcross (based near Blackpool)
call 01253 333494
email [email protected]
Glasgowcall 0141 2242709
email [email protected]
26
While sister charity Haig Homesprovides advice and support todisabled veterans and can assist inidentifying adapted accommodationon its estates, Haig Housing Trust (HHT)has the flexibility to house those badlywounded or disabled in Service near tofamily and friends.
HHT can help negotiate the purchase of a
property for the seriously injured seeking
to buy their own home. It offers a shared
ownership scheme for those with
compensation for operational or other
injuries; and for those severely injured off
duty HHT may be able to purchase a
suitable property and charge an
affordable rent.
Talan Skeels-Piggins, a former Royal Navy
flight controller, was paralysed from the
chest down following a motorcycle
accident in 2003. In 2011, he founded the
charity Bike Experience, which enables
paraplegic motorcyclists to ride again.
When HHT discovered Talan living in an
unsuitable local authority flat in Bath, it
moved him into a Haig Homes property in
Surrey, which was adapted to suit his
disability. Talan is delighted with his new
house, and there is plenty of room for his
motorcycles.
Marine Peter Dunning, 24, lost both legs
in May 2008 when his Viking vehicle hit
an IED in Afghanistan. During his
recovery, Pete took up skiing and now
skis for the Combined Services' Disabled
Ski Team.
Pete’s growing family needed more
space, so HHT helped find a suitable
property in the Wirral under HHT’s Shared
Ownership Scheme. Pete and wife Laura
aim to purchase the remainder of the
property as soon as they can. Meanwhile
HHT is arranging adaptations to help Pete
live more comfortably.
He said:
“Coming Home has been fantastic to us.
They really help you with the difficult
stuff.”
Like Talan, Sgt George Pas of Taunton
based B Company 6th Rifles, was left
confined to a wheelchair following a
motorcycling accident.
George’s family house was unsuitable for
adapting, so HHT found and together
with George purchased a 4 bed bungalow
nearby. George, his wife Emma and their
friends have since improved it and it is
being adapted to suit his disability.
HHT has links with the Army’s Personnel
Recovery Units and the Royal Marines
Hasler Company. It also has links with
Help for Heroes (H4H) and ABF The
Soldiers’ Charity, and liaises daily with
other Service charities, working together
to support veterans.
Since Apr 2011, HHT has purchased nine
shared ownership properties, two
outright purchases, and found and
negotiated the purchase of properties for
three other Service leavers. Meanwhile
Haig Homes housed 97 ex-Service men
and women on its estates.
Bespoke housing solutions for disabled veterans
The flexible Trust
ContactsHHT has now launched “Coming Home”
http://www.coming-home.org.uk to raise
£20 million over the next few years for
more house purchases.
The Trust can help those severely disabled in Service
find a home near to family and friends
Talan Skeels-Piggins outside his home
Marine Peter Dunning and his family
found a suitable home under HHT’s
shared ownership scheme
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