Veterans News and Communications Hub

This collaborative project is delivered by Defence Relationship Management and Cobseo (The Confederation of Service Charities). The Hub enables forces-friendly organisations across all sectors to showcase the continued value of the UK’s highly-skilled veteran community.

Latest news

Kent opens first VALOUR-recognised centre in new UK-wide veteran support system

Veterans to benefit from increased support as part of the new £50m VALOUR support system. Thousands of veterans in Kent will be able to benefit from increased support following the opening of a new support centre in Aylesford. 

Part of VALOUR, a groundbreaking programme to increase support for veterans, the centre will provide ex-servicepeople with easier access to local services across health, housing, employment and more. It’s one of 14 organisations that have already received a share of over £13m in government funding to help the UK’s estimated two million veterans to get the support they need when they need it. Individuals will also be able to access support online and through a new helpline service that have launched today.

Read more on GOV.UK/VALOUR

Forces Pension Society Webinar

The FPS will deliver an online Armed Forces Pensions update for Serving Personnel, Service Leavers, Veterans and Families at 12:30 on Tuesday 14 July via MS Teams.

More information AFPS Live Webinar

Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust - Monthly community drop-in

Guy’s and St Thomas’ Armed Forces program offer practical support for patients who are serving or veterans of HM Armed Forces and their families. They support patients who have links to the Armed Forces. You can be a:

• serving member of the forces
• reservist
• veteran
• immediate family member of someone who has served or is serving

They organise monthly community drop-in to meet the team and seek support.

More information on the Armed Forces Program

Invictus Games Athlete Mark Ormrod MBE pledges support for Veterans’ Foundation’s next decade of impact

Inspired by the impact the Veterans’ Foundation has achieved over the past decade, former Royal Marine and Invictus Games athlete Mark Ormrod MBE has publicly pledged his support for the charity’s next decade, continuing his role as an ambassador.

The announcement comes as the Veterans’ Foundation celebrates a decade of impact, having awarded more than £38 million through 1,500 grants to organisations delivering frontline support across the Armed Forces community.

Read Mark’s story on the Veterans’ Foundation page

LGBT Veterans Restorative Action – End of Scheme

The Financial Recognition Scheme applies to those who were impacted by the Ban on LGBT personnel between 1967 and 2000 in any way. Both the Financial Recognition Scheme and the Non-financial Restorative Measures Scheme are closing at 23:59 on 12 December 2026.

Read for more information

Female Veterans Transformation Programme (FVTP) e-learning

The Female Veterans Transformation Programme (FVTP) is a UK-wide initiative which has developed resources to help organisations better recognise, understand, and support the circa 272,000 female veterans living in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. It was funded by NHS England, Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust, the Office for Veterans’ Affairs and the Veterans Foundation, delivered in partnership with the Cobseo Female Veterans Cluster and Women’s Royal Army Corps Association.

The toolkit is hosted on the AFCFT website and freely available for organisations to use: https://covenantfund.org.uk/female-veterans-toolkit/

FVTP are announcing that their free e-learning is now available to show you how to use the toolkit and understand the unique needs of female veterans, from healthcare and employment, to community and peer support and much more.

The e-learning can be accessed via the toolkit link above, or directly at this link: https://female-veterans.covenantfund.org.uk/

What is a veteran?

Veterans are defined as anyone who has served for at least one day in His Majesty’s Armed Forces (Regular or Reserve) or Merchant Mariners who have seen duty on legally defined military operations. There are currently 2.4 million veterans in Great Britain.

There are 2.4 million veterans in Great Britain. 40% of veterans are 16-64 years old. The percentage of working age veterans is set to increase to 44% by 2028. 60% of veterans are over 65. 75% of veterans own their home or have a mortgage. It is estimated that 3% to 6% of those sleeping rough have served in the Armed Forces. 75% are healthy, 17% have fair health and 8% have bad health. Want to learn more? Tune in to our ‘being forces friendly’ podcast’.

Listen to our team of veterans talk about their experiences: transitioning from the UK Armed Forces and what the word ‘veteran’ means to them.

Veterans’ employment

Office for Veterans’ Affairs (OVA)

The Office for Veterans’ Affairs (OVA) is part of the MOD, leading on the government’s policy on veterans. The OVA work with devolved administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, local governments, charities and businesses to provide support to veterans when they need it. They offer programs and resources to help veterans get into better employment and continue making great contributions to society after leaving the armed forces.

OP ASCEND – careers after Service

Veterans in the UK now have access to OP ASCEND, which aims to improve the career support available to veterans, regardless of when they left Service.

Sign up to Op ASCEND

Veterans Strategy

This strategy sets the government’s new vision for veterans. In doing so we are clear about the security and growth challenges we face – and our plans to respond to them as set out in the Strategic Defence Review. This strategy challenges the whole of society to think differently about those who have served in the armed forces, their offer and their potential.

Veterans Strategy - GOV.UK

The Reed Group

The Reed Group has created an internal Armed Forces Veterans and Reservists Group (AFVR) community.

The AFVR Group’s benefits include:

• offering employees a support group of people with similar experiences
• recreating a sense of camaraderie that they may be missing from their time in the forces
• offering an optional buddy system for mentoring new staff, especially when this is a member’s first civilian job
• sharing Armed Forces events, news and experiences

Their working group will also hold group-wide talks to raise awareness for employing the Armed Forces Community, the benefits they bring to employers, and how they can be supported. Reed opens group talks to external stakeholders to host and bring their expertise, and they welcome anyone who would be interested in attending. If you would like to participate, email the Reed Armed Forces Community at ArmedForces.Community@reed.com.

The Forces Employment Charity

The Forces Employment Charity stands by ex-Forces personnel through a range of programmes and practical support. Supporting anyone who has served at least one day in His Majesty’s Regular Armed Forces, or Merchant Mariners who have seen duty on legally defined military operations. Support is delivered by experienced advisors, many of whom also served. The Forces Employment Charity advisors are committed to helping veterans succeed through their working lives.

The Forces Employment Charity programmes provide a range of practical tools and advice to help veterans use their military skills to stand out from the crowd.

The support provided includes:

• advice on career choices
• researching the job market
• job matching
• advice on training
• recommendations for courses and education
• support with writing a CV
• advice on interview techniques
• expert industry knowledge and updates
• events and employment fairs

For more information visit The Forces Employment Charity.

The Poppy Factory

The Poppy Factory helps veterans and their families to make progress on the path to employment. The charity’s Veteran and Family Services team are based regionally throughout England and Wales, offering regular one-to-one contact with veterans and their families. They can help with CV writing, job search, support with training, exploring new opportunities, interview preparation, overcoming obstacles and in-work support.

Veterans Employment Service: If you’ve served in the Armed Forces and you have a health condition, The Poppy Factory’s Veterans Employment Service can help you on your journey towards employment. Specialist consultants are based regionally across England and Wales, offering local knowledge and regular one-to-one contact.

Families Employment Service: If you’re 18 and over, and your career has been affected by a family member’s time in the Forces, the Families Employment Service can help you build a brighter working future that suits your circumstances and aspirations. Specialist, adaptable support is delivered over the phone, by email and video call.

Navigator: Up to six months of specialist one-to-one support is available through The Poppy Factory’s Navigator service. If you’re a veteran, it can help you take practical steps towards employment through hobbies, activities and opportunities for training or volunteering. Please check the website for regions where Navigator is available.

Visit The Poppy Factory website

Forces-friendly employers

More than 14,500 organisations have committed to improving the lives of Service people and their families.

Since 2011, the Armed Forces Covenant has been a promise that, as a society, we will acknowledge that those who serve or have served in the Armed Forces and their families should be treated with fairness and respect.

Read more about Forces-friendly employers

Veterans and small businesses

Veterans: A Force for Business

X-Forces Enterprise (XFE) and the Federation of Small Business (FSB) have collaborated extensively over the last few years, beginning with an insightful report into the business landscape for Service leavers: A Force For Business.

The report highlights the contribution of the UK’s veteran population to the small business sector, with 6% of small business owned by veterans in Great Britain. However the report shows that there is scope for this to be increased, greater numbers of veterans starting, growing or working in Great Britain’s millions of small businesses would see benefits for individuals, businesses and communities.

Veterans’ support

Support for veterans and their families - OVA directory

The Office for Veterans’ Affairs (OVA) and Ministry of Defence (MOD) have launched Support for veterans and their families, replacing the Veterans Gateway.

The services include support with physical and mental health, finance, employment, housing and social care.

Fighting with Pride

Fighting With Pride (FWP) is a military charity, created on the 20th anniversary of the complete lifting of the ban on LGBTQ+ service – the ‘Gay Ban’.

Initially Fighting With Pride was created to support those affected by the ‘Gay Ban’ lifted on 12th January 2000, where thousands of LGBTQ+ service personnel were removed or forced from service and abandoned, having served with pride. Today FWP also supports current serving personnel, their families and those leaving the services today to be proud members of the LGBTQ+ Armed Forces Community.

Reach out to Fighting with Pride

Defence Medical Welfare Service

Defence Medical Welfare Service (DMWS) improve physical and mental health, and social and emotional wellbeing through  professional welfare support to the armed forces community (serving, reservists, veterans), The Merchant Navy, the military bereaved, and their families/carers.

They also support other frontline services including the police counselling and structured professional support. These sessions are focussed on ensuring the right support is in place to maintain a healthy level of wellbeing, promoting resilience and supporting staff to stay at their best.

They provide a range of clinical and non-clinical interventions, through times of stress and uncertainty, during medical treatment at the hospital bedside, back home, and in the community or on deployed operations in challenging frontline environments. They support improvements in physical and mental wellbeing, housing and finance issues, family relationships, substance misuse, social isolation and more.

For further information or support please contact them:

Email: referrals@dmws.org.uk Website: www.dmws.org.uk

Armed Forces & Veterans’ Breakfast Clubs

The Armed Forces & Veterans Breakfast Clubs (AFVBC) is now the single largest veterans organisation in the UK, and membership growing weekly.

With over 400 clubs nationally and 15 overseas, the AFVBC seeks to end social isolation for veterans. The clubs bring people with a connection to the UK Armed Forces together and offers a chance to reminisce, share stories and interact with a community that is missed by most when leaving the Armed Forces.

The AFVBC is also conducting five pilot programmes in HM prisons across the UK, building a Armed Forces community within HM prisons. These pilot programmes help with social interaction, rehabilitation and a support structure for veterans who are currently within the criminal justice system.

Find your local AFVBC

Royal British Legion (RBL)

As the country’s largest armed forces charity, the Royal British Legion offers a large range of support to the community. They offer support after just one day of Service and continually through life, long after Service is over.

The Royal British Legion’s online knowledge base can help you find out what support the charity offers and what you could be eligible for as someone who has served.

Find out more about the Royal British Legion

Forces Pension Society

The Forces Pension Society is an independent, not-for-profit membership funded organisation. They act as a pension watchdog for the whole armed forces community and raise awareness about the complexities and benefits of their Armed Forces Pension. The Society empowers its members to make better, well-informed choices about their Armed Forces Pension, and provide members of the Armed Forces Pension Schemes and their partners with personalised pension guidance.

They also work in collaboration with government to ensure the appropriate delivery of your pension, and run a series of roadshows and other educational sessions to better prepare the Armed Forces community on all pension matters.

2025 Unclaimed Pensions campaign

Blind Veterans UK

Blind Veterans UK is the national charity for ex-Service men and women with severe sight loss.

The charity helps blind veterans to learn vital life skills and gives them the rehabilitation, training and support they need to live independent lives.

Veterans and the devolved nations

Northern Ireland

The Veterans Commissioner provides an independent voice on behalf of veterans and their families living in Northern Ireland on a range of issues, including health, housing, welfare and social interaction.

More information about Northern Ireland’s Veterans Commissioner

Brooke House Health & Wellbeing Centre Strengthens Commitment to the Armed Forces Community Through Armed Forces Covenant Signing

Earlier this week, Brooke House Health & Wellbeing Centre formally signed the Armed Forces Covenant during a special ceremony hosted by Viscount and Viscountess Brookeborough at the historic Colebrooke Park estate in County Fermanagh.

The Covenant was signed on behalf of Brooke House by Brigadier John Graham OBE DL FFPH, Board Chair of Brooke House Health & Wellbeing Centre, marking another important milestone in the charity’s longstanding commitment to supporting serving personnel, veterans, former police officers, members of the wider uniformed services, and their families and carers.

Read the full story on Reserve Forces and Cadets Association for Northern Ireland

Veterans Newsletter for Northern Ireland

The newsletter for the Veterans Commissioner for Northern Ireland office has been updated, with news on Valour, remembering Op TELIC, and more updates from the veterans community.

Read the newsletter on the NI Veterans Commissioner’s Office

Help for Heroes Community Sports Series

The Help for Heroes (H4H) Community Sports Series that took place last year was the first ever in Northern Ireland (NI); there was a great turn out of 70 Veterans and Families and H4H hope to attract over 100 this year, with a wide range of new taster sports on offer, in conjunction with Disability Sport NI and a number of local professional veteran friendly providers. For potential participants to sign up, they just need to scan the QR code and register by 31 July if possible. The deadline may be extended by the H4H Team, subject to the numbers that have registered on 31 July.

More information on Community Sports Series Help For Heroes

Scotland

The Scottish Veterans Commissioner works to improve outcomes and opportunities for veterans and their families in Scotland. This involves influencing policymakers to address any changes required in devolved public services.

More information on the Scottish Veterans Commissioner

The Scottish Government and its Veterans Unit support the veterans and their families in Scotland. Support for the armed forces community - mygov.scot

Follow the Veterans Unit on X

Wales

The Welsh Government, public sector bodies, the tri-Services, employers and the charitable sector work in partnership provide information and support for Armed Forces personnel, veterans and their families in Wales.

Valley Veterans Welcomes First Minister

Valley Veterans welcomed First Minister Rhun ap Iorwerth to its award-winning Rhondda Valley hub, showcasing the life-changing support it provides to veterans in the area.

During the visit, the First Minister met with both volunteers and veterans, to learn about the wide range of vital services provided by the veteran-led charity.

Grants and funding

Funding and grants are available for organisations wishing to support the Armed Forces; however, they will not be available for individual support. If you require specific and individual assistance, please get in touch, and we will advise you on the best course of action.

Armed Covenant Fund Trust

The Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust (The Trust) funds projects that support the delivery of the nation’s covenant promise to our serving personnel, veterans and their families.

The Trust is a charity and is classified as a Non-Departmental Public Body (NDPB). It administers the Armed Forces Covenant Fund, worth £10 million each year. 

The Armed Forces Covenant Fund has 4 aims:

1. Providing non-core healthcare services for veterans 2. Removing barriers to family life 3. Supporting serving personnel and veterans who need help 4. Integrating military and civilian communities and allowing the armed forces community to participate as citizens

Find out about available funding opportunities

Find out about organisations that have been awarded grant funding

Veterans Foundation

The Veterans’ Foundation was set up in 2016 to raise funds to help improve the lives of all within the armed forces community who need it. The funds raised are then donated to charities and organisations that have a real impact on those currently serving, veterans, and their families. These organisations support a range of needs, including mental health, physical therapy and rehabilitation, homelessness and education and training and more.

Charities and charitable organisations find it increasingly difficult to raise the funds they need to continue their vital and often life-changing work and rely on The Veterans’ Foundation for grants to support them. That was why retired Major General David Shaw set up The Veterans’ Foundation in 2016 and why it has grown to be one of the UK’s leading military charities.

Its main fundraising initiative is the Veterans’ Lottery – the largest single-cause lottery in the UK – which has granted more than £30 million to charitable organisations that support the armed forces community.

Veteran education

High Ground

High Ground helps Service leavers, reservists and veterans assess their military skills and experience and how these apply to the land-based sector. It also offers many opportunities for employment and self-employment.

High Ground offers Virtual Rural Weeks: The virtual week consists of 8 sessions delivered online over a period of three days, giving attendees a general overview of the sector and a chance to ask questions of presenters as well. The sessions tend to include: agriculture, arboriculture, forestry, rural estate management, landscape gardening, self-employment and environmental conservation.

Dates for 2026 virtual rural week:

• Tuesday 15 to Thursday 17 September

• Tuesday 10 to Thursday 12 November

Register for the virtual rural week

Families and children

Education support is available for veterans and serving families through the following programmes:

• Armed Forces Education Trust - for children and young adults whose education has been compromised as a result of a parents’ past or current Service.
• Reading Force - uses reading to bring forces children and families closer together.
• Forces Children Scotland - provides general support for children and young people from Armed Forces families in Scotland.
• Scotty’s Little Soldiers - Scotty’s Little Soldiers is a charity dedicated to supporting children and young people from 0 to 25 years who have experienced the death of a parent who served in the British Armed Forces. When a young person joins Scotty’s, they become a member and are supported until their 25th birthday. Whether it be one-to-one bereavement support, a respite break with the family, an opportunity to meet others in a similar situation, or access to extracurricular activities, Scotty’s is always there for its members to ensure they don’t feel alone.

Service Charity Sector: Insight and Engagement

Cobseo (The Confederation of Service Charities), through its membership of Service charities represents the whole serving and Veterans Community. Visit the Cobseo website where you will find the most up to date news, funding opportunities, help and transition guidance for Veterans and their families.

Veterans Awards

Companies and organisations across the UK are celebrated for their support to the Armed Forces community.

The Veterans Awards

The Veterans Awards are open to all Armed Forces veterans, serving reservists and organisations and companies that support or employ people from the Armed Forces community.

Soldiering On Awards

The Soldiering On Awards recognise outstanding achievement in the Armed Forces community.

Heropreneurs Awards

The Heropreneurs Awards celebrate the achievements of the military and veteran community in a commercial environment.

Contact us

Enquiries

If you have a question about support and services available to veterans, please contact us.

Contact us

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

Related content

• New Employer Engagement Handbook
• Office for Veterans’ Affairs (OVA)
• Defence Relationship Management
• Cobseo - the Confederation of Service Charities
• The Strategy for our Veterans
• Veterans Fact Sheet 2020
• An employers’ guide to hiring Veterans
• Supporting veterans’ transition to civilian life through employment
• Armed Forces & Veterans Breakfast Club
• Northern Ireland Veterans Commissioner
• Scottish Veterans Commissioner
• Wales - Armed Forces and Veterans