Forces Friends, a project providing support to older military veterans, has been awarded the Working Together Award, sponsored by the Forces in Mind Trust (FiMT), at the Soldiering On national awards ceremony on Friday evening (24 March 2017) in London.
The annual Soldiering On Awards provide national recognition for exceptional individuals and organisations working within the Armed Forces Community, and is run by the Soldiering On Through Life Trust. The Working Together award, which recognises an organisation that has demonstrated a commitment to collaboration with the Armed Forces Community, is sponsored for the second time by FiMT.
Forces Friends is the partnership between Age UK Nottingham & Nottinghamshire, and The Royal British Legion providing support to older military veterans experiencing isolation or loneliness. The organisation provides trained volunteer visiting services to deliver support for isolated and lonely military veterans and their dependents aged over 60. The project provides short term support to enable older veterans and their dependents to reconnect with social networks and help overcome the problems of loneliness. Their trained volunteers, mainly from Forces or Royal British Legion backgrounds, offer one-to-one home visits to provide companionship and social support, as well as trips into the wider community.
Nicholas Rhodes from Age UK Notts as well as Digby Bown and Linda Flecknell from The Royal British Legion, on behalf of Forces Friends, were presented with the award by Hans Pung, Chairman of the Forces in Mind Trust, at an awards ceremony held in London’s Park Plaza Westminster Bridge Hotel.
John Anderton from Age UK Notts, said: “The award means a lot to us as an organisation because it recognises the very valuable contribution made by our volunteers to improving the lives of older veterans and their dependents. We acknowledge the support of the Royal British Legion at branch and area level and it’s been a pleasure to work in such close collaboration.”
Linda Flecknell from The Royal British Legion, said: “Forces Friends is a fantastic example of how two charities with different expertise but a shared aim, can come together to help change the lives of the people in our community. In a short space of time Forces Friends has come to mean so much to the veterans of Nottinghamshire and we are so proud of the joint Age UK Notts and Legion Forces Friends team that has made this project a realty.”
Anne Donoghue Chief Executive of the Soldering On Awards said: “The Soldiering On Awards recognise great achievements of former members of the Armed Forces Community and those who support that community. We look to reward and spread the word about initiatives which are creating a positive ripple of change in society, both nationally and locally. The Forces Friends Project is an exemplary example of a collaboration between The Royal British Legion and Age UK for the benefit of veterans and, thereby society as a whole. The Armed Forces Community is part of the wider community and the Forces Friends Project shows how we can support each other, and in doing so proves we are all the better for it. “
Ray Lock, Chief Executive of Forces in Mind Trust, said: “We are delighted to recognise projects, like Forces Friends, where organisations have worked together to prevent the loneliness and social isolation that some veterans are at risk of experiencing in later life. This is the second year the Forces in Mind Trust has sponsored this award and we are delighted to see so many fantastic examples of collaboration, which will help to spread knowledge of best practice across the military and wider charity sectors, and is key to making sure that those vulnerable to failed transition receive the help they need”.
ENDS
Ray Lock is available for interviews. To arrange an interview please contact Jack Rodway at jrodway@theproffice.com or on 07824 119 171 or 0207 284 6961 or Kate Turner at kturner@theproffice.com or on 07919 887 036 or 0207 284 6944.
About the Forces in Mind Trust (FiMT):
FiMT came about from a partnership between the Big Lottery Fund (‘the Fund’), Cobseo (The Confederation of Service Charities) and other charities and organisations. FiMT continues the Fund’s long-standing legacy of support for veterans across the UK with an endowment of £35 million awarded in 2012. http://www.biglotteryfund.org.uk/.
The mission of FiMT is to enable ex-Service personnel and their families make a successful and sustainable transition to civilian life, and it delivers this mission by generating an evidence base that influences and underpins policy making and service delivery.
FiMT awards grants (for both responsive and commissioned work) to support its change model around 6 outcomes in the following areas: Housing; Employment; Health and wellbeing; Finance; Criminal Justice System; and Relationships. All work is published in open access and hosted on the Veterans’ Research Hub. A high standard of reportage is demanded of all grant holders so as to provide a credible evidence base from which better informed decisions can be made.
Useful links
- Website: www.fim-trust.org
- Reports: www.fim-trust.org/reports/
- Who we have helped: www.fim-trust.org/who-we-have-helped/
- Twitter: @FIMTrust
- About the Mental Health Research Programme: www.fim-trust.org/mental-health/research-programme/
