Durham based charity Finchale, which supports veterans and their families from the North East has received a grant of more than £100,000 to continue its valuable work in the community.
The grant comes from ABF The Soldiers’ Charity, the British Army’s national charity, and will provide support to 70 Ex-forces personnel from across the region.
In addition to helping with the cost of staffing, the grant will go towards providing individualised, professional case management that will enable veterans from the North East to access support in areas such as personal finance, housing, relationships, mental and physical health, training and education, whilst learning the necessary skills to get back into employment.
As part of the project, individuals will also be able to access employability support focussed on translating acquired military knowledge, skills and experience into language recognised by commercial employers working with Finchale’s recruitment service that matches individuals with North East businesses looking to take advantage of Ex-forces personnel as assets to their organisations.
Andy Wildish, Veterans Services and Operations Manager at Finchale said:
“We are absolutely committed to helping our ex-forces personnel and are delighted to have been awarded this grant. We’re really grateful for The Soldiers’ Charity’s continued support which will enable us to help even more Army veterans on an individual basis to obtain the support, skills, and qualifications they need, to gain the employment they want.
When you leave the Army, it can be a significant challenge to adapt to the pressures and demands of everyday civilian life, especially for those who may be suffering from the added burden of mental health problems or long-term injury. We continue year on year to see increases in the demand for support from the Ex-forces community in the North East and the awarded funds will go some way to ensuring that each individual receives the support they need so that they can access the opportunities they deserve. Without the support of charities such as ABF The Soldiers’ Charity none of this would be possible“
Brigadier (Ret’d) Robin Bacon, Chief of Staff, ABF The Soldiers’ Charity adds: “It is essential that our veterans can access help when they need it. Finchale provides support across a range of areas including education and training, housing and physical and mental health with great outcomes for our veterans in the North East. Thank you for all of your hard work.”
Last year Finchale provided support to over 600 individuals with over 75% achieving positive outcomes including improvements in wellbeing, access to training and gaining paid employment.
For further information about Veterans Services at Finchale visit www.finchale.org or call 0191 386 2634.
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Notes to editor
Finchale
Finchale is a well-established charity that helps people to gain sustainable employment and progress in work. We provide fully funded, specialist training and employment support working with a range of individuals including those who are unemployed, disabled people, veterans, their families and dependants from across the North East Region. We put job seekers at the heart of what we do and offer a range of services that enable individuals to get to where they want to be, building capability and inspiring belief.
Finchale works with a wide range of employers and partners of all sizes from across the public, private and third sectors.
ABF The Soldiers’ Charity
ABF The Soldiers’ Charity is the National Charity of the British Army. It gives a lifetime of support to soldiers, veterans and their immediate families, in times of need.
The Soldiers’ Charity makes grants to individuals through their Regiments and Corps and supports a wide range of specialist charities that sustain the British Army ‘family’, both at home and around the world. It has been doing this since 1944, working with veterans of every conflict, and envisages continuing doing so for the ‘long haul’ – supporting all future generations of our soldiers and their immediate families.
In the past year, the charity has supported more than 4,500 individuals and given grants to 92 specialist organisations and partner charities, which delivered support on its behalf.
Website: www.soldierscharity.org
Twitter: @soldierscharity
Facebook: www.facebook.com/soldierscharity
Instagram: @soldierscharity
For further information please contact: Katharine Hawking, Social Media and Marketing Officer, Tel: 0191 386 2634, Mob: 07540 963734, Email: katharine.hawking@finchale.org
