Please see below for a list of armed forces charities and support services:
- Royal British Legion – The Royal British Legion is here to help members of the Royal Navy, British Army, Royal Air Force, veterans and their families.
- Gloucestershire SSAFA – SSAFA, the Armed Forces charity is a trusted source of support for serving personnel, veterans, and their families in their time of need.
- Help for Hero’s – The leading charity for the armed forces community. Find out what we do. No matter when or where they served, we are at the veteran’s side for as long as it takes.
- Gloucestershire Health and Care NHS Trust – As a Trust GHC are committed to supporting veterans and the armed forces community and have aligned their values with the Armed Forces Covenant.
- Blind Veterans UK – Help for vision-impaired ex-Servicemen and women to rebuild their lives after sight loss.
- Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust– Named a Veteran Aware hospitals trust in recognition of their commitment to improving NHS care for veterans, reservists, members of the armed forces and their families.
- Gloucestershire Forces Hub– The ‘FORCES HUB’ is a Gloucestershire monthly group that hopes to strengthen the networking knowledge of the Veterans’ groups that are already offering social and welfare support to Veterans in the county.
- Veterans Welfare Service – The Veterans Welfare Service (VWS) provides a professional help and advice service to veterans or anyone supporting a veteran, their families and dependants.
- Armed Forces Network – Armed Forces Network (AFN) is commissioned by the Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) across both Sussex and Kent & Medway and started in Sussex in 2011. It is a multi-organisational group which includes members from the NHS, MoD, Armed Forces Reservists, Mental and Physical Health Clinicians, the Royal British Legion, SSAFA and other interested charities and organisations from across Sussex (i.e. police and local authorities).
Other useful links and attachments
- Gloucester rugby foundation programme information poster (PDF)
- Veteran patient charter (PDF)
- Gloucestershire Armed Forces Veterans Connect (glosafv.blogspot.com)
Out of hours support
- Samaritans freephone 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org – to access confidential emotional support for feelings of distress, despair or suicide thoughts.
- Big White Wall – a safe online service providing access to millions with anxiety, depression and other common mental health issues. Free for serving personnel, veterans, family members and carers.
- Shout – a crisis text support service for people in the military community who are struggling and need immediate support to get through a crisis. Text CONTACT to 85258.
- Forces line telephone helpline: 0800 7314880 (Monday to Friday, 10:30am to 7:30pm) or email. For serving personnel, former members of the Armed Forces and their families.
- NHS 111 – to access medical help fast but when it’s not a 999 emergency, call 111 (available 24 hours). To access information from the NHS on conditions, treatments, local services and healthy living following the link to NHS Choices.
- Veterans UK – to seek information on claiming AFCS, Armed Forces Independence Payment, Medical Discharges and Pension Forecast Requests.