Community Covenants signed in Birmingham and Fife

The signing of Fife's Community Covenant [picture MOD copyright]

Birmingham and Fife are the latest regions to sign up to the Armed Forces Community Covenant, committed to supporting members of the Armed Forces

Representatives from the Fife Partnership and the Armed Forces met on 21 February, in Glenrothes to sign Fife's Armed Forces Community Covenant while at the same time Birmingham's civic leaders also joined with representatives of the Armed Forces in England's second city.

The important new agreements will build on existing good relations between the Armed Forces and public sector organisations in both Fife and Birmingham and follow several other such agreements signed in communities up and down the country.

The aim of the Community Covenant is to encourage organisations across the UK to support the Armed Forces community in accessing the assistance they might need.

In Fife, for example, this could include support from the charity and voluntary sector as well as organisations including Fife Council, NHS Fife, and Fife Constabulary.

Shropshire Union Canal in Birmingham [picture MOD copyright]

In Birmingham, the Covenant will benefit both serving and ex-Service personnel, covering vital areas including housing, employment, education and health. Under the Covenant, the council will establish a set of principles which will set out how it will support veterans in making the transition back into civilian life.

In addition, as part of the Covenant, members of the Armed Forces will be encouraged to do as much as they can to support the communities they live in and promote activities which help integrate the Service community into civilian life.

Join our hub

You can also access the hub direct on your Smart phone by using the QR code below

We  launched our new Charity Hub which provides detailed information on charities and other organisations that provide support to the Armed Forces community.

With an increasing number of visitors to our  website each month, we’re hoping the hub will be a valuable tool for both ex-Service personnel and their families and all the organisations supporting them.

Scan to get straight to the Charity Hub

The pages provide comprehensive, at a glance pages utilising existing valuable contacts and incorporating many new ones too.

Any charities or organisations, supporting veterans, who want to sign up to the hub,  please express interest by dropping us an email.

SPVA Charity Hub near completion

If you're an organisation or charity supporting the veterans community, then make sure we have your details to add to our new Charity Hub which is due to be launched at the end of the month.

The Charity Hub will provide information on organisations, charities or services that support veterans, in either the community or voluntary sector.

Upholding the pledge

The new ministerial committee will uphold pledges to the Armed Forces

 A new ministerial committee will ensure that the Government delivers promises made under the Armed Forces Covenant as part of a cross-Government effort to keep the interests of Service Personnel at the heart of the nation.

The committee, led by Oliver Letwin, Minister for Government Policy, will oversee the work and ensure that momentum is maintained.

The new committee will work closely with the Covenant Reference Group which is made up of charities and families federations to raise issues on behalf of Service personnel, their families and veterans.

New support package for the Welsh Armed Forces Community

A soldier of The Royal Welsh is welcomed home from operations in Afghanistan by his son (stock image)
[Picture: Sergeant Ian Forsyth, Crown Copyright/MOD 2011]

A package of support for the Armed Forces Community in Wales has been launched by the Welsh Government.

There are estimated to be at least a quarter of a million members of the Armed Forces Community in Wales including serving personnel, reservists, cadets and all their families as well as ex-Service personnel.

The package of support sets out commitments to the Armed Forces Community on devolved matters.  These include ongoing as well as new commitments and range from healthcare and housing to education and childcare.

Share your stories for remembrance

See Hear, the BBC’s programme for the Deaf and Hard of hearing and planning to broadcast a special Remembrance Day episode on 9 November and are keen to find personnel or incident-related stories relating to deafness in conflict or military service.

At the moment their remit is quite wide, so they can identify potential stories. So, you don’t need to have served in the Armed Forces, if you were a civilian in a back-up role such as Fire Watching, Munitions Production, Land Army, Nursing, driving or any of the other myriad roles that need filling during times of conflict, then consider sharing your story.

In fact anything to do with war or conflict, in either the Second World War or more recently in Northern Ireland, the Falklands Conflict, Iraq, Kuwait, the Balkans . . . would be of interest to See Hear, if it involves deafness or hearing loss. Ideally they are looking either for people who have suffered serious hearing loss due to military action or Service or people who were born deaf but have been able to serve in some way during one of the nation’s conflicts. Further details about the potential stories See Hear are looking for, can be found here.

To be considered for the programme, send a brief synopsis of your story via email to John Lakey BBC researcher or call 0121 567660. Then he may contact you to look into it in more detail. Please remember to include: your contact details, email, phone and address.

A visit to the Poppy Factory

Minister for Defence Personnel, Welfare and Veterans, Andrew Robathan, in the Poppy Factory warehouse with the charity's Chief Executive, Melanie Waters
[Picture: Richard Watt, Crown Copyright/MOD 2011]

Have you ever visited the MOD's website?  On a daily basis, there are new online stories highlighting news or features that will be of interest to the Armed Forces Community.

I spotted this article online.  The Minister for Defence, Personnel, Welfare and Veterans, Andrew Robathan, visited the Poppy Factory charity. Now the charity has launched a five-year campaign to help 500 wounded, sick and injured ex-Service personnel into employment.

To get an idea of what the charity can do, then take a look at our latest issue of Veterans WORLD.  In this issue, we've published a double-page feature on the charity (pages 12 and 13) and their plans, with a case study on Ewan Stewart, a disabled veteran they've helped back into employment.

Take a look and find out more . . .

Countdown to Armed Forces Day continues

It's just over a week to go until Armed Forces Day 2011, so how are you planning to spend the day?

One of Britain's most successful Paralympians of all time, Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson, is encouraging people to go and support troops during Armed Forces Day.

It’s an opportunity to do two things. Firstly, to raise public awareness of the contribution made to our country by those who serve and have served in Her Majesty’s Armed Forces, Secondly, it gives the nation an opportunity to Show Your Support for the men and women who make up the Armed Forces community: from currently serving troops to Service families and from veterans to cadets.



Armed Forces Day will be on Saturday, 25 June 2011.

With the National Event being held in Edinburgh and other events being organised across the UK, make sure you know what's being planned and how to get involved by visiting the official website.

'Our War' - a personal experience

Bjorn Rose, former Army Lieutenant, has written about army life in Afghanistan for the BBC TV blog [Copyright Simon Panter/BBC]

Tomorrow night, the first episode of Our War airs on BBC Three, the three-part series marking a decade of the War in Afghanistan. 

The first episode - Ambushed - focuses on 1 Battalion Royal Anglian's tour of Helmand Province in 2007. The whole tour was filmed on a helmet camera by the platoon's sergeant (the MOD gave the BBC unprecedented access to thousands of hours of footage shot on helmet cameras and personal video cameras).  During the tour, the platoon suffered a casualty with the loss of 19 year old Private Chris Gray. 

Bjorn Rose, a former Army Lieutenant, was the officer commanding 3 (Corunna) Platoon (one of the nine platoons in the Battalion) and is featured in the Ambushed episode. He talks about his involvement in the series and impact of Private Gray's death in a moving blog post, which can be read on the BBC TV blog post  here.

Wear your uniform to work

Royal Naval Reservist Able Seaman Ritchie Wilkinson speaks with presenters Phillip Schofield and Jenni Falconer on ITV1's This Morning [Picture: Copyright Ken McKay 2011]

Now a regular event as part of the build up to Armed Forces Day, Uniform to Work Day will be held on June 22. 

The day is a great opportunity to highlight the the important role that Reserves play in serving their country.

Uniform to Work Day will mean many reservists leaving their suit and tie at home and donning their Forces uniform to wear to work instead. Last year, thousands of reservists took part in the initiative to show their pride in giving their time for their country.

Three reservists are already preparing for Uniform to Work Day, see more on their story online.

Senior Aircraftman Dave Haygarth of the Royal Auxiliary Air Force wears his RAF uniform during his day job as the Energy Manager for the London Borough of Hillingdon. [Picture: Sergeant Andy Malthouse RAF, Crown Copyright/MOD 2011]

'Our War' - marking a decade in Afghanistan

New BBC Three series will look at a decade in Afghanistan

Marking a decade of the War in Afghanistan, BBC Three is airing a new three-part series Our War next week.

The MOD gave the BBC unprecedented access to thousands of hours of footage shot on helmet cameras and personal video cameras.  The series will give a unique insight into the War, told through films shot by the soldiers themselves.

With the raw honesty of first person stories of life on the front line, the series offers a gripping and poignant insight into every aspect of the young soldiers' experiences -  the average age of the soldiers is 21 - from fear to boredom, grief to bravery, the camaraderie of the platoon and the return home.

The first episode - Ambushed - will air on June 7 at 9pm. This episode focuses on 1 Battalion Royal Anglian's tour of Helmand Province in 2007.

The second episode - The Invisible Enemy - will air on June 14 at 9pm.  This episode follows the plight of the first troops sent to Helmand Province in 2006 and shows how, three years later, Improvised Explosive Devices had changed the War.

The final episode - Caught in the Crossfire  - will air on June 21 at 9pm.  This episode looks at the transition from bloody conflict to the fight for 'hearts and minds' as civilians and the military are caught in the crossfire.

Join in 10th anniversary celebrations at the Arboretum

Armed Forces Memorial at Dawn (courtesy Nick Mott)

As part of the National Memorial Arboretum’s (NMA) 10th anniversary celebrations, members of the public are being invited to attend a very special Summer open evening event.

Taking place from 6pm on this Wednesday, you will have the chance to explore this remarkable site, which is set in over 150 acres of wooded parkland and has over 200 memorials, at a time when visits are not normally allowed.

Laying wreath on Armed Forces Memorial (courtesy Driftwood Images)

The evening will feature a talk by Chief Executive Charlie Bagot Jewitt. He will reflect on what the Arboretum, which is part of The Royal British Legion family of charities, has achieved over the last ten years. He will also explore the vision for the Arboretum and explain the current status of the £8million NMA Appeal and landscape plans.

Armed Forces Memorial at the NMA (courtesy Red Devil Photography)

For more information,  contact the NMA. Gates are open from 6pm and the presentation will start at 7.30pm. Admission is free, although donations are appreciated. Guided tours are available, however a charge applies and advance booking is recommended. Light refreshments will be available from the Arbour Restaurant until 9pm and gates close at 10pm.

Latest issue of Veterans WORLD now online

The latest issue of our external magazine Veterans WORLD is now available online.

Our April edition is full of informative articles which will be of particular interest to those advising veterans and their families.

In this issue

Articles range from initiatives for bereaved Service children to horticultural therapy to go-karting! There are also a few articles focusing on resettlement schemes for Service personnel. We have a page providing some useful advice on dealing with debt and a preview of Armed Forces Day 2011. That’s just a quick round-up, to hear more about this issue check out our new podcast; in which Laurie Manton, Editor-in-Chief of Veterans WORLD tells Joanne Lowe about the latest edition.

So, now we have podcasts, blogs and tweets there really is no excuse to be missing out!

If you work in an advisory capacity with ex-Service personnel and their families and you still don’t receive Veterans WORLD, request your copy here.

We are always on the look-out for new initiatives to make interesting articles, so if you think you have something that would fit the bill please submit an article to us for consideration at the Veterans WORLD email.

The AFCS Review – one year on

It’s been a busy year since the Review of the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme was published last February. The Review was carried out by former Chief of the Defence Staff, Admiral the Lord Boyce, in 2010 and it made a number of recommendations.

The majority of changes required legislative amendments to the Scheme and all of these have now been laid before Parliament.

With this legislation now in place, it will mean that the Government has fulfilled its promise to implement all of Lord Boyce’s recommendations within a year.

Some changes recommended by the Review were made more quickly and took effect from August 2010.

Changes to the Scheme have included an average increase of 25% to all lump sum payments, (except the highest payment which was already doubled to £570,000 in 2008) and a change to the way payments are calculated for multiple injuries, which will ensure that individuals will receive some compensation for each of their injuries that occur from a single incident. The changes will still guarantee that the most seriously injured receive the most compensation.

Another recommendation was for the creation of an Independent Medical Expert Group (IMEG) to look at how specific illnesses and injuries, including mental health, are compensated. The group has just published their first report. All of the recommendations made by the IMEG have now been incorporated to the Scheme for example, the maximum amount payable for mental illness has now almost tripled, to £140,000.

All of the changes to the Scheme will be operational from 9th May 2011.

The Government’s Response to the Lord Boyce Review has now been published. You can read it here.

Awards season isn' t just for Hollywood

SPVA has won a major US Award for the Joint Personnel Administration System

SPVA has won a major award at the prestigious 2011 ‘Human Capital Management in Defence’ (HCMD) awards held in Arlington, Virginia USA. We were the only organisation nominated from outside the USA and went on to win the main award for the implementation of the Joint Personnel Administration (JPA) System for our Armed Forces.

SPVA came top in the ‘Best Implementation of an Enterprise Technology System’ category. This recognises the best program implementation of a human resources IT system aimed at streamlining a specific HR process in order to drive down costs and improve efficiency and productivity.

The award recognises the success of the outsourcing relationship within SPVA between the Ministry of Defence and HP Enterprise Services that started in November 1997, and included the successful introduction of JPA in 2006. JPA has revolutionised Armed Forces’ pay and personnel functions in the UK, bringing together the Royal Navy, Army and RAF onto one system, allowing users to update details themselves and providing one dedicated contact centre for help and support. It has delivered savings to the MOD in excess of £200 million in its first three years of operation.

In addition to SPVA, nominations came from offices and programs from across the US Federal Government, representing the Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, the IRS, Dept. of Energy, the National Park Service and the US Postal Service.

This success follows two other impressive awards received last year by SPVA and HP. At the 'Shared Services Outsourcing Network 2010 Industry Awards, in Edinburgh during May, we first won the 'Best Mature Outsourced Services Delivery' award and then went on to beat organisations from across Europe, the Middle-East and Africa to win the highest accolade of the night -the 'Winner of Winners' award.

Veterans Welfare Centres roll out completed

The Welfare Service provides one-to-one support

Our latest  podcast looks at support we provide for veterans at a local level.

The latest podcast provides an update on the five Veterans Welfare Centres launched by SPVA in 2010.

The Veterans Welfare Service provides one-to-one advice and support to veterans across the UK and Ireland.

Alan Mayers, Officer in Charge of the Welfare Service, is interviewed in the latest podcast and provides an overview of how the centres can and do support veterans in the local community.

Alan said:

“The Veterans Welfare Service is here to provide help to all veterans and their families or dependants. From our service you can expect dedicated one-to-one help and advice. Please take a listen to the podcast and find out more about how our Welfare Service is supporting veterans.”

SPVA is committed to providing awareness of initiatives and organisations supporting the Armed Forces Community. Since early 2010, we have released a number of podcasts; this latest release continues our aim of providing information and updates of initiatives and services available for this important community.

The podcast and all our other SPVA social media products are available to access on our Social Media Hub via the Veterans-UK website, and on various social media sites such as iTunes and YouTube (links can be found via our Social Media Hub).

Maintaining the Roll of Honour

The SPVA website holds information on the National Memorial and Roll of Honour

The SPVA website holds information about the Armed Forces Memorial and also houses the Roll of Honour search facility.

Inclusion on the Armed Forces Memorial  and the Roll of Honour is determined by the Armed Forces Memorial Trustees Inclusion criteria.

The Roll of Honour search facility potentially allows you to search for a person who died while they were in Service.  The Roll of Honour contains details of those who died since 01/01/1948 whose circumstances of death meet the AFM Trustees Inclusion criteria. It's normally updated monthly and currently provides information for those who died more than two years ago.

Partial Roll of Honour records: Forename, Surname and Military Decorations are also potentially available for those who died from 01/01/09 to 31/01/09.

Partial Roll of Honour records are normally reviewed 2 years after the date of death, when more information may become available.

The Roll of Honour is straightforward to use, requiring either the surname and forenames, or initials (if known), or the Service number.  When you have found the person you are looking for, there is an option to print an AFM Certificate

Veterans encouraged to have their say on support services

have your say on the services we provide

Amended 13th January 2011
SPVA is appealing to veterans to have their say about the services we deliver. Our Agency’s Veterans Customer Satisfaction Survey was  launched online, and via a hard copy postal distribution to 12,000 veterans, on 10 January, with replies requested by 28 February.

SPVA provides vital support services for HM Armed Forces and the veterans community. These include pensions and compensation for injury/disablement or death due to Service, Armed Forces occupational pensions, the national Veterans Welfare Service, a free helpline and the issue of all medals for Service dating back to WWII.

We are looking for feedback from those who have had dealings with SPVA during the past year, on what services people were happy with and what should be improved in the future.

To tell you a bit more about the survey you can listen to our latest podcast to encourage completion of the survey and provide more information. Regular presenters Clare Ellis and Don Goldie interview SPVA’s Head of Veterans Services, Jon Parkin, about why the survey is so important and how veterans fill it in.

The survey is entirely anonymous and no-one will be contacted by phone or sent mailings as a result of completing it.

The survey can be accessed by visiting the SPVA website and the following link.

For a printed copy of the survey, call 02392 702382.

Heartfelt Thanks for RAF personnel: past and present

Flight Lieutenant Marc Heal
Photography by Adrian Brooks

The RAF Benevolent Fund, the Royal Air Force’s leading welfare charity, presented a vast collection of messages of thanks to service personnel, past and present, on Sunday 19th September to mark the 70th anniversary of the Battle of Britain.

The ‘Heartfelt Thanks’ campaign gives people the opportunity to express their gratitude to the RAF for its defence of the country in the summer of 1940, and to recognise the ongoing commitment of current RAF serving personnel.

Messages from members of the public have been collected at RAF Benevolent Fund events throughout the summer, as well as online. Celebrities including Stephen Fry, Sir David Jason, Dawn French, Dan Snow, Joanna Lumley and Sophie Dahl have also contributed messages to express their appreciation.

Battle of Britain Wing Commander Bob Foster

Wing Commander Bob Foster, 90, who flew 50-60 sorties in the Battle and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) for his bravery, says he’s very touched by the public’s support:


"I'm overwhelmed by how many people have taken the time to write messages as part of the RAF Benevolent Fund's Heartfelt Thanks campaign. It's a real sign of appreciation to the whole of the RAF, not just to those of us who fought in the Battle of Britain, but to all the men and women who have served since and are currently serving. I have read some incredibly moving tributes - one card was signed by a little boy of just five - and I can tell you that it's very humbling to see such a display of gratitude on the 70th anniversary of the Battle."

Flight Lieutenant Marc Heal, 30, is a Chinook helicopter pilot based at RAF Odiham who received the DFC for service in Afghanistan. He explains what it means to be thanked:

“Those of us serving in the RAF know that people are grateful for the work that we do, but to see it written in their own words is incredibly moving. It’s a small thing to say ‘thank you’ but it means a great deal and I think people’s words of support will be a great inspiration for anyone who’s ever served, from the oldest veteran to the youngest cadet.”

To take part in the ‘Heartfelt Thanks’ campaign, leave a message of thanks online.

Changes to campaign medals criteria

The Operational Service Medal for Afghanistan
(Picture: Andy Cargill ABIPP, Crown Copyright/MOD 2009)

Hundreds more British Servicemen and women will receive operational campaign medals under new plans announced by the MOD in August.

At present, members of the Armed Forces who serve for 30 continuous days qualify for Iraq and Afghanistan campaign medals.

Following a review, those who have served for an aggregate period of 45 days are also now eligible. These changes will be backdated to the start of both operations - 11 September 2001 for Afghanistan and 20 January 2003 for Iraq.

Examples of Service personnel who could now be eligible include members of the aeromedical evacuation teams who accompany injured patients back to the UK.

Under the new plans, personnel who deploy for short periods of time will be allowed to build up accrued days to achieve an aggregate qualifying period of 45 days' service.

If you believe you may be eligible, then contact the MOD Medal Office.