What's new this week?

Did you know that we are only 108 days away from Armed Forces Day 2012?   If you want to know what's being planned or if there's going to be an event in your local area, then visit the official website.

More Community Covenants have been signed in South Lanarkshire and Ayrshire.

We are busy working on our next podcast, hopefully to go live later in the month.  It's an interview with Alison Davies, Officer in Charge of the Veterans Welfare Service.    The interview follows the launch of our latest video on the Service, which you can view below . . .





There's details of a Wreath Laying Ceremony at Runnymede Memorial on our what's new page.  There's also an appeal by 360 Productions, who want to interview Second World War veterans from 100 Bomber Group.  Ladies can also be fabulous while raising money for the Erskine charity, at a lunch planned in May with celebrity host Jenny Eclair.

As we are moving closer to Spring (and hopefully warmer months), you might be starting to plan events that would be of interest to the Armed Forces Community.  Please don't forget to add details on our online events calendar.

It's weekly round up time

SPVA staff in action

So last weekend, SPVA had a stand at the 'Who Do You Think You Are - Live' exhibition.  It was a great event to attend, where we could raise awareness of our relevant services to the audience of historians, amateur geologists, etc.   We spoke to over 1,000 people over the weekend (and that's not counting people visiting the stand and taking away our information).  We even had a celebrity visitor - Tony Robinson from the Time Team!

Getting ready for another busy exhibition day

On Twitter, we now have over 800 followers, so we want to say thank you to our followers for supporting us and sharing our tweets.  If you use Twitter, then don't forget to follow us.

The Facebook timeline roll-out has reached the official SPVA Facebook page and we think it looks rather good.   With our current number of followers (or should that be 'likers'), we have the potential to reach over 200,000 people, which is an amazing concept from a communications point of view.  This doesn't mean that we don't want or need more followers, so please like our page or share our links.

Our customer satisfaction survey closed, over 2,000 people completing the survey online, so thank you for taking part.

We are adding more updates to our Charity Hub and events calendar.  If you are planning an event or work for a charity, that supports veterans, then make sure you submit details for consideration.

Visit our Veterans Community News page and find out which regional service for the Armed Forces Community received royal approval this week.

One final note, our website received ABC accreditation this week, after being audited based on our January 2012 statistics, where we had over 60,000 visits to our site.

We are currently developing our next videocast and podcast to be released over the next few months. So in the meantime, take a look at our YouTube channel or visit our podcast library to look or listen to our archives.

Have a good weekend!

The SPVA Survey is closing soon

There's still time to take part in the SPVA Customer Satisfaction Survey, that can be completed online.   The survey closes at the end of February, so please take the opportunity to make your opinions known.

It only takes 10 to 15 minutes to complete and over 1,600 people have completed the online survey, so why don't you take part today.

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.

SPVA news round up

There are a number of items on our website that are likely to be of interest to the Armed Forces Community, so I thought I might point out a few for you to look at over the weekend.

Our survey said . . . over 3,000 people have taken part in our Customer Satisfaction Survey, which closes in a couple of weeks.  It only takes 10 to 15 minutes to complete online, so please consider taking part.

We launched our Charity Hub a couple of weeks ago, it's a work in progress with new charities being researched and added.  It's there for you to get information on charities and organisations that are supporting the Armed Forces Community.  If you work for a charity supporting veterans, then consider contacting us to add your details to the Hub.

Have you taken a look at our online Events Calendar?  We've added some new events recently and the aim of the calendar is to raise awareness of events across the UK.  There might be an event being held in your local area, so it's worth taking a look.  The calendar is free and simple to use, so if you are organising an event, then consider adding your details to the calendar.

If you are a veteran, then our online Veterans Community webpages could have news that you'd like to know; whether its an appeal from an ex-Service charity for volunteers or the chance to tell your story in a TV documentary.

I also found out this week, that over 800,000 HM Armed Forces Veterans Lapel Badges have been issued to date.  So, I thought our Veterans Today video on the badge might provide you with some further information.  If you haven't got your badge yet, don't forget to apply.

Have a great weekend!

Armed Forces Tribute for the Diamond Jubilee

The custom of the Armed Forces paying tribute to a monarch during a jubilee year is an established tradition

 

The Armed Forces are to mount a spectacular tribute to the Queen to mark her Diamond Jubilee year, 

In honour of Her Majesty The Queen's 60-year reign, Armed Forces personnel will parade through Windsor and muster at the castle on Saturday 19 May 2012.  Nearly 2,500 troops from the Royal Navy, the Army and the Royal Air Force will parade through Windsor in the presence of Her Majesty and the Duke of Edinburgh.

They will then muster in the castle grounds for a unique event before an audience of more than 3,000 Armed Forces personnel, their families, and veterans. An impressive, tri-Service flypast of current and historic aircraft will conclude the celebrations.

More Community Covenants signed

Representatives of the Military and Community Leaders were present at the signing of the Gateshead Community Covenant 

Armed Forces Community Covenants signed in Gateshead and Preston

In two separate signing ceremonies local members of the Armed Forces, both past and present, together with their families, have received a public promise of support from the people of Gateshead and Preston.

Last week, Gateshead Council signed the Armed Forces Community Covenant, pledging to work with local charities and voluntary groups, businesses and private individuals to support current and ex-Service personnel throughout the borough.  Preston City Council became the latest local authority to pledge its support to the military through its signing of a Community Covenant this Monday.

The Community Covenant initiative was one of the key measures in the Armed Forces Covenant published in May 2011. 

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.

Latest Community Covenant signed

Earlier this week, Broxtowe Borough in Nottinghamshire showed its support for the local Armed Forces yesterday by signing up to the Community Covenant Scheme.

The Community Covenant was signed by representatives from the Broxtowe Borough Partnership, Voluntary Action Broxtowe and the borough's civilian community.

The first Community Covenant, a voluntary statement of mutual support between a civilian community and its local Armed Forces Community, was signed in Oxfordshire in June 2011.

It followed the publication of the Armed Forces Covenant in May 2011 which outlined the moral obligation between the Nation, the Government and the Armed Forces and aims to improve support to the Armed Forces Community (which includes serving personnel, their families and veterans).

Make Your Opinion Count

The Veterans' Customer Satisfaction Survey is available to complete up until the end of February

The Veteran's Customer Satisfaction Survey was launched online today, 9 January, and if you are part of the veteran's community we urge you to have your say.

SPVA provides pay, pension and support services to both Military Personnel and the Veteran's Community, directly serving around 900,000 members of the Armed Forces Community.

The survey is based around the services provided to veterans, with emphasis on; how they contact us and how we correspond; making a claim; the Veteran's Welfare Service and how information about SPVA is obtained.

Over 3,000 people took part in the 2011 survey and this kind of feedback is extremely useful to establish what is important to the individuals that use our services.

Jon Parkin, Head of SPVA Veterans Services, recording the podcast

As Jon Parkin, Head of SPVA Veterans Services said in his recent podcast interview;

"...the survey is not just here to give us a pat on the back. We want and need to know the bad as well as the good about the services received. The only way we can do this is by getting feedback from our customers."

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 here, the survey will close on 29 February 2012.

Get ready for the 2012 Veterans' Survey

Next week, SPVA will be launching the Veterans' Customer Satisfaction Survey that can be completed online.

In our first podcast of 2012, SPVA presenter Joanne Lowe interviews Jon Parkin, Head of SPVA Veterans Services, about the survey.

If you want to know how you can get involved, then take a listen.  The podcast can be downloaded straight from our website or via iTunes.

Find out more about the Veterans Welfare Service

Late last year, we released our newest video.  The five minute film, the latest in the Agency’s ‘Veterans Today’ series, aims to raise awareness of the one-to-one help provided by Veterans Welfare Service, in the home if needed, to anyone who has served in the Armed Forces.

In the film, Presenter Don Goldie investigates the origins of the service nearly a century ago, when its role was to look after the welfare needs of First World War casualties, Service widows and orphans, though to the current day and those affected by operations in Afghanistan. The video explains how the Veterans Welfare Service has retained its core principles, whilst adapting to a much wider role as part of the Government’s commitments under the Armed Forces Covenant. It shows how welfare support is provided automatically to those medically discharged and for those bereaved by service, with an ‘on request’ service to all other members of the veterans community, including dependents and families.

Alison Davies, Manager of the Veterans Welfare Service for the UK and Ireland, explained how important the video is to raising awareness about the service among generations of veterans:

“The Veterans Welfare Service has been providing help and support to the veterans community for almost 100 years and through two World Wars. Our more recent work includes helping those who have served in Afghanistan and Iraq but we are still here for veterans of any age, no matter when or for how long they served. This video will really help us raise awareness of our services and I hope it encourages any veterans who need welfare support to get in touch.”

The Veterans Welfare Service works in partnership with the Armed Forces, Service and ex-Service charities, local authorities and local Veterans Advisory and Pensions Committees to deliver a quality welfare service that promotes independence and dignity via continuous support. Veterans requiring welfare help or assistance can contact the service by calling the Veterans-UK helpline, free, on 0800 169 2277.

Our ‘Veterans Today’ videos are available on the SPVA Social Media Hub that can be accessed via the Veterans-UK website -  . They are also available via the SPVA channel on YouTube

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.

Join the Hub

If you support veterans...listen to our podcast and get in on the Charity Hub

You may have seen our earlier blog post about the development of a new Charity Hub on our website. Our latest podcast features an interview with Karen Awere from the External Communications Team talking about the Hub.

Karen said:

"Our website has an average of 50,000 visitors per month so this should give you an idea of how many people could find out about your services and how you support veterans."

Clare Ellis interviews Karen Awere in the studio

 

It's not too late to get involved if you are a charity and think your details need to be on the Hub find further information here.

The podcast and other SPVA social media products are available to access on the SPVA Social Media Hub via the Veterans-UK website and on various social media sites such as iTunes and YouTube.

First Field of Remembrance in Scotland

Ian Murray with a volunteer planting the crosses in the Field of Remembrance

Hibernian FC captain Ian Murray took a break from training  and joined volunteers to help with the planting of thousands of crosses in Scotland’s first ever Field of Remembrance, which opened this week, as part of events to mark the 90^th anniversary of the Scottish Poppy Appeal.

Following a large fundraising appeal mailing to homes across Scotland, Poppyscotland, the charity behind the Appeal, brought in volunteers to help with the planting of 11,000 remembrance crosses in the Field of Remembrance in Princes Street Gardens, Edinburgh, which will be situated next to the traditional Garden of Remembrance.

Volunteers helped plant 11,000 remembrance crosses

Speaking of his support Hibernian captain Ian Murray said: 

“It is an honour to be able to represent Hibernian Football Club at the Field of Remembrance. Remembrance Sunday is a day that everyone should respect and it is an opportunity to pay tribute to everyone who has given their lives for this country. I will be wearing my poppy with pride again this year and I would encourage any Hibernian supporter to follow suit because it is such a worthy cause.”

Colin Flinn from Poppyscotland added:  

“We are very grateful to Hibernian FC for their support. It’s been a big undertaking to ensure that the thousands of crosses are included in the display so that members of the public can view the personal and heartfelt messages dedicated to individuals. All our volunteers have worked tremendously hard over the past few days and I give them my deepest thanks. We wanted to do something special to mark the 90^th anniversary of the Scottish Poppy Appeal and we have been overwhelmed by the response from our supporters in building a unique display of collective remembrance.”

The Field of Remembrance will be open till Sunday 13^th November for public to view. It will be situated adjacent to the traditional Garden of Remembrance on the other side of the Scott Monument. Visiting members of the public who wish to plant crosses can obtain them from the on-site kiosk.

Why heroes are making a return to former battlefields

To mark Remembrance Sunday, the Big Lottery Fund (BIG) has produced a podcast featuring the stories of two World War Two veterans funded through its Heroes Return programme. To date, BIG has awarded over £25 million to more than 51,000 Second World War veterans, their spouses, widows and carers for commemorative journeys back to the places in which they served over 60 years ago.

The podcast includes firsthand accounts from Doug Mayman, who is travelling back to Normandy in April with his daughter to retrace his steps using personal wartime diaries, and Ted Hedges, who talks about his trip back to the Azores where he served with RAF Coastal Command.

Big Lottery Fund Chief Executive Peter Wanless also explains what the Heroes Return programme means to him and the Big Lottery Fund.

Are you a veteran of World War Two or do you know someone who is? 

The programme is still open for applications until 31 January 2012 for journeys up to 31 December 2012 by those who are yet to receive funding. More information is available via the Heroes Return 2 advice line: 0845 00 00 121 or by visiting the website.

Art for Heroes - check your TV planner

The BBC Two Culture Show will air a programme Art for Heroes this Friday at 7pm.

The hour-long programme looks at the role of art therapy in the rehabilitation of ex-Servicemen suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.

Presenter Tim Samuels meets veterans of recent British conflicts in the Falklands, the Persian Gulf and Northern Ireland, who reveal their personal battle with PTSD as a result of their military career.  They are now using an unlikely weapon to help fight the psychological wounds of war - art.

Visiting art therapy sessions, Samuels discovers how drawing, sculpting and painting are helping the veterans manage the symptoms of PTSD. Dr Lukas Konopka, a professor of neurology in Chicago, has investigated the effects of art therapy on the brain in the treatment of PTSD. The results provide strong evidence of art's potential to heal

The Pingat Jasa Malaysia Medal

British veterans awarded the Pingat Jasa Malaysia (PJM) medal have been given permission by Her Majesty The Queen to wear it for the first time during Remembrance events next Sunday.

The Government of Malaysia introduced the medal in 2005 and awarded it to British and Commonwealth veterans who served in the conflict in Malaya in the late 1950s and 1960s.

Approval is not normally given for foreign medals to be accepted if British recognition for a campaign has already been presented. Previously, veterans had been able to accept but not wear the medal. It has now been agreed they can both accept and wear the PJM.

This was done to recognise the generous gesture by the King and Government of Malaysia, and their wish to award the PJM in recognition of service given by many veterans in the difficult years leading up to and following Malaysian independence.

Information on how to apply for the PJM medal can be found on our website.

Still time to make a heroes return

Over 39,000 veterans have made a heroes return [image courtesy of BIG Lottery Fund]

To reflect the nation’s debt to the British Armed Forces veterans of the Second World War, the Big Lottery Fund (BIG) has been awarding grants through its Heroes Return 2 programme. To date BIG has awarded over £25 million to more than 50,000 Second World War veterans, widows, spouses and carers across the UK. The closing date for applications is January 31, 2012 for journeys until December 31, 2012.

Launched to mark the historic 60th anniversary of D-Day in 2004, BIG’s first Heroes Return scheme awarded £16.6 million to over 39,000 veterans, spouses, widows and carers to fund commemorative visits to Second World War battlefields, cemeteries and other significant places across the world.

Heroes Return was the centre-piece of the Veterans Reunited programme including Home Front Recall which awarded £19.2 million to support UK-based group events and activities to commemorate those who contributed to the war-effort on the home front, and Their Past Your Future with an ongoing £9.6 million scheme funding a UK-wide schools and education programme to give young people the opportunity to learn first-hand from veterans about their experience of war

Are you eligible?

Veterans who fought with or alongside British Forces in the Second World War and who are resident in the UK or the Republic of Ireland are eligible. War widows and widowers of veterans are also eligible for funding and carers and spouses can receive funding to travel with veterans.

For more information and details of how to apply for a Heroes Return 2 grant call 0845 00 00 121 or go online.    

The 2011 Poppy Appeal

From left: Lance Corporal Ryan Idzi, Staff Sergeant Ritchie Maddocks, Gethin Jones and Sergeant Major Gary Chilton
[Picture: Peter Luckhurst, Crown Copyright 2011]

The 2011 Poppy Appeal was launched yesterday.

Members of  the Armed Forces  attended the launch of The Royal British Legion's 2011 Poppy Appeal, which aims to break previous years' fundraising totals.

 

The Poppy Appeal raises funds needed to support those currently serving in Afghanistan, veterans of past conflicts, and their families.

As the UK's leading Armed Forces charity, the RBL revealed today that it hopes to raise £40 million as it celebrates its 90th anniversary this year.