Boosting Veterans’ housing with six new awards
We’re delighted to announce that we’ve supported six projects, worth over £255K, under the Office for Veterans’ Affairs Veterans’ Capital Housing Fund Development Grants and Refurbishment Grants programmes.
These projects are an exciting development towards enhancing quality of life and provision for Veterans with a housing need. They will assist in the refurbishment or extension of rental accommodation, and in the development of new build projects, to offer high quality support.
The Veterans’ Capital Housing Fund supports projects that contribute to the wider aim of ending Veterans’ homelessness by providing affordable and viable homes for Veterans.
Enhanced warmth and energy efficiency
Alabaré Christian Care and Support received £53,723 under the Refurbishment Grants programme, for their project ‘Homes for Veterans Refurbishment’.
The project will increase the energy efficiency ratings of three of the organisation’s existing Homes for Veterans properties in Plymouth, Swansea and Pontypridd.
This will enable Alabaré to reduce ongoing energy costs, improve the efficiency of the home for the Veterans, creating a warmer environment, plus, importantly, helping to reduce the carbon footprint of Alabaré and its Homes for Veterans.
Speaking about the grant, Kirsty Scullion, Partnership and Income Generation Manager at Alabaré said:
“We extend our heartfelt gratitude to the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust for the grant that will enable us to improve our homes for Veterans and help increase environmental efficiency standards across several homes in Wales and England.
This grant will enable us to use the services of local companies and increase our sustainable practices to create more energy-efficient living spaces for those who have bravely served our nation.
Veterans like Jimmy. Jimmy is living with Alabaré and is trying to rebuild his relationship with his family after finding himself homeless after a period in rehab.
Today, Jimmy attends AA meetings several times a week. He is a determined individual who is a great role model. ‘I am eternally grateful for the help that Alabaré has provided; it’s amazing, the accommodation is fantastic, and it’s a nice house. Everyone has been very supportive of my life, but it is all about recovery right now. I do the art sessions, and I get fresh air on a daily basis.’”
Refurb and repairs for independent living
RAFA Housing Ltd received £55,385 under the Refurbishment Grants programme for their project, ‘Building Futures at Storrington’.
This project will enable RAFA Housing Limited to install new boilers, along with front and back doors, to enhance warmth and energy efficiency within each apartment. It will ensure older Veterans are able to live independently and comfortably amongst like-minded individuals for many more years to come.
Mark Shields, Head of Community Support at RAFA Housing Ltd said:
“The investment in our homes is much more than bricks and mortar, it demonstrably improves the quality of life for our residents, as well as benefiting their community, and wider environment.”
Finally, Royal British Legion Industries received, £73,765 for urgent repairs to their Veterans’ family houses, as well as providing improved energy efficiency for housing occupied by disadvantaged Veterans.
Early-stage development of complex projects
The Trust also made three awards under the Development Grants programme, which focuses on projects that assist in the development of new build projects that will offer high quality support for Veterans with a housing need.
Hull 4 Heroes received £25,000 for their project ‘Veterans’ Village’. The grant will assist with the planning and development of a Veterans’ Village including housing units and community and support hubs.
Hull 4 Heroes CEO, Paul Matson BEM, said:
“This grant is a crucial step in bringing to life a special place for Veterans and their families who need support when transitioning from military to civilian life– The Veterans Village.
The village will create a community that supports our Armed Forces community in every way. From having a place to live to connecting with like-minded people and accessing important services, this project aims to provide a solid foundation for Veterans, serving personnel and their families to build their new lives, in a fully supportive environment.”
Support for more complex projects
Adferiad Recovery Veterans Services received £22,720 for their project, ‘Wales’s Veterans Quality Housing Project’.
Their project will support the wider development of a large, 24 bed nursing home. This grant is being awarded at an early stage, to support the development of this complex project.
Michael Harvey, Head of Veterans’ Services, Adferiad Recovery, said:
“This is a fantastic opportunity for us to redevelop an existing building that has been left empty and unused for many years. We hope this grant will be the first step towards us providing accommodation and support for Veterans in Wales”.
Support for early-stage planning
Finally, the VC Gallery has received £25,000 for their project, ‘VC Veteran Housing’. This grant will enable VC Gallery to have resources to work with planning professionals to develop plans for new residential accommodation for Veterans.
Find out more
Each of these awards signifies a strong commitment to supporting Veterans’ quality of life. We hope the impact of these awards will extend beyond the initial works, to provide a meaningful and long lasting difference to the lives of Veterans most in need.
A full list of awards is available at the links below: