The Veterans’ Places, Pathways & People
The VPPP programme will award 10 grants to portfolios of projects, which work regionally to develop support for veterans.
VPPP South East
Veterans Outreach Support
Back to VPPP Region by Region
Portfolio lead Partnership in Mind
“It’s a kind of magic. You put the right ingredients together, and it’s amazing to see what comes out.” The Partnership in Mind portfolio has drawn together key partners across the VPPP South East region for the collective support of the Veteran community and their families. The CEO of Veterans Outreach Support and Portfolio Director, Ian Millen said, “We have such a pool of talent working together. I am excited and inspired to truly collaborate with people from our project partner organisations.“
Member Organisations of VPPP South East
- Defence Medical Welfare Service
- Fighting With Pride
- FirstLight Trust
- Kent Arts & Wellbeing
- Poppy Factory
- Veterans Community Network
- Veterans In Action
- Veterans Growth
- Walking With The Wounded
A consultation event, held in the summer of 2021, attracted around 40 London-specific organisations. They exchanged ideas, listened to experiences and thought about best practice in breaking down preconceptions. The group considered how to ensure that Veterans are fully aware of – and have access to – the different services, activities and opportunities on offer in London. Armed with the collective information needed, a successful bid of £799,062 was awarded to the London Veterans Partnership from the VPPP programme. The result of the dialogue has shaped a project designed to complement services, playing to the strengths of partner organisations. These range from friendly spaces and activities to one-to-one support, as needed, open to all in London’s diverse Veteran community. The mission statement of the London Veterans Partnership captures the motivation behind the project, ‘Seeking to build a strong, supportive and inclusive network with London’s ex-Forces community at its centre, in doing so helping Veterans gain access to services, overcome barriers and explore new opportunities to support positive mental health and reduce social isolation.’
An eye-catching logo, dedicated web page and regular email newsletter have been developed to invite Veterans and their families to ‘take a look’ at what is available. The consultation also confirmed that an easy entry point to the suite of services, with intelligent behind the scenes cross-referral, is the best way to remove hurdles for Veterans and their families and prevent them getting lost in the system.
The aim is to minimise the need for Veterans to repeat their story and build Veteran-focused knowledge amongst delivery partners, enabling support staff to understand demand for services, and to deploy them in the best way possible.
The project lead said, “We are delighted to be leading the London Veterans Partnership. Through an exciting and varied network of partners, all committed to the project’s mission, we will reach Veterans throughout London and provide a lasting legacy of support and collaboration.”