Armed Forces Covenant

• Royal British Legion
• SSAFA: Lifelong support for our Forces and their families
• Royal Navy and Royal Marines Charity: Giving a better quality of life for serving and former naval personnel
• Confederation of Service Charities: Serves as the primary point of contact for interactions with government entities, including local government and devolved administrations, the Royal Household, the private sector, and other members of the Armed Forces Community.
• Charity Choice: This website provides information on over 160,000 registered charities, including all charities registered in England and Wales.
• Help for Heroes: Practical, direct support for our wounded.
• Army Benevolent Fund: Lifetime support to serving and retired soldiers and their families.
• BLESMA: A national charity that directly supports Service men and women who have lost limbs and the use of limbs or the loss of eyesight
• Blind Veterans UK: Life beyond sight loss
• RBLI: Royal British Legion Industries provide treatment, training and support to the Armed Forces community

If you or someone you know is struggling with health problems, you should contact your GP or NHS Direct

The following organisations specialise in health support for Armed Forces communities, Veterans and their families:

• NHS Choices:– The online ‘front door’ to the NHS. It is the country’s biggest health website and gives all the information you need to make choices about your health.
• NHS 111 service: NHS 111 is a new service that’s being introduced to make it easier for you to access local NHS healthcare services in England. You can call 111 when you need medical help fast but it’s not a 999 emergency
• NHS Armed Forces Mental Health: Mental health support for veterans, service leaders and reservists and their families.
• Samaritans: A confidential emotional support service.
• Togetherall: A safe online community of people who are anxious, down or not coping who support and help each other by sharing what’s troubling them, guided by trained professionals.
• Blind Veterans UK: National charity dedicated to supporting blind and vision-impaired ex-Service men and women, no matter when they served or how they lost their sight.
• Adfam: Drug & alcohol use can threaten and ultimately destroy family relationships and wellbeing. We empower family members and carers, support frontline workers and influence decision-makers to stop this happening.
• GamCare: The leading provider of support for anyone affected by problem gambling in Great Britain GamCare offers a range of options for people struggling with the impact of gambling on their lives – both gamblers and their loved ones.
• Combat Stress: Providing clinical treatment and support for veterans from the British Armed Forces, with a focus on those with complex mental health issues. When some military personnel leave service, their experiences can’t easily be left behind. Without treatment, psychological trauma can eventually tear lives apart.
• PTSD Resolution: Mental health help & support for UK armed forces veterans, reservists, families. Free, prompt, local, through 200 therapists across the UK.

Thanet District Council support:

• Housing Options
• Homeless or at risk of homelessness
• Private Sector Housing Assistance
• Housing Benefits

There are a number of organisations and charities for Service personnel, Veterans and their families, who offer support and advice:

• Joint Service Housing Advice Office (GOV.UK): A guide to civilian housing schemes, temporary and transit accommodation and homelessness.
• Housing and local services (GOV.UK): Information on applying for council and housing association housing and benefits.
• Forces Help to Buy (GOV.UK): A scheme to help armed forces personnel get on the property ladder.
• Shelter: Advice on housing, where to live and homelessness.
• Royal British Legion: Provides short and long term care for serving and ex-Service people and their dependents in Royal British Legion Care Homes around the country.
• Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Families Association: SSAFA offers advice and assistance to anyone eligible, whether serving, ex-service, or a family member. They also provide housing.
• Housing options for people leaving the Armed Forces, veterans and their families: Information for people leaving the armed forces, veterans, and dependents on finding accommodation.
• Buying a home (Money Advice Service): Work out your overall buying and moving costs, first time buyer advice, and tips and tools to help you work out what you can afford.
• Renting and Letting (Money Advice Service): Advice to help you work out how much rent you can afford, and how to budget and share costs when renting.
• Porchlight: A Kent-based homeless charity that provides practical help to ex-service rough sleepers.

Support services for armed forces personnel and their families.

• Army Families Federation (AFF): Improves life for Army families
• Naval Families Federation (NFF): The association for Royal Navy and Royal Marines families.
• RAF Families Federation (RAF FF): The association for RAF personnel and their families.
• Relate: The relationship people.
• Children’s Education Advisory Service: Provides expert and impartial advice about the education of service children.
• National Careers Service: Provides careers advice and information on a wide range of jobs, training course resources and funding.

About the scheme

The Defence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) encourages employers to support defence and inspire others to do the same. The scheme encompasses bronze, silver and gold awards for employer organisations that pledge, demonstrate or advocate support to defence and the armed forces community, and align their values with the Armed Forces Covenant.

Thanet District Council is a proud Silver Award Holder.

The award follows a pledge to support the Armed Forces community, as part of the Armed Forces Covenant. This means TDC recognises the value that serving personnel, both regular and reservists, veterans and military families contribute to our business and our country.

Thanet District Council aspires to achieve gold award status in the future.

Email: armedforces.champion@thanet.gov.uk