Reconnecting Veterans Project
Our Reconnecting Veterans project is about engaging with as many Veterans across the district as possible to find out what their needs are and the issues and barriers they face in their day to day lives.
We are looking to engage with people who have served in the Armed Forces to ensure that they are able to get the information, help and support and advice they need. Age UK Bradford District wants to work with Veterans to develop activities that people want and need to help them feel more connected and to live the life they want.
What we have been doing.
Extensively mapping the area to find out what groups and services are existing across the district directly for Veterans, and groups and services that Veterans might be interested in.
Making connections, building networks, and developing partnerships.
Finding different ways to engage with those that have served.
Engaging with Veterans and finding out what is needed and wanted by the Veterans and how best to help.
View an example of our Community Hub drop in sessions flyer here
Raising awareness of the Armed Forces Covenant.
Supporting those groups that are already working with Veterans such as the official breakfast clubs.
Supporting the Bulls Foundation and Bradford College to develop their Veterans weekly meeting group.
Setting up new groups such as Monthly Open House for Veterans at the Alhambra and developing the existing monthly Age UK Bradford District Breakfast Club.
Identifying new areas to set up groups and activities.
Attending meetings of the Bradford District Armed Forces Community Covenant and working with representatives from the public sector.
Working with Shipley Breakfast Club and Shipley Town Council to develop a weekly new meeting space.
Working with Keighley Town Council to develop a drop in for Veterans.
Attending the Town and Parish Council’s Liaison Group to raise awareness.
Developing a directory of useful numbers
Visiting local branch and military associations.
Through promoting the project we have already been able to refer Veterans to the range of help, support, information and advice that we offer older people.
What we have found.
Those that have served in the forces do enjoy meeting up together, there is that trust, respect, and camaraderie that isn’t necessarily found with civilians. There are not many groups that are just for Veterans but there are the official breakfast clubs at Keighley and Shipley, run by Veterans for Veterans; the Bulls Foundation’s Ex Forces together weekly group and the NAAFI at Bradford College.
A couple of the associations do open to other Veterans, for example the Submariners that meet the last Thursday in the month in the evening at Tong Conservative Club.
The Dukes meet the last Friday evening in the month at the drill hall in Keighley.
Age UK Bradford District have the breakfast club on the last Thursday in the month at Wetherspoons which meets from 10am –to 12pm and also the Open House at the Alhambra on the second Tuesday in the month.
We are looking to develop other opportunities for Veterans to meet together, locally across the district. There are plans for an afternoon drop in at Wibsey Library, Friday social evening in Clayton Village Hall and Keighley Civic Centre, Shipley and Bingley.
(Check our Activities and Events page for up to date information on these)
Please do get in touch if you would like something near you.
The Future
We are wanting to build on what we have been doing, working especially with those that are lonely, socially isolated and sometimes with hidden needs.
There is a lot of support out there for Veterans but for many they don’t know where this is and how to access it. We want to enable the necessary bespoke packages of support to be developed as their needs, by definition, cannot necessarily be met through the same approach that is taken with people who have not served.
Most of the Veterans we have spoken to said that they would like the opportunity to meet and engage specifically with other Veterans and this project is about building on what we have been doing and developing different and unique opportunities for Veterans to come together, to build their confidence and to reduce isolation.