Veterans Aid
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| Formation | 1932 |
|---|---|
| Type | Charity |
| Location |
|
| Staff | 25 |
| Website | www.veterans-aid.net |
Veterans Aid is a United Kingdom-based charity that provides support to former members of the Royal Navy, Royal Marines, Army, Royal Air Force, Merchant Navy, as well as to their widows and widowers.[1]
It operates from two locations: a Drop-in Centre/Head Office in central London (Victoria) and a residential home called New Belvedere House in East London (Stepney).
The charity's primary activities are providing services to veterans in crisis, including preventing homelessness.
History
[edit | edit source]Veterans Aid was established in 1932 (originally designated as EFC – The Embankment Fellowship Centre) in response to homelessness caused by poverty and unemployment among veterans in London.
It was founded by Mrs. Gwendoline Huggins, whose husband was Adjutant of The Royal Hospital Chelsea from 1932 to 1935.[2] Having seen veterans sleeping on London’s streets and along the Thames Embankment, she opened H10, a canteen and recreation room for veterans experiencing homelessness in Lambeth, South London, in January 1932.[3]
In 2007, the charity was renamed Veterans Aid, and its remit was extended from homelessness to various issues affecting veterans in crisis.[4]
The charity's patron is the Dowager Viscountess Rothermere.[5]
Main activities
[edit | edit source]The charity provides crisis intervention for veterans, with a focus on preventing or alleviating homelessness. Its services include emergency accommodation, food and clothing provision, and referrals to specialist support agencies. Veterans Aid operates programs intended to stabilize an individual’s immediate circumstances and connect them with longer-term support, including housing services, addiction recovery programs, and employment resources.[citation needed]
The charity has a “No First Night Out” policy, where the charity will immediately provide food, clothing and accommodation to those seeking and qualifying for its help.[citation needed]
Subsequent interventions can include counseling, addiction treatment, rehabilitation, debt management and, where appropriate, access to education, retraining or the acquisition of a new skill. Veterans are given assistance to identify employment opportunities, and, when considered ready, to source homes.[6]
See also
[edit | edit source]References
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- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Veterans Aid History Archived October 5, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
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