Government to give up to £1m to veterans charity

5 hours ago

Jim ScottIn Seaham

Tommy Barnes had support from East Durham Veterans Trust following his discharge from the Army

BBC/Jim Scott Tommy Barnes, who has slicked back hair and a bushy brown beard, stands in the blue and white painted veterans' centre and smiles. He is wearing a blue gilet on top of a white jumper. In the background are other veterans who are talking with one another. — Tommy Barnes had support from East Durham Veterans Trust following his discharge from the Army

A veteran who used to "hit the bottle really hard" because he had nobody to talk to said extra funding for his support group will prove vital.

The East Durham Veterans Trust in Seaham, which is looking to expand into Hartlepool, is among 14 charities across the country being allocated up to £1m each by the government to develop the services they provide.

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) said its Valour programme would give ex-service personnel easier access to health, housing and employment via the charities.

Tommy Barnes, who visits the Seaham centre, said "it's important for places like this to exist" as he felt "there was nothing for veterans".

The former serviceman said it had been a "hard, 25 year battle" after being dishonourably discharged by the British Army in 2009 due to substance abuse.

But he said he had been given another chance after accessing support at the trust, which he said was helping him and other veterans by providing "somewhere to go".

"I used to isolate or hit the bottle really hard, or hit substances really hard, because I had no one to talk to.

"I have my civilian friends to talk to, but they don't understand the stuff we go through on a daily basis.

"It's been a blessing."

David Cope says his life has been changed after visiting for five years

BBC/Jim Scott David Cope, who is an Army veteran, is wearing black half framed glasses and a dark brown zipped fleece. In the background are veterans who are sitting at a table behind Mr Cope and talking. — David Cope says his life has been changed after visiting for five years

The trust already links veterans with health professionals who offer such services as routine blood pressure checks and advice.

David Cope from Dawdon, County Durham, suffers post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after serving in the British Army between 1989 and 1997.

He visits the centre each Friday and receives counselling at the site.

"It's made a hell of a difference," he said. "It's changed my life completely.

"I got very angry, I don't get as angry anymore.

"I know if I need to talk to somebody there's somebody here to talk to, with people who've gone through similar things."

Luke Underwood volunteers at the trust which Ruth Bullen attends for company after losing her husband

BBC/Jim Scott Veterans Trust volunteer Luke Underwood, right, has his arm around Ruth Bullen, who is wearing a pink jumper on top of a tartan patterned shirt. They have just finished playing a round of Dominoes. — Luke Underwood volunteers at the trust which Ruth Bullen attends for company after losing her husband

Andy Cammiss, who founded the trust, said this was was the "closest" they had got to having the "American model of having centres for veterans to get that wraparound support they so badly need".

He said the funding would complement a move to a larger location in nearby Murton later this year, while it has been developing a new facility in Hartlepool.

"We're going to be hitting new areas that we've never hit before," he said.

"With our partners and their locations around the region, from Newcastle down to Catterick, we are going to be able to get out and support veterans in more isolated locations."

The MoD said its scheme it is part of a £50m programme which will work "together to share data and form better connections between local charities, councils and service providers".

Northumberland County Council has also been named a Valour-recognised centre.

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