The Veterans' Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund

This year we also continued our grant making on behalf of HM Treasury’s Veterans’ Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund. We awarded portfolio grants in all regions of the UK as part of the Thrive Together programme, which builds on the enormous success of the earlier Veterans’ Places, Pathways and People programme work. Between April and September 2024, Thrive together leads ran comprehensive regional consultations as part of their Phase 1 programming covering the whole of the UK. Each was fully evaluated and the findings used to develop cohesive strategic plans in order to lead the development and delivery of Phases 2 and 3. Consultations saw over 1,000 veterans interviewed, alongside a range of focus groups and a mix of online and face to face interactions. Key findings included:

• A significant lack of awareness amongst veterans and their families as to the services available in their region. 

• A desire to be actively involved in shaping local services and decision making. 

• A need for more accessible safe spaces in local areas. 

• Despite positive strides forward there are still great challenges in breaking down the stigma which can form a barrier to a veteran accessing services.