Making a will ensures that everyone knows your wishes for your property, money and possessions after your death.

A will is a legally binding document, and can be made by anyone of a legal age who is of sufficient mental capacity. Without a will, the law decides this on your behalf, and this may not be in line with your wishes. Your will can also cover wishes you have for your children and their care.

Making a will saves time and stress for your loved ones, can help to avoid a long probate process and may reduce the amount of tax payable on the inheritance. It’s important to make sure your will is up to date and reflects any changes in your circumstances.

At Launchpad, we have teamed up with Bequeathed, an online service that provides free legal advice and support in making your will, and makes the process quick and easy for you.

Detailed guidance will help you to consider everything you need to think about when making a will, and to identify any issues where expert legal advice could be valuable. Bequeathed supports you to make decisions about everything from your funeral wishes to cash gifts and executors who manage your wishes after your death. Their helpful guides provide myth busting advice and easy to follow language to make the process easy to understand.

Bequeathed has the added benefit of helping you to leave gifts for good, such as leaving a donation to Launchpad in your will. The process of making a will with Bequeathed is easy, and you are supported throughout as you complete a free online interview, receive tailored legal advice, then receive and sign your will. Bequeathed is good for friends, good for family, good for charity.

By making your will with Bequeathed you will be helping Launchpad by donating directly to us in your will. Gifts in wills support charities like us where the lack of fundraising activities during the Covid pandemic have had an impact on us.

Receiving donations via Bequeathed helps us to continue to provide services to veterans, of which we have supported over 500 so far. Your donations benefit veterans at Launchpad in a wide range of ways including providing accommodation in Newcastle and Liverpool, education and training which allows veterans to retrain into new careers, emotional and wellbeing support including counselling from trained individuals, and the provision of social trips and activities.

Give yourself peace of mind, and get started on your will today. With our partners at Bequeathed, it’s quick, efficient and free.

When Launchpad was established in 2013, its purpose is to support and develop veterans and to help them live independently – not just provide a temporary home. Fast forward eight years, the charity, which has two houses in Liverpool and Newcastle upon Tyne, has just welcomed its 500th resident.

For most veterans, the transition from the armed forces to civilian life is smooth but more often than not, those few who can’t resettle easily face challenges such as homelessness, poverty, mental and physical health issues, addictions, broken families and unemployment.

Launchpad was created to help veterans overcome these challenges and to live positive and rewarding lives thereafter. Around 85% of the veterans who arrive at Launchpad are homeless and are supported for up to two years (longer if necessary).

Launchpad staff help them to claim their benefit entitlements and develop a personal action plan to address their often, complex needs. Staff work with multiple funders, local authorities, housing, training, employment and health and wellbeing partners to provide the necessary assistance for the veterans.

In February 2021, veteran Gary Wright moved into Launchpad’s Avondale House in Byker and became the 500th resident the charity has supported. The 36-year-old self-referred to Launchpad after becoming homeless and sleeping in his car.

He served 10 years in the Royal Navy, initially as an aircraft engineer based at RNAS Culdrose and then later, working on Merlin helicopters as an Anti-Submarine Warfare Aircrewman, focussing on airborne surveillance and detection.

In 2007, he innocently hurt his back, which led to many problems and was what sealed his fate when he was medically discharged from service in May 2011. By 2019, he was suffering from depression and anxiety and took an overdose, which had a detrimental effect on his relationship.

He said:

“Avondale House is the right place for me to be. I know I can get the support and advice that I need to help me with my physical and mental health. It’s a massive relief to be here and it gives me peace of mind.

 

“My flat it lovely and it’s fully furnished. I’ve been made to feel very welcome and there is camaraderie between the residents. Places like Launchpad are a Godsend. What would we do without them?”

The first resident to move into Launchpad’s Avondale House was RAF veteran Lofty Rames. He spent 15 years working in bomb disposal and moved to London after leaving the military.

He was working on building sites doing site mitigation to ensure they were clear of any unexploded bombs from WW11. After the markets crashed, he found himself unemployed and moved back to his native Newcastle.

Feeling low and depressed, he considered taking his own life but was signposted to Launchpad, which was just a building site at the time, and was given the keys to a flat and never looked back. In March 2014, he was offered, and took up, the job of Facilities Manager later moving out in October 2016 to live independently. He now spends his time relaxing and fishing in the Peak District.

Lofty said:

“I had many good experiences living at Launchpad and I am forever grateful to the charity for not only providing a roof over my head and giving me the support I needed to address my mental health and wellbeing, but they also offered me employment.

 

“Without Launchpad, I’m not sure what or where I would be now but, I do know that I am in a much better place after being supported by such a brilliant organisation.”

David Shaw, CEO and co-founder of Launchpad, who said:

“When we set up the charity, our aim was to develop the veterans to prepare to live independently and to provide the support they needed for their often, sometimes complex needs. While this ‘500th’ is a milestone figure, it is still too high a figure in some respects, but then we are very proud to have been around to help those who needed the charity’s support.

 

“We work with lots of different partners and valuable support agencies to ensure we put in place a bespoke action plan to ensure the veterans get the help they need.

 

“Of course, we couldn’t operate without our excellent and dedicated staff who work tirelessly to provide the support our residents need, enabling them move on and live independently and, for some, to secure employment.”

Avondale House comprises 33 self-contained one-bedroom flats in Newcastle while Speke House in Liverpool includes 48 self-contained flats. 71% of residents successfully move on to settled accommodation and 42% (pre-pandemic figure) leave in paid employment.

To support the work Launchpad delivers to our homeless veterans, you can make a donation here.

National veterans’ charity Launchpad has received a grant of more than £36,000 from ABF The Soldiers’ Charity towards specialist support, heating costs and practical items for residents living at Launchpad’s two houses in Newcastle upon Tyne and Liverpool.

ABF The Soldiers’ Charity provides lifetime support to soldiers, veterans and their immediate families. They invited applications for grant applicants to support specific projects that will be undertaken in the next 12 months.

The grant will contribute towards the costs to provide ongoing support through the appointment of a specialist case worker (SCW) at Avondale House in Newcastle upon Tyne, which comprises 33 self-contained flats and is the city’s largest veterans’ accommodation provider. The SCW is responsible for working with residents to overcome mental health, alcohol and drug use and gambling addictions.

In addition, a proportion of the grant will contribute towards heating costs, welcome packs for new arrivals and grants for individual residents to assist their transition to independent living. In total, over 35 individual residents will benefit from the grant.

The grant will also cover costs for welcome packs to new residents moving into Launchpad’s Speke House in Liverpool which provides safe, secure accommodation and other essential support to 48 veterans.

David Shaw, CEO and Founder of Launchpad, commented:

“We are very grateful to the Trustees of ABF The Soldiers’ Charity for approving this grant which ensures the vital work we provide to our veterans can continue at a high standard. Launchpad is an outstanding charity, providing high quality accommodation as well as holistic support to meet the needs of each resident.

 

“Like many charities, the pandemic has had an impact on our ability to help veterans as we usually do – activities have been curtailed and distancing and isolation have impacted the veterans’ mental health, but our staff has worked hard to overcome the detrimental effects. Our ability to receive personal and corporate donations has also been affected and this grant will provide crucial support to the veterans as they transition to independent living.”

Brigadier Peter Monteith, Chief of Staff of ABF The Soldiers’ Charity adds:

“We are delighted to be helping Launchpad provide affordable heating to the residents of Avondale House in Newcastle. Even seemingly small improvements like this can make a huge and positive impact on the quality of life of former soldiers as they reintegrate into wider society.”

Launchpad provides accommodation and a wide range of support for up to 80 residents across both houses to help them make a successful transition to civilian life.

Since 2013, the charity has supported over 500 veterans. 71% of residents successfully move on to settled accommodation and 42% (pre-pandemic figure) leave in paid employment.

Veterans’ charity Launchpad has received the bronze award from the Ministry of Defence’s (MoD) Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS).

The scheme, which was launched in 2014, recognises and rewards UK employers for their support and commitment to the Armed Forces Community in alignment with the Armed Forces Covenant.

There are three tiers of award – Bronze, Silver and Gold – and Launchpad has just joined over 3,000 organisations in the bronze award category who have stated their intent to be supportive towards defence personnel and support those who serve or have served in the Armed Forces, and their families.

Although this has been 100% evident in all activity since inception, it is good to receive recognition. The charity now aims to progress to silver level which recognises employers who actively demonstrate support while the gold level recognises those employers who demonstrate and advocate support.

Bronze award holders promote an Armed Forces friendly position, and are open to employing Reservists and supporting their training and mobilisation commitments. Launchpad was founded by members of the armed forces community and staff across both houses are former serving personnel or reservists.

Nicholas Tubbs, Chair of Launchpad, said:

“The charity was established by former serving personnel and some of our staff and trustees also have military backgrounds. We are delighted to receive this bronze award in recognition of our commitment and support to the armed forces – and the veterans we have supported as residents since inception. Veterans and reservists are a fundamental part of our expanding workforce.”

Launchpad provides accommodation and a wide range of support for up to 80 residents across two houses in Liverpool and Newcastle upon Tyne to help them make a successful transition to civilian life.

Since 2013, the charity has supported almost 500 veterans. 71% of residents successfully move on to settled accommodation and 42% (pre-pandemic figure) leave in paid employment.

Like many organisations and charities, the effect of the pandemic at Launchpad’s Speke House in Liverpool has had a huge impact on operations, residents and staff.

Naturally, services have had to be reduced and the health and wellbeing of some of the residents living at the house has deteriorated.

Speke House, which is the city’s largest veterans’ accommodation provider, has secured funding of £49,772 to support two vital services that will provide urgent relief to residents.

The funding has been provided by the Steve Morgan Foundation, under the Community Match Challenge initiative, part of the government’s £750 million emergency support package to support charities and social enterprises impacted by Covid-19.

Priority has been given to front-line regional organisations who provide direct support to mitigate the impact of Covid-19.

Launchpad is using the funding to employ two temporary workers to address some significant challenges over the next two years that have arisen as a result of Covid-19. The first is the appointment of a specialist case worker to help residents living in Speke House to overcome mental health, gambling, drug and alcohol issues and to move them on to stable and independent lives. Kate Riley joined the team at the beginning of December and provides face-to-face mental health support for up to 48 residents currently living at the scheme.

The second post is a maintenance worker to help with the extra demands in keeping Speke House as safe from Covid as possible and to help clear any backlog of non-emergency repairs which have built up during lockdown. James Oakes has been appointed to this post.

Sam Jackson, Manager at Speke House, said:

“Since the outbreak of Covid-19, we have seen a significant impact on our operations and residents, many of whom, are vulnerable and need additional support.

“We know we are not alone in this situation and like many other charities, we rely on additional funding through personal and corporate donations to enable us to deliver the excellent services we provide to veterans.

“We are therefore very grateful to the Steve Morgan Foundation and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) for this funding which is contributing towards these two vital roles. We are delighted to welcome Kate and James to the team and we are already seeing the benefits their roles bring.”

Steve Morgan, Founder and Chairman of Steve Morgan Foundation, said:

“My trustees and I have seen first-hand how the pandemic has affected all sectors of our communities across the Liverpool City Region. In particular vulnerable veterans have been adversely affected by the current situation. Thanks to the match funding opportunity offered by Community Match Challenge and DCMS, we are able to offer support for Launchpad’s Speke House and its residents.”

Baroness Barran, Minister for Civil Society said:

“The Steve Morgan Foundation continues to support regional front-line charities to provide vital services to local communities. I’m thrilled that this funding from the Community Match Challenge is having an immediate and tangible impact on people most in need of support during these difficult times.”

In addition to Speke House, Launchpad also has a house in Byker, Newcastle upon Tyne. Since 2013, the charity has supported almost 500 veterans. 71% of residents successfully move on to settled accommodation and 42% (pre-pandemic figure) leave in paid employment.

The Steve Morgan Foundation was a recipient of funding through the Community Match Challenge, receiving £10 million in funding from the DCMS and £10 million in match funding from their own money to support front-line charities to ensure essential services continue to be provided to vulnerable people, both in the short and long term through increased community support.

Hello everyone, a lot has happened since my last update so I thought it was timely to give you an overview of how Launchpad is operating throughout the pandemic.

It’s almost a year since the Government announced the first national lockdown and here we are in 2021, and in our third national one, still trying to contain this awful virus. There is some glimmer of hope with the roll out of the vaccine programme and we must all do our part to stay at home, protect the NHS and save lives.

Like many other organisations and charities up and down the country, the effect of the pandemic has had a huge impact on our operations, not to mention our residents and staff.

Launchpad provides accommodation and a wide range of support for up to 80 residents to help them make a successful transition to civilian life.

The communal areas at both our houses in Liverpool and Newcastle-upon-Tyne have been closed and residents have been advised to following distancing rules and those who are most vulnerable, have been encouraged to self-isolate in their flats.

We have reduced the numbers of staff on duty during lockdown periods in both houses to protect the health and wellbeing of our colleagues. During lockdown, there has been no face-to-face contact with partners and each other unless in the case of an emergency.

Naturally, services to residents and activities we arrange for them, have also been reduced. Prior to Covid-19, residents could access services face-to-face but since lockdown, waiting lists have increased and, at best, most of our partners and providers have only been offering services via telephone or video.

Many of the residents living in our houses have mental health issues, ranging from anxiety to service and non-service-related PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder). Some need help with addictions to alcohol and drugs.

Since Covid-19, the health and wellbeing of some of our residents has deteriorated. For example, one resident who has bi-polar disorder disappeared in the middle of lockdown after his health worsened when his face-to-face support stopped. Another resident experienced a significant breakdown and our staff had to involve Crisis support. He is now recovering with our help, but only narrowly avoided being sectioned.

As restrictions looked like they were starting to ease, staff and residents at both houses were dealt another blow following the introduction of a new Covid tiered system. In October, Liverpool was placed under tier 3 restrictions, or the ‘very high alert’ level and then Newcastle followed just after Christmas when placed into tier 4 ‘stay at home’.

Despite these challenges and difficult times, our staff have done a fantastic job to help, and continue to support, our residents when they needed us but at the same time, thinking about their own health and safety.

As a charity, we rely on personal and corporate donations and while the former has reduced significantly, we have received some very generous cash donations from corporate organisations and other charities to ensure we raise sufficient funding to be able to continue to deliver the excellent service we do.

During lockdown, we partnered with Bequeathed to set up an online free will service for anyone who would like to create a legacy and consider leaving a gift to Launchpad.

We have also secured funding through the B&Q Foundation which will enable us to extend our communal kitchen facility at Speke House and our residents living at Avondale House are looking forward to going fishing and have set up a cycling club to keep fit and improve their mental health and wellbeing.

It has been humbling to see Launchpad residents helping out in their local communities by delivering essential supplies to vulnerable and isolated families. We also welcomed Ann Rees and Kate Riley, both specialist caseworkers, to work with residents to overcome mental health, gambling, drug and alcohol issues and to help move them on to stable and independent lives.

It always gives staff and trustees great pleasure to see residents positively moving on by securing their own accommodation and jobs. The charity’s purpose is to help veterans do just that, move on into a more successful life, and while the rate of doing this has fallen due to the pandemic, our veterans are still obtaining jobs and moving on to long-term accommodation. We are fast approaching a significant landmark – welcoming the 500th resident at Launchpad since our inception in 2013.  It is too high a figure in some respects, but then we are proud to have been around to help those who needed the charity’s support.

With the Covid vaccinations in sight, I am hoping we’ll be able to get our lives back to some sort of normality this year. In the meantime, stay safe and thank you for your continued support.

David Shaw
CEO and co-founder of Launchpad