Supporting specialist care for homeless Army veterans

We are delighted to award a £35,086 grant to Launchpad towards its work helping homeless veterans.

Our charity promotes the health and wellbeing of former soldiers as a priority. Founded in 2013, Launchpad provides accommodation and support to homeless and unemployed veterans of the UK’s Armed Forces as they transition back to civilian life. It runs three houses in Newcastle, Liverpool and Durham, which accommodate 100 veterans at a time. Many experience complex mental health and substance addiction problems, are recovering from broken family relationships or are unable to find paid employment.

Our grant will fund the costs of the charity’s Specialist Case Worker based at Avondale House in Newcastle, which will help around 60 beneficiaries in the Newcastle and Durham areas.

Major General David Shaw CBE, CEO and Founder of Launchpad, said:

“We are very grateful to the Army Benevolent Fund for this grant, which will ensure we can continue to provide the support our residents need. When the veterans move into our houses, they have access to an experienced Specialist Case Worker who will help them to overcome any complex issues they have faced and to help them move on to stable and independent lives.”

Brigadier (Ret’d) Peter Monteith, Chief Operating Officer, Army Benevolent Fund, added:

“We are always proud to support Launchpad and admire its award-winning work with Army veterans who find themselves homeless and vulnerable, and need specialist support.”

Read more about Launchpad’s award-winning work here: https://veteranslaunchpad.org.uk/

We are pleased to publish our Impact Report for the financial year ending June 2023. To view a copy, please click here.

During the year, we supported 137 veterans across all three houses. 88% of those from homelessness, 96% with mental health issues and 86% from long-term unemployment.

The statistics that most indicate positive outcomes, ‘Employment’ and ‘Successful Move-on’ were 32% and 60% respectively.

This year, the charity celebrated its 10th anniversary, and we organised a series of events and activities to raise vital awareness and funding. We were also delighted to be selected by the government as one of nine funded organisations to reduce veterans’ homelessness. As part of a two-year £8.5 million programme, vulnerable veterans across the UK can access Op FORTITUDE, a dedicated pathway for veteran rough sleepers.

We’d like to thank the many funding organisations and volunteers that have and continue to support Launchpad. We’d also like to thank our wonderful staff, who, without them, means we couldn’t deliver the fantastic services we do to support our resident veterans.

A handful of residents living at Launchpad’s Speke House in Liverpool have benefitted from a personal development programme which has helped them to navigate some of the challenges they face and refocus their mindset to achieve their goals and ambitions.

The charity invited coaches from the John Haynes Foundation to deliver their ‘Your Future Self’ course to the residents who will use what they’ve learned as part of their journey to transition to move on and live independently.

The programme, sponsored by Robertson Construction, consisted of an introductory session followed by four 2-hour sessions focussing on essential topics such as self-limiting beliefs, confidence building, resilience and goal setting.

Now, those who attended are feeling empowered to unlock their potential and achieve personal and professional growth. Feedback from residents was overwhelmingly positive with many expressing appreciation for the insights gained and the impact on their personal growth journey.

Comments from residents included ‘I thought the programme was fantastic’ and ‘very insightful into what we could do and what was achievable’ reflected the programme’s effectiveness in empowering individuals to take charge of their futures. One resident thought the programme as a whole had ‘been helpful, through a difficult time.’

The programme was delivered by Sarah-Louise McCartney, a coach for the John Haynes Foundation and also a Launchpad Trustee. She brought the two organisations together and said:

“Coaching programmes like the ‘Your Future Self’ course play a vital role in enhancing self-awareness, decision-making skills, self-esteem, and communication abilities. By providing residents with valuable tools and resources, Launchpad and the John Haynes Foundation are committed to helping individuals grow and succeed in all areas of their lives.”

Sam Jackson, Manager at Launchpad’s Speke House, said:

“Feedback from residents who attended the course has been really positive and it’s pleasing to see the impact a course like this can have on individuals. Our three core pillars of support to each resident living at the house focus on mental health & wellbeing, employment and move on. This course has provided them with the strategies to navigate some of the challenges they encounter and how to reset their mindset and think about their future goals and aspirations. It’s been a really worthwhile course for them.”

Those who attended each session and completed the course were presented with certificates of completion and achievement.

Last year, Launchpad’s Speke House provided accommodation and support to 81 veterans. On average, over the last five years, 56% of veterans supported by Speke House have successfully moved on and 28% left in paid employment.

Speke House comprises 50 self-contained, one-bedroom flats and bedsits for former serving personnel and their partners. Launchpad has three houses in the North of England in Liverpool, Newcastle and Durham providing accommodation for 100 homeless veterans – accepting veterans from all over the UK.

A local golf club in North Wales has raised over £3,000 for veterans’ charity Launchpad.

The Men’s and Ladies Captains from the Vale of Llangollen Golf Club nominated Launchpad and Alzheimer’s Society (North & Mid Wales) as the two beneficiary charities for their Captains Charity Day 2023, which was held last May.

Last week, both Captains presented a cheque to the charity, which provides accommodation and targeted support to UK Armed Forces’ veterans experiencing homelessness and unemployment.

A total of £6,046 was raised on the day which included an 18-hole golf competition, raffle and an auction. All money raised was split equally between the two charities.

Collecting the cheque on behalf of Launchpad was Gary Perriton, Business Development Manager North West who also lives in Llangollen. He said:

“We are very grateful for this donation which will contribute towards supporting homeless and unemployed veterans at Speke House in Liverpool. As a charity, we rely on personal and corporate donations to enable us to continue to deliver the service our veterans need to support them on their journey to move on and live independently.

 

“We have a great relationship with the Club and held our inaugural corporate golf day there last September and will be hosting it again this year. We appreciate the support from both club Captains, their members and all those who participated in the competition.”

Susan Wallace, Lady Captain (2023) at Vale of Llangollen Golf Club, said:

“Every year the Captains’ host a Charity Golf Day for their chosen charity(s). When Gary spoke to us about Launchpad and the service they provide to veterans who are struggling with the transition from the military to civilian life, we had no hesitation in supporting this wonderful charity. No veteran who has served their country and put themselves on the frontline should become homeless. We hope this donation will help towards the service they provide.”

Last year, Launchpad’s Speke House provided accommodation and support to 81 veterans. On average, over the last five years, 56% of veterans supported by Speke House have successfully moved on and 28% left in paid employment.

Speke House comprises 50 self-contained, one-bedroom flats for former serving personnel and their partners. Launchpad has three houses in the North of England in Liverpool, Newcastle and Durham providing accommodation for 101 homeless veterans – accepting veterans from all over the UK.

Veterans’ charity Launchpad has welcomed two new significant appointments to its Liverpool team to extend and further strengthen its support to homeless veterans.

The charity, which provides accommodation and targeted support to UK Armed Forces’ veterans experiencing homelessness and unemployment, has welcomed Patrick Donaghue and Donna Thomson to Speke House in Liverpool.

Patrick has been appointed as an Employment and Training Specialist to support residents by gaining the necessary skills and training they need to secure employment.

He will support up to 50 veterans at any one time, who are living at the house and seeking employment by engaging with training specialists, colleges, and corporate partners by matching their skills and supporting them into work.

He joins the charity from his previous role where he worked as a Mental Health Stepdown Recovery Worker supporting patients on their road to recovery and helping them to integrate back into society.

Donna has been appointed as an Independent Living Co-ordinator to support the residents once they have moved on from Speke House and to help them successfully transition to living independently.

She joins Launchpad from her previous role where she worked as a Women’s Centre Support Coach/Keyworker for a housing association. Donna has experience of working with vulnerable adults, supporting them by developing personalised action plans for long-term accommodation and resettlement and helping them to sustain and manage their finances, and explore education, training and employment opportunities.

At Speke House, she will be responsible for supporting Launchpad’s veterans by linking them with a variety of external partners and providers to support their needs, enabling them to thrive and avoid falling back on hard times. This tailored support will help them access the benefits they are entitled to as well as help them to manage their finances, secure their tenancy, gain support for their mental health issues and wellbeing, as well as encouraging them to find employment.

Donna’s role is being funded as part of the government’s Op FORTITUDE programme – a pathway to reduce veterans’ homelessness. Last year, Launchpad was selected by the government as one of nine funded organisations to reduce veterans’ homelessness. The programme will see Launchpad support 230 homeless veterans over two years from all three of its houses.

Sam Jackson, Manager of Launchpad’s Speke House, said:

“I’m delighted to welcome Patrick and Donna to our growing team – these are both significant appointments for Speke House. They both bring with them the skills, knowledge and experience that will help to enhance our service delivery and the support we provide to our residents.

 

“We provide tailored support to each resident, focussing on three core pillars: mental health and wellbeing, employment and move on. Both Patrick and Donna’s roles will complement each other. Experience shows that once residents secure employment, it gives them something to focus on – some structure and stability. This then gives them the confidence to move and live independently which is our ultimate priority.”

Last year, Launchpad’s Speke House provided accommodation and support to 81 veterans. On average, over the last five years, 56% of veterans supported by Speke House have successfully moved on and 28% left in paid employment.

Speke House comprises 50 self-contained, one-bedroom flats for former serving personnel and their partners. Launchpad has three houses in the North of England in Liverpool, Newcastle and Durham providing accommodation for 101 homeless veterans – accepting veterans from all over the UK.