Funding housing costs and specialist care for homeless Army veterans
As part of our close relationship with Launchpad, we are delighted to award a £38,147 grant towards the charity’s work in helping homeless veterans.
Our donation will be used to meet the housing utility costs of around 46 homeless Army veterans living at Avondale House, Newcastle upon Tyne, the city’s largest veteran accommodation provider.
We are also funding the annual cost of a specialist caseworker devoted to helping vulnerable veterans with complex mental health and substance addiction problems, recovering from broken family relationships or unable to find paid employment.
Launchpad observed a rise in demand for specialist caseworker services during the pandemic, especially where access to the NHS often proved difficult for some veterans looking for help.
David Shaw, CEO and Founder of Launchpad, commented:
“We are very grateful to the Trustees of ABF The Soldiers’ Charity for providing this grant which ensures the vital work we provide to our veterans can continue at a high standard.
“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. Our specialist caseworkers support each resident by helping them to stabilise their lives and move on to live independently.”
Brigadier (Ret’d) Peter Monteith, Chief of Staff at ABF The Soldiers’ Charity, added:
“We are always proud to support Launchpad and admire its award-winning work with Army veterans on the edge of society who find themselves homeless due to circumstances and need specialist support. We are committed to helping all members of the Army family.”
