Ministry Of Defence
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This collaborative project is delivered by Defence Relationship Management and Cobseo (The Confederation of Service Charities). The Hub enables forces-friendly organisations across all sectors to showcase the continued value of the UKs highly-skilled veteran community.
Latest news
Funds awarded for informative Bereavement Hub
Veterans' Foundation Logo. Copyright: Veterans' Foundation.
The Veterans Foundation has awarded a grant of 30,000 to new not-for-profit CICBeyond the Wireto develop its Bereavement Hub, designed to help families navigate the complexities of life after loss.
Beyond the Wire was launched in mid-2024 by Jilly Carrell following the death of her husband, Nick, a serving Colonel in the British Army. The hub is designed to offer bereaved families straightforward guidance on support for their children, finance and benefits in one place.
New funding to support bereaved military families
The Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust (the Trust) has announced a new funding opportunity for charities supporting bereaved military families.
The Empowering Bereaved Military Families programme will seek to build a strong, collaborative network to meet the needs of those who have given most.
This programme will offer a single portfolio grant of up to 1.8 million to achieve long-term, transformational change in the non-statutory support provided to bereaved military families.
Gen Dit Networks exhibitor event
Gen Dit is a military support network started in 2022, with more than 16,000 LinkedIn members. The group offers professional advice and networking opportunities for service personnel, leavers and veterans.
Gen Dit military networking event poster. Copyright: Gen Dit Network.
Registration for their networking event is open until 29 March. The event in Ashton Gate, Bristol, is open to businesses, serving personnel and veterans.
Armed Forces T-Shirt Day
Armed Forces T-Shirt logo. Copyright: Forces Employment Charity .
The Forces Employment Charity has been named the official charity partner for Armed Forces T-Shirt Day and the AT E@SEFestival2025, two events dedicated to honouring the UKs armed forces community. With a shared mission of supporting service personnel, and veterans, these events will raise essential funds and awareness for veteran employment programs.
What is a veteran?
Veterans are defined as anyone who has served for at least one day in His Majestys Armed Forces (Regular or Reserve) or Merchant Mariners who have seen duty on legally defined military operations. There are currently 2.4 million veterans in Great Britain.
There are 2.4 million veterans in Great Britain. 40% of veterans are 16-64 years old. The percentage of working age veterans is set to increase to 44% by 2028. 60% of veterans are over 65. 75% of veterans own their home or have a mortgage. It is estimated that 3% to 6% of those sleeping rough have served in the Armed Forces. 75% are healthy, 17% have fair health and 8% have bad health. Want to learn more? Tune in to our being forces friendly podcast.
Listen to our team of veterans talk about their experiences: transitioning from the UK Armed Forces and what the word veteran means to them.
You can find and listen to all of our Being Forces Friendly podcast episodes on Anchor.
Share your story: what does the word veteran mean to you? Use the hashtag #ProudToBeAVeteran on the platforms below:
Veterans employment
An employers guide to hiring veterans
An employers' guide to hiring veterans graphic (Office for Veterans' Affairs).
The employers guide to hiring veterans (published by the OVA) was launched by the Rt Hon Johnny Mercer, former Minister For Veteran Affairs at the Federation of Small Businesses HQ in London.
The guide provides support to organisations that seek guidance and best practices for the employment, retention, and career development of veterans. Case studies from existing organisations are included, providing tips and lived experiences.
Read the employers guide to hiring veterans.
The Reed Group
Reed logo.
The Reed Group has created an internal Armed Forces Veterans and Reservists Group (AFVR) community.
The AFVR Groups benefits include:
- offering employees a support group of people with similar experiences
- recreating a sense of camaraderie that they may be missing from their time in the forces
- offering an optional buddy system for mentoring new staff, especially when this is a members first civilian job
- sharing Armed Forces events, news and experiences
Joanna Chapman, Reed Group business development manager, has said:
This shows our commitment to supporting Armed Forces personnel and ensuring they are not disadvantaged by their Service. We work continuously to create new and improve existing policies and initiatives that support those who have served and those who continue to serve, including guidance documents for our recruiting staff and job application support for those applying to work for Reed.
Their working group will also hold group-wide talks to raise awareness for employing the Armed Forces Community, the benefits they bring to employers, and how they can be supported. Reed opens group talks to external stakeholders to host and bring their expertise, and they welcome anyone who would be interested in attending. If you would like to participate, email the Reed Armed Forces Community at ArmedForces.Community@reed.com.
The Forces Employment Charity
Forces Employment Charity logo.
The Forces Employment Charity stands by ex-Forces personnel through a range of programmes and practical support. Supporting anyone who has served at least one day in His Majestys Regular Armed Forces, or Merchant Mariners who have seen duty on legally defined military operations. Support is delivered by experienced advisors, many of whom also served. The Forces Employment Charity advisors are committed to helping veterans succeed through their working lives.
The Forces Employment Charity programmes provide a range of practical tools and