Ministry Of Defence
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
Alistair Carns OBE MC appointed as Minister for Veterans and People
On 3 July 2024, Alistair Carns was appointed as Minister for Veterans and People (MinVP) at the MOD. He was elected as the Labour MP for Selly Oak, Birmingham after a long military career, leaving as Colonel in 2024.
His portfolio will include:
- veterans policy and delivery
- armed forces families
- Armed Forces Covenant
For more information, please visit Alistair Carns OBE MC.
The Fighting with Pride Review and Directory
Fighting with Pride logo.
On Monday 15 July, Fighting with Pride (FWP) launched their 2024 Review and Directory in conjunction with The Veteran UK.
The guide is a resource for LGBT veterans, serving personnel, families and professionals to learn more about the work they do, and the organisations and veterans they work with.
A print copy is available to buy via The Veteran UK for 10, and the online versions are free to view. You can find updates on the reparation work conducted by Fighting with Pride here.
Non-financial reparations are also being rolled out, with many LGBT veterans being invited to single service events to be presented with their certificates of service and berets.
Its not too late to apply for restorative measures, and Fighting with Pride are able to support with the online application process.
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
The employers guide to hiring veterans (published by the OVA) was launched by the Rt Hon Johnny Mercer MP, 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
Career Transition Partnership
The Career Transition Partnership (CTP) is a partnering agreement between the Ministry of Defence and Right Management Ltd, who are global career development and outplacement specialists and part of the ManpowerGroup. CTP provides resettlement services for those leaving the Royal Navy, Army, Royal Air Force and Marines. Regardless of time served, all members of the Armed Forces can benefit from CTP support when leaving Service.In addition, they operate as an intermediary service for employers wishing to hire Service leavers.
To date, they have assisted over 235,000 Service leavers with the transition to civilian life and supported thousands of organisations looking to employ ex-Service personnel.
Find out how CTP can help your organisation harness military talent
CTP employment fairs connect employers with skilled and experienced individuals who have un-paralleled transferable skills in planning, communication, teamwork and leadership, along with adaptability, drive and resilience.
The Reed Group
The Reed Group has recently been awarded the Gold Employer Recognition Scheme Award.
The Reed Group has created an internal Armed Forces Veterans and Reservists Group (AFVR), a Group-wide community for Armed Forces/ex-Armed Forces staff to connect.
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
The Forces Employment Charity stands by ex-Forces person