The Sun's Jobs For Heroes campaign launched

In response to reports that there may be as many as 50,000 ex-Forces personnel without jobs, the Sun newspaper has today launched its "Jobs for Heroes" campaign.

The aims of the campaign are to make UK companies more aware of the value to them of employing ex-servicemen and women, to get recruitment agencies, major UK companies and political leaders working together to deliver jobs for veterans and to bring all this wasted talent into worthwhile employment.

The focus for this recruitment drive is recruitment consultants, ForceSelect which specialises in getting jobs for Service leavers and ex-Service personnel.

Well done, yet again, to The Sun!

The Sun: These heroes risked their lives for us... give them a job, not the dole

Army Cadet Force seeks support from the Service Community

The government may have done a (welcomed) U-turn and reinstated the TA budget; they have not done the same with the Army Cadet Force and the £4million

cuts made in this year's ACF budget remain in force. The Army Cadet Force Association is now very concerned that, with the inevitable squeeze on the Army budget, this year's cuts may be repeated again next year - or even worse. This would have a seriously damaging impact on the facilities and opportunities available to the UK's 47,000 Army cadets and, importantly, on the resolve of the 8,500 adult volunteers to continue, particularly with the reductiion in instructors' paid training days and annual and weekend camps.

The ACF is a valuable training ground not only for future Army intake but also for the country's young people as a whole. The ACF helps teenages develop personally, physically and socially by providing challenging and adventurous opportunities in a structured, disciplined environment. Through the ACF young people learn the core values of self discipline, respect for others and team work. In other words the ACF teaches our young people the personal and social skills which our schools are lamentably failing to do.

Indeed up until recently Brown, Balls, Ainsworth and Co. had been announcing that the government had plans to expand the ACF and had been extolling the benefits the ACF could bring to children from all backgrounds.

The Army Cadet Force Association rightly says that each year the Army's cadets put a great deal of effort into supporting the Service community and Service charities. It, in turn, is now seeking all the support that it can get to increase awareness of the dangers that a repeat of this year's cuts would have on the ACF movement.

Army Cadet Force Association

Army Cadets website

Aldershot Army Show 2010 axed

The combination of the heavy fighting in Afghanistan and cuts to defence budgets has forced bosses at the MoD to cancel this year's Aldershot Army Show.

Attracting crowds of up to 60,000, the popular annual two-day event is the biggest Army show of its kind in the country tracing its roots back over 150 years to the time of the Crimean War.

Speaking after the last year's event, Major General Kirkland said the event was an important forum where the public could have an opportunity to meet soldiers and show their support for the Army. “Britain’s Army is the army of the people and it’s key that the people get to see who the Army is. This is an opportunity for the people to come here and support the Army when they are home from operations,” he said.

However, with so many of the local garrison currently away on operations in Afghanistan, the manpower isn't available to put on the show this year - the garrison has the 1st Battalion Coldstream Guards, the Queen's Own Gurkha Logistics Regiment, 4 Medical Regiment and elements of many other units deployed in Helmand.

This is also sadly another example of the MoD rolling back its National Recognition agenda.

BBC: Aldershot Army Show cancelled due to Afghanistan action

Supporting the Armed Forces Community: consultation results

The MoD has today published findings from the public consultation it undertook last year into how best to provide consistent and enduring support to the Armed Forces Community (AFC) , i.e. serving personnel, their families and veterans.

The consultation sprang out of the 2008 Service Command Paper which looked at ways in which the state's commitments in the Nation's Covenant with the Armed Forces could be repaired following years of neglect (NB. the Armed Forces' commitment to the Covenant has never weakened).

To re-establish the Nation's responsibilities - and indirectly to draw a veil over its own earlier failings - the government is seeking to engage the wider civil community in its endeavours. Local councils, the Third Sector (see *** below), the NHS, the Police and charities & voluntary organisations are all to play a role in supporting the AFC in future.

In terms of the number of responses it elicited, the consultation was not a success; indeed you could say that the response was pretty shameful. Of the 468 local councils in the UK, responses were received from just 16; only 3 government departments responded; Service charities and federations sent in 5 replies; 25 responses were received from the AFC itself; and one came in from the business community (Right Management UK). Not only that but "around a quarter of respondents did not answer the consultation questionnaire but took the opportunity to comment on wider Service Personnel issues".

Anyway, the findings of the consultation were summarised as:-

• there was marginal support for an Armed Forces Charter (a kind of new Covenant);
• existing problems would be resolved through increased awareness of Service issues and improved communication between the AFC and service providers;
• the AFC should not be singled out as a minority/disadvantaged group;
• for some reason local councils thought it was difficult to identify the AFC;
• while the AFC thought legal obligations a good thing, local councils, as you would expect, didn't agree saying that additional resources would be needed to meet strict legal obligations;
• again unsurprisingly, councils came out strongly in favour of local autonomy when it came to providing support to the AFC.

Although the 'single point of contact' approach for dealing with AFC issues was not generally popular with respondents, the government has already started to roll out its Armed Forces Welfare Pathway project involving the establishment of local service access points or "gateways". Pilot Pathways have been launched in Kent, Hampshire and in Wigan.

The MoD has also recently set up a National Point of Contact super-helpline for directing calls from Service personnel to the appropriate service-specific helpline.

Other recent developments include the Affordable Houses Scheme, improvements in the way school places are allocated for Service children and, of course, the Army Recovery Capability Scheme.

My experience with public consultations is that, more often than not, they're an expensive waste of time, serving only to line the pockets of the consultants themselves and providing little in terms of tangible benefit. However, this particular consultation exercise does seem genuine .... despite the poor response. A coherent (I hesitate to say 'holistic') approach for dealing with AFC issues is clearly required and it's good to see some joined-up thinking for a change.

MoD: Summary of responses to consultation on supporting Armed Forces Community published

MoD: The Consultation Paper (The Nation’s Commitment to the
A rmed Forces Community: Consistent and Enduring Support - A Consultation Paper)

MoD: A Summary of Consultation Responses - February 2010

MoD: Service Personnel Command Paper. The Nation's Commitment: Cross-Government Support to our Armed Forces, their Families and Veterans.



*** The Third Sector as described on the government's "Communities" website: "The Government defines the third sector as non-governmental organisations that are value driven and which principally reinvest their surpluses to further social, environmental or cultural objectives. It includes voluntary and community organisations, charities, social enterprises, cooperatives and mutuals. We also include housing associations within the third sector. The Government recognises the value of the diversity of organisations in the sector providing voice for under represented groups, in campaigning for change, in creating strong, active and connected communities, in promoting enterprising solutions to social and environmental challenges and in transforming the design and delivery of public services." - ummm, well there you have it.

Armed Forces Community Welfare Pathway

The Armed Forces Community Welfare Pathway is the latest MoD initiative aimed at helping serving personnel, their families and veterans receive the advice and support they need to meet a whole range of health, social and economic issues and to ensure they have consistent, easy and direct access to the services to which they are entitled.

The Welfare Pathway provides a 'one-stop-shop' that brings together the local council, community organisations, Citizen Advice Bureaux, the NHS, Service charities, etc to deliver a complete advice service that is tailored to the needs of the military community - for example:

• advice about access to NHS services;
• information about help for veterans with mental health problems;
• help and advice about education, skills and careers;
• help with affordable and social housing;
• help with transport, including Blue Badges and concessionary transport;
• advice about, and access to, affordable childcare.

The Pathway is a step along the road outlined by Bod Ainsworth in his proposal to introduce an Armed Forces Community Charter. This charter would set out the individual and specific rights of the Armed Forces community and the duty placed on public bodies to fulfil them. It has been suggested that such a charter could actually be made legally binding on public bodies. It al;so fits in with the commitments set out in the Service Personnel Command Paper, 'The Nation's Commitment: Cross-Government Support to our Armed Forces, their Families and Veterans'.

The project was launched last November in Kent and has since been rolled out in Hampshire and today in Wigan and it is expected that local "Gateways" will soon be opening up across the country. A dedicated national helpline (08000 22 33 66) has also been set up.

Despite the tired nulabour jargon which surrounds it, this scheme certainly has the promise of being able to cut through otherwise daunting bureaucracy and bring speedy solutions to the people who really deserve it.

NDS: Armed Forces Community Welfare Pathway for Wigan launches today
MoD: Armed Forces Welfare Pathway launched in Hampshire

MoD: Armed Forces Welfare Pathway launched

Afghan Heroes: A mother's legacy

The mothers of eight soldiers who were all killed in Afghanistan over two grim days in July, have joined forces to launch a new charity, Afghan Heroes, aimed at supporting UK servicemen and women serving in Afghanistan and at helping bereaved familes.

The launch statement says:

"The mother of a soldier who died in an explosion in Afghanistan in July has today (September 15, 2009) set up a charity to provide support for those directly involved in the conflict.

"In the same 24 hours in July eight servicemen in Afghanistan were lost and their mothers today joined together to launch Afghan Heroes.

"The charity aims to help the families of those who have fallen as well as providing support for those on the front line and returning service personnel who have witnessed the horrific losses of their fellow brothers.

"With more than 210 deaths in Afghanistan among British troops Denise Harris from Somerset, whose son Corporal Lee Scott lost his life while taking part in Operation Panther's Claw in Helmand Province, believes the time has come for a specialist charity to support soldiers and their families affected by events in Afghanistan."

The new organisation intends:

• to support all our service personnel operating in theatre in Afghanistan;
• to provide the much needed “home comfort“ supplies and gifts to those service personnel;
• to promote and embrace a new initiative “Thank A Soldier” to ensure our soldiers know they are not alone;
• to set up support and regional network groups for the families of the fallen and to organise charity events so they can come together.

In its support for returning soldiers, Afghan Heroes will

• provide emotional, psychological help through support groups for all returning soldiers and families of the fallen;
• help with vocational training, including: IT equipment, computers and printers;
• assist other minor charities in their work; and
• create a lasting legacy in support of our operations in Afghanistan.
  

Good luck to all involved in such a good cause!

Afghan Heroes: a chairty supporting British forces in Afghanistan
The Sun: Soldiers' mums launch charity

BFPO to cease operations in Europe

By this time next year the government intends to bring an end to BFPO operations in Europe.

The British Forces Post Office provides mail and Post Office counter services to Forces personnel and their families whilst serving outside Great Britain.

Using the BFPO means that, when members of Britain's Armed Forces are serving abroad, they have a postal address which is recognised as being part of their own country - even when they are serving on the frontline. This may sound a small thing but in its way it is a link with the people, something that helps bind together those serving abroad with everybody else back home. It is also a long-established tradition going back over two hundred years to the time of the Peninsular War.

The cutting of this service will be a significant blow to families with loved ones based in Germany, Belgium, Gibraltar and elsewhere on mainland Europe as they will no longer have the same postal rates that apply within the UK and they will no longer have the confidence that their mail will be handled in a safe and secure manner.

A petition has been set up on the No.10 website to get the government to reconsider its decision to remove British Forces Post Offices from mainland Europe. If you would like to add your name to this petition visit:

http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/SaveBFPO/

MoD's enlightened approach to online messaging

In an unexpected move the MoD has decided to put its trust in the guys on the frontline and let them use online social networking websites to keep in touch with their families and friends back home. The MoD is actively encouraging soldiers on operations to describe what they are up to in Afghanistan - especially if they do so in a positive way. The MoD has even agreed to support those who are prepared to run their own blogs.

Of course there will be guidelines but essentially the word is "use your common sense and don't give away operational secrets"

This enlightened approach is in marked contrast to what happens in the US military where tight controls remain in place.

The Guardian: UK troops encouraged to use Twitter and Facebook in the field

"Uniform to Work Day" in Scotland

In England businesses sometimes allow their staff a "dress down day" when uniforms are left at home and suits are swapped for jeans.

In Scotland they do things differently: today is "Uniform to Work Day" north of the border and TA soldiers have been leaving their civvies in the wardrobe and turning up for work in their Army uniforms. Employers across Scotland have supported the initiative which is intended to remind people "that the Territorial Army is 'among us' in society".

It wasn't that long ago that Armed Forces personnel were being actively discouraged from wearing their uniform in public; 10 years ago uniforms were forbidden on the streets because of the IRA threat.

It's good to see that the Honour the Covenant campaign, the initiatives that came out of the National Recognition Study and Ross Kemp have brought about a marked change in attitude both on the part of the public and of the military.

Sadly however this celebration comes on a day when many in Scotland fear that one of their regiments, the Royal Regiment of Scotland, may be about to bear the brunt of the manpower cuts thought to be being considered by the government.

MoD: Scottish TAs thank employers for their support
The Herald: 600-strong Scots battalion faces axe

Duke of York's Royal Military Academy

Plans to turn the Duke of York's Royal Military School into an "academy" have just been announced by the Defence Minister, Kevan Jones. As an academy the school will be run by the MoD independently of the Local Education Authority.

The school, which currently has about 500 boarding places for the children of Service families, will also be expanded to take an additional 200 under a £34million deal announced at the same time.

It is to be hoped that this is only the first of a number of schools to be saved from the declining state-controlled education system.

BBC: Army school to get academy status

The Telegraph: First academy school dedicated to Armed Forces to be opened in Dover

Duke of York's Royal Military School

MoD: Duke of York's Royal Military School, Dover

Service families welcome Dannatt's call for action

1st Battalion The Royal Anglian Regiment's Viking Family Support Group (vFSG) has endorsed the concerns raised by CGS General Sir Richard Dannatt about the stresses which the tempo of operations is causing on soldiers and their families. (see below: General Dannatt demands the resources to do the job)
Alison Burgess of the vFSG said: "War takes it toll physically and emotionally and the conditions that servicemen and woman face nowadays are so harsh. I don't think somebody can ever really go back to normal having been through that. It is hard on the families as well. It is not just the time they spend away but the time they spend training and preparing for a tour. Anything that can improve on that must be welcomed. They make a huge sacrifice that a lot of people can't understand. If somebody is going to spend their career in the army, they also need time to recover."
I'm sure that soldiers and their families around the country would agree with Alison's comments. Let's hope that General Dannatt's concerns are acted upon.

EDP24: Troops families welcome General's callViking Family Support Group

Royal Anglian Regiment: Viking Family Support Group

Two Mums with sons serving in 1 Battalion, the Royal Anglian Regiment (the Vikings), have set up the vikingFSG website with the aim of providing a ready means through which serving soldiers and their families and friends can help and support each other.
The site's webforum not only helps people keep in touch and discuss concerns and interests but also provides information on up-and-coming social events and the activities of the Battalion.
A particularly inventive feature of the website is Viking TourPal which enables registered members to write to the guys in the Battalion and vice versa.

Link> VikingFSG

New 'Forces Academy' agreed

The Government has announced that a new Forces Academy is going to be set up for children of Armed Forces personnel. The openning of the academy is planned for September 2009 and the kids should be sitting in their new classrooms in 2010. The school will take 1,100 pupils with 100 borders and will specialise in foreign languages, business and enterprise.
The academy will replace Castledown School which, though once in special needs, has been achieving significant performance improvement in the last couple of years.
In line with nuLabour's predilection towards partnerships, the new Academy will be a joint venture with nearby Wellington College.
"Staff will forge strong links with the armed forces and form a Combined Cadet Force for youngsters"- so they won't be in the NUT, then.

Link> The Sun: Soldiers’ children get academy
Link> Castledown School: Academy News - Latest