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| News release 11th Oct 2011 |
For immediate release |
If you don’t know where to start…StartHere!
Latest SPVA Podcasts focus on online information service
StartHere is an online information service where you can search for information on help and support services that are available locally or on a national basis. A number of organisations, including the Service Personnel and Veteran’s Agency (SPVA), have been working with the StartHere charity to provide specific guidance for the Armed Forces Community.
Split over two releases; the first podcast features presenter Joanne Lowe interviewing Jane Gammage, Community Partnerships Manager from StartHere, and in a second podcast Clare Ellis speaks to Harvey Tilley, Assistant Director – Welfare Services for the Royal British Legion to find out more about this innovative service.
Jane said:
“Providing access to reliable information about the services available to them is a crucial step to help people get the support to really make a difference to their lives. This is what StartHere is all about and we are really pleased to be able to make that difference to members of the Armed Forces Community. After listening to the podcasts, take a look at www.starthere.org”
The Royal British Legion had been looking for a trusted online information source to help their beneficiaries locate organisations to aid them with challenges they may face and StartHere fitted the bill.
Harvey added:
“Helping our beneficiaries find and locate information to help them help themselves is key to our long term strategy. StartHere provides quality, trusted information that is not easily available anywhere else and it is very easy to use. The Royal British Legion has received extremely positive feedback on StartHere and we aim to build on this as part of our new strategy.”
The podcast and other SPVA social media products are available to access on the SPVA Social Media Hub via the Veterans-UK website, www.veterans-uk.info , and on various social media sites such as iTunes and YouTube.
Ends
Notes to Editors:
- Veterans-UK was launched by the Ministry of Defence in April 2007 to provide a focal point for veterans to access services from the many different sources of help available. The Veterans-UK helpline, 0800 169 2277 and website www.veterans-uk.info are the main contact points.
- The Service Personnel and Veterans Agency is an Agency of the Ministry of Defence and provides essential support functions to the Armed Forces and veterans communities. These include Forces pay and HR, issue of all medals, casualty repatriation and compassionate services, pensions, injury/bereavement compensation and veterans welfare support.
- A veteran is anyone who has served in HM Armed Forces, regular or reserve including National Servicemen, former Polish forces under British command and Merchant Mariners who have seen duty in military operations (e.g. the Falklands Conflict). Veterans, who can be aged from 18 to well over 80, along with their families and dependents make up the veterans community and all are entitled to our services.
- SPVA prides itself on its communication with the Service and Veterans community. By embracing Digital and Social Media, it will be able to reach an even wider audience. The SPVA podcasts were launched in February 2010 followed by the first SPVA videocast launched in May 2010. SPVA now also has a blog and you can follow SPVA on Twitter - @SPVAmod.
- Using Digital and Social media products, SPVA aims to keep service personnel and veterans up to date with the latest happenings within the Agency and how they may impact on the wider Armed Forces community.
- SPVA podcasts and videos are now available on the SPVA Social Media Hub that can be accessed via the Veterans-UK website - http://www.veterans-uk.info - and are also syndicated via iTunes, the SPVA channel on YouTube and MOD Social Media Hub http://www.blogs.mod.uk/homepage.html
For Further Information
Please contact Laurie Manton Service Personnel and Veterans Agency, on 07795 970407
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