More News, click here
A Beacon for Veterans
The first turf has been cut on a pioneering housing project for veterans of Iraq, Afghanistan and other conflicts at Catterick, North Yorkshire...
THE Beacon is the result of a successful partnership with a range of other national and regional agencies: the Homes and Communities Agency, who will be providing capital funding; the Church Housing Trust, who will be raising charitable funds to furnish the centre; Communities and Local Government; Richmondshire District Council; and North Yorkshire County Council. help single ex-Service personnel at risk of being left homeless, and is just one of the many projects and initiatives being developed to help provide first class services to ex-Servicemen and women. It will be run by English Churches Housing Group (ECHG), Housing and Support, who have worked with over 6,000 men and first established its partnership with the MOD ten years ago.At the centre veterans can expect to be provided with temporary accommodation for up to 18 months, access to top of the range IT equipment and on-site training, as well as a service to help guide residents into employment and permanent housing.
The centre’s facilities will include:
• IT suite
• Employment Area
• Health resource facility
• On-site training bakery
• Allotment site
In a further innovative step, as part of its construction, The Beacon will offer ECHG clients the
opportunity to work on the building site to gain valuable construction training skills for future employment.
ECHG’s Managing Director, Derek Caren, said:
“The Beacon’s services will be worthy of the veterans it will work with and will focus on making sure they make a life once they leave the Armed Forces.”
Importantly, The Beacon will reinforce a growing network of existing ECHG centres, including Mike Jackson House in Hampshire and an established, smaller centre, The Galleries, in Richmond, North Yorkshire.
As a complement to the development, released by the MOD at the site in Catterick to build a separate development of twelve affordable family homes for rent, adjacent to the new centre.
- Inquiry into former Armed Service personnel in prison
- SPVA to cast its net wider
- Armed Forces Community Welfare Pathway continues roll-out
- Happy Birthday to the Regular Forces Employment Association
- 'ABF 'The Soldiers Charity' the new brand name for The Army Benevolent Fund
- Citizens Advice launches dedicated web information pages for Armed Forces
- Armed Forces veterans encouraged to 'Be the Boss'
- New plans to support sick and injured soldiers
- Changes in line for AFCS Scheme
- A Beacon for Veterans