Ireland's Military Story

Tag: Horses For People

  • A Strong Voice For Veterans – The Veterans Commissioner For Northern Ireland

    A Strong Voice For Veterans – The Veterans Commissioner For Northern Ireland

    A Strong Voice for Veterans – The Veterans Commissioner For Northern Ireland

    Recognising the challenges facing veterans today Danny Kinahan was appointed as Northern Ireland’s first Veterans Commissioner in September 2020. Since that time Danny, a British Army veteran himself, and his team – Alan Murphy and Rachael Harger – have been working with veterans’ support organisations throughout the island of Ireland, advocating for better supports, listening to the challenges, and urging veterans to get in touch.

    Many who leave the armed services may not require help – but others do across a number of areas.  This might include mental or physical health – or to other matters such as housing and retraining. Getting the right supports to veterans is an ongoing challenge.

    Over the past eight months we have been working with Danny and his team to help produce a series of videos to help introduce him and his team, and promote their work and veterans supports throughout the island of Ireland. We would encourage veterans’ charities/organisations and veterans themselves to share this video in order to help communicate the message: if you need help there is support.

    If you are a former member of the British Armed Forces on the island of Ireland that needs support or you know a such a veteran that needs support you can contact the Northern Ireland Veterans Commissioner’s Office or the Northern Ireland Veterans’ Support Office, details below.

    Northern Ireland Veterans Commissioner’s Office

    Web: www.nivco.co.uk

    E: commissioner@nivco.co.uk

     Tel: +44 (0) 28 90527734

    Northern Ireland Veterans’ Support Office

    Web: www.nivso.org.uk

    E: info@nivso.org.uk

    Tel: +44 (0) 28 95216784

    We would like to thank the following organisations for their help during the production of this video: Decorum NI, Frontier Pipes and Drums, Inspire Wellbeing, Horses for People, The Not Forgotten Association, The Royal British Legion (Northern Ireland), The Royal British Legion (Rep. of Ireland), and The Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Families Association

    This project was made possible with kind support from The Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, the NI Veterans Commissioner’s Office and the NI Veterans’ Support Office.

    This video is a production of The Irish Military Heritage Foundation CLG: (RCN) 20203159.

    You can help support our projects on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=56748863 The Dept. of Tourism Culture Arts Gaeltacht Sport and Media

  • Project Update – A Strong Voice For Veterans

    Project Update – A Strong Voice For Veterans

    Project Update – A Strong Voice For Veterans

    Photos by John O’Byrne

    As part of our ongoing project with the NI Veterans Commissioner – Danny Kinahan – and his team we recently met Liz Brown and her team from the NI Veterans’ Support Office (VSO).  Both the Northern Ireland Veteran Commissioners Office (NIVCO) and the VSO work collaboratively for the representation and delivery support of services to veterans. The VSO are the lead support and signposting service linking individual veterans, veterans’ groups and their families to available supports.

    The VSO supports a wide scope of services and supports across Northern Ireland. We recently visited three inspiring outreach programmes: Decorum NI, the Frontier Pipes and Drums, and Horses for People. Decorum NI supports and empowers those security forces, and their families, who served during the Troubles in Northern Ireland during the period of Op Banner from 1969 – 2007. At the time of our visit, they were conducting a Skills For Life Course with young adults from South Eastern Regional College. These students grew up after the Troubles; as part of a community peace building initiative the course helps veterans share their story by engaging with the students for the future. Taking a break from a rehearsal, Ricky McGaffin introduced us to veterans of The Frontier Pipes and Drums. This veterans’ band promotes good mental health and provides an environment where veterans can meet other veterans, gain skills and qualifications, and ultimately benefit from the comradeship that the band aims to build within its ranks. In a beautiful setting overlooking Strangford Lough, Horses for People run Equine Assisted Learning workshops focussed on building confidence, self-esteem, resilience and more harmonious relationships. Working closely with Inspire Wellbeing, Horses for People has had particularly good successes with veterans suffering from mental health problems through equine therapy.

    Each of these programmes help support veterans in their own unique way. Our aim is to use the content we are developing to help sign post veterans on the island of Ireland to supports such as those highlighted here.

    We would like to thank David Crabbe and Mitch Bresland – Decorum NI; Ricky McGaffin – Frontier Pipes and Drums; June Burgess – Horses for People; and Michael Donaldson – Inspire Wellbeing, for introducing us to their amazing programmes.

    With kind support from The Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, the NI Veterans Commissioner’s Office and the NI Veterans’ Support Office.