Ireland's Military Story

Tag: Northern Ireland Veterans Commissioner

  • 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.

  • 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

    For many veterans’ life after leaving the armed forces is challenging. Ensuring that all veterans receive the support and care they deserve is also a challenge. On the island of Ireland there are an estimated 150,000 and 20,000 British Armed Forces (Army, Royal Air Force and Royal Navy) veterans in Northern Ireland and the Rep. of Ireland respectively. As one of the commitments made in the New Decade New Approach political agreement, the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, appointed Danny Kinahan as Northern Ireland’s first Veterans’ Commissioner.

    The appointment of a Veterans Commissioner ensures that there is representation and a safe voice for veterans who often feel they have been forgotten, and have been largely underrepresented as a community for years. Danny and his team have been engaging with veterans’ charities on the island of Ireland with a clear message that there is help for veterans who need it. Over the past three months we have been working on a multimedia project with the Northern Ireland Veterans Commissioner’s Office (NIVCO). The purpose of this project is to highlight the NIVCO and the services they provide, while at the same time showcasing several of the veterans’ charities and the work they do on the island of Ireland. Some of these charities include: The Royal British Legion (Northern Ireland and Rep. of Ireland); The Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Families Association (SSAFA); The Not Forgotten Association; Decorum NI; and the UDR Regimental Association. As part of a North/South engagement the NIVCO team also met with the Irish Defence Forces veterans support charity The Organisation of National Ex-Personnel. The uniform may be different but the challenges are the same, collaboration and supporting one another is the solution. Each of these charities are unique and offer a variety of supports from welfare to outreach, drop-in centres and remembrance. SSAFA for example is the oldest veterans’ organisation. Founded in 1885, it provides lifelong support to serving men and women and veterans from the British Armed Forces and their families or dependents.

    A new charity for our team is Decorum NI. It was a real pleasure to meet this group at their garden plots outside Bangor. Decorum NI helps combat isolation through a variety of ways including: alternative therapies, counselling, training, educational courses, sign posting to educational progression, and welfare advice. We are looking forward to meeting them again in the near future.

    NI Veterans’ Commissioner Danny Kinahan with members of Decorum NI at their garden plots outside Bangor.

    For a full list of supports and services available please visit: www.nivco.co.uk/where-to-get-help/

    We will be updating you as this project develops.

    Thank you to The Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, and the NI Veterans Commissioner’s Office. for their support.

  • Northern Ireland Veterans Commissioner Visits Dublin

    Northern Ireland Veterans Commissioner Visits Dublin

    Northern Ireland Veterans’ Commissioner Visits Dublin

    Photos by John O’Byrne

    NI Veterans Commissioner’s Office team, Alan Murphy, Danny Kinahan and Rachael Harger during their visit to Dublin.

    In a North/South engagement earlier today, the team from the Northern Ireland Veterans Commissioner’s Office visited their counterparts in The Royal British Legion (Rep. of Ireland) and The Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Families Association (SSAFA) (Rep. of Ireland Branch). The team discussed and listened to the concerns of the two veterans’ support charities regarding veterans of the British Armed Forces from and living in the Rep. of Ireland. The team also met with members of The Organisation of National Ex-Personnel (ONE). A clear message from today is that it is critical that veterans know there is help if needed.

    NI Veterans Commissioner – Danny Kinahan – said: “I was really pleased to meet with Irish branches of the RBL, SSAFA and ONE to ensure veterans are well looked after in the Rep. of Ireland. Today’s visit was important to see how we could help each other to improve the delivery of support to veterans.”

    NI Veterans Commissioner’s Office team Danny Kinahan, Alan Murphy and Rachael Harger; Royal British Legion (Rep. of Ireland) President Lt. Col. Ken Martin, Chairman Brian Duffy and Vice-Chairman Paul Stephenson outside the RBL office on Molesworth St., Dublin.
    NI Veterans’ Commissioner Danny Kinahan with SSAFA Branch Secretary Yvonne Harrison outside the SSAFA office on Fredrick St., Dublin.

    This project is supported by The Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, and the NI Veterans Commissioner’s Office and the Northern Ireland Veterans’ Commissioner’s Office. Special thank you to the Royal British Legion Rep. of Ireland and the Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Families Association.

  • From Comradeship to Challenge

    From Comradeship to Challenge

    From Comradeship to Challenge – The Not Forgotten Association Norther Ireland

    Tri-service members of The Not Forgotten Association Northern Ireland.

    Photos by John O’Byrne

    It was great to meet for the first-time members and veterans of The Not Forgotten Association Northern Ireland. The charity held a veterans’ lunch at the AC Hotel by Marriott Belfast Thank you to Ben Higgins, the associations Vice-Chairman, who introduced us to the work of this amazing veterans’ charity. Veterans Commissioner for Northern Ireland – Danny Kinahan – attended the lunch and met and chatted with veterans from across Northern Ireland.

    Veterans Commissioner for Northern Ireland – Danny Kinahan and Ben Higgins – Vice Chairman, The Not Forgotten Association Northern Ireland.

    The Not Forgotten Association was founded by the American born soprano Miss Marta Cunningham CBE, in 1920, and is a registered charity. Following the Great War, she was horrified to find so many wounded servicemen lying injured in hospitals up and down the country. Cunningham established The Not Forgotten with the objective of providing entertainment and recreation for the war wounded. Through social activities and challenge holidays, The Not Forgotten today combats isolation and loneliness amongst the British Armed Forces community. They support any serving man or woman who is wounded, injured or sick and any veteran with a disability, illness or infirmity; whatever the cause and whenever it arose. The Not Forgotten Association Northern Ireland was established by former British Army officer Sir Frederick William Moneypenny CVO, CBE in 1930 to provide voluntary and charitable services to Tri-Service veterans and the family connections of ex-service personnel. The Not Forgotten Association Northern Ireland works for the benefit of disabled ex-service personnel, and those serving personnel who are wounded, injured or sick (WIS). Their aim is to provide outings, entertainment and respite breaks to disabled ex-military personal.

    A selection of photographs from The Not Forgotten Association veterans’ lunch.

    This project is supported by The Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, and the NI Veterans Commissioner’s Office. Special thank you to the members of the Not Forgotten Association.