Ireland's Military Story

Tag: Veterans' Welfare

  • 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.