A grant totalling almost £300,000 has been secured to help keep local military veterans away from criminality.
West Mercia Police and Crime Commissioner John Campion has been awarded £299,840 from the Armed Forces Covenant for the ‘Remember Veterans’ initiative. It will be delivered across West Mercia, and also in partnership with the Warwickshire PCC Philip Seccombe over the next two years.
The project will provide veterans with, amongst other things, a new referral and helpline service, peer support, and help to access training and employment support.
West Mercia Police and Crime Commissioner John Campion said: “Military personnel dedicate their careers to protecting our country, so it is absolutely right that we show the same dedication to them once they leave the forces. This funding from the Armed Forces Covenant will help ensure that veterans across West Mercia get better help to reintegrate into civilian society, and avoid the potential for repeat offending and a life spent inside the criminal justice system.”
Warwickshire Police and Crime Commissioner Philip Seccombe said: “As someone who has spent more than 25 years with the Territorial Army and as the current chairman of the Warwickshire Army Benevolent Fund, I am all too aware of the difficulties servicemen and women can experience in adjusting to civilian life once their military career has ended. For some it can be a downwards spiral, leaving them both vulnerable to becoming victims of crime and also to becoming an offender. I am delighted therefore that the Remember Veterans initiative has been awarded this funding and that the scheme will be operating in Warwickshire as well as West Mercia. It has the potential to make a very real difference to the lives of our veterans, reducing re-offending and making our communities safer.
