Warwickshire’s Lord Lieutenant and High Sheriff attend launch event of new Veterans Contact Point support hub in Warwick

Warwickshire’s Lord Lieutenant, Tim Cox, and the High Sheriff of Warwickshire, David Kelham, attended a special launch event at The Warwick Arms Hotel on Thursday 2 March to find out more about the newly opened Veterans Contact Point support hub in Warwick, and to discover some of the important ways the charity helps veterans who live in the south of the county.

The Southern Hub opened in November 2022 and complements the charity’s existing Northern Hub in Nuneaton.

The Lord Lieutenant and High Sheriff were joined by veterans, representatives from Military Charities, the NHS, local authorities and community organisations to learn more about the work being carried out by The Veterans Contact Point and the local Armed Forces Covenant Partnership.

The Southern Hub has already held a number of successful events for local veterans such as Brew & Banter pop in’s which provide informal opportunities for veterans to meet and chat over a free cuppa.

The new support hub, which consists of two offices housed on the first floor of Pageant House in Warwick, is dedicated to the charity’s late President Mr David Owen MBE DL, in memory of his endless commitment to Veterans Contact Point which he was instrumental in setting up in 2009. 

Veteran’s Contact Point is a military charity which supports those who have served in any of the UK Armed Forces who live in Coventry, Solihull and Warwickshire. The charity provides peer support, signposting, social meetings, befriending schemes, and welfare support, regular events such as the annual Armed Forces Day, as well as projects aimed at Veterans in the Criminal Justice System.

It works with the Armed Forces Covenant Partnership to ensure that veterans are not forgotten after their military service and continue to be included in community support.

Cllr Wallace Redford, Warwickshire County Council Councillor and Chair of the Armed Forces Covenant Partnership said:

“The new Veterans Contact Point offices in the south of the county will provide a fantastic opportunity for veterans to meet each other and receive the support they need after serving in the military. Veterans can often feel forgotten, isolated, or too embarrassed to ask for help, and so this space is vital to look after their mental health and wellbeing, as well as reinforcing that they are an important part of our local communities.”

The Lord Lieutenant of Warwickshire, Tim Cox, said: 

“It has been an honour to attend the launch event for Veterans Contact Point’s new support hub in Warwick. The charity already carries out incredible work in the north of the county to raise awareness of the needs of veterans from across all pathways and provides successful peer-to-peer support interventions. It’s great to see veterans based in the south of the county receiving this same level of support.”

The new veteran support hub in Warwick is the result of partnership work between Veterans Contact Point, Warwick District Council, and The Coventry, Solihull and Warwickshire Armed Forces Covenant Partnership, with funding from a grant made by The Veterans Foundation.

If you are a veteran or a partner of a veteran or an organisation or individual who knows of a veteran or their family who are struggling, help can be accessed through any one of Veteran Contact Point’s support hubs across Warwickshire please phone 02476343793 or email contactus@veteranscontactpoint.co.uk

For more information visit:

• Veterans Contact Point http://veteranscontactpoint.org.uk/
• Coventry, Solihull & Warwickshire Armed Forces Covenant Partnership www.warwickshire.gov.uk/armedforces

To find out more about the roles of Warwickshire’s Lord Lieutenant and Warwickshire’s High Sheriff, visit https://lordlieutenantofwarwickshire.co.uk/ and https://highsheriffofwarwickshire.co.uk/