Downton charity calls for "generational shift" in veteran support
Help for Heroes wants Government to stand by its promise to former service personnel
A veterans charity based in Wiltshire is asking the Government to deliver on its pledge to ensure Armed Forces personnel are fully supported when they leave service.
Help for Heroes, which is based in Downton, near Salisbury, has written an open letter to Government, which is expected to be handed to Downing Street next month, asking Prime Minister Andy Burnham to lead a "generational shift" in how veterans are supported.
It's already been signed by the likes of Lorraine Kelly, Ross Kemp and Anthony Cotton.
Co-founder, Mark Elliott, said: "It provides us an opportunity to remind the new government, dare I say, the next new government, of just the sheer dedication and need of our veterans community and indeed their families.
"I know over many years myself that the British public supports our veterans and their families, but it's just a reminder both to them and indeed the new government that so much more needs to be done."
The letter asks the Government to standby the Armed Forces Covenant, , a promise that no one would be disadvantaged by their service.
Mark said: "We should look after these young men and women who frankly have joined up to keep bad people from our door, some sadly paying the ultimate sacrifice. But actually to remember that we can look after and we should look after those that the return from their serving of our nation."
He told us that charities like Help for Heroes can assist Government's, saying that they can provide the consistent care and understand what Mark calls "veteran speak" and provide the reassurance that former service personnel are being heard.
"When veterans leave, they find the civilian world very strange. I know I did after 25 years. And so it's providing that consistency of care, providing that veterans speak, that we do understand what they've been through. And often Governments can't do that. And I understand that. But it's about collaboration. It's about cooperation, making sure that we look after veterans and their families better."
While there are veterans facing different challenges since leaving the Armed Forces, it is not the case for all veterans, with the majority living successful lives after service.
But Mark said it's vital that support network is in place for those who do face trouble, and we can help force change.
He said: "Governments won't do anything, because that's the nature of a democracy, unless the public demand it.
And the public have been very good. But this is a time when the public can stand up and say, get this sorted, get this done.
"We still should not be talking about younger men, women, leaving our armed forces, having defended our nation, still struggling."
We can add our name to the letter here.