Support available for Armed Forces veterans and families in Teesside
Local authorities and charities say they have dedicated services
Armed Forces veterans and their families are being urged to come forward if they need support across Teesside.
Local authorities and charities say they have services that are dedicated to helping those who need it.
Stockton Council leader Bob Cook is the Armed Forces Champion for the Borough and he said: "If they're looking for a job, we'll look to see where we can help them do that; either through the Council services if there's vacancies or through our employment hub, that's based in the town centre. Obviously lots of people who leave the Armed Forces have got transferable skills that they can transfer into other jobs.
"What we try to do is work with businesses to make sure that they realise that there's skilled people out there that they could employ and similiarly with GP surgeries, we campaign when they go to see their doctors, to ask every patient to see whether they've been a member of the Armed Forces bcause they could have mental health issues because they've been in the Armed Forces or other issues.
"We help with schooling for children of Armed Forces personnel who are trying to get closer to their relatives from a place down south back into Stockton, so they can get support from relatives who live here. Getting homeless people housing as well, trying to help them through the Council and through our contacts with our housing associations as well.
"We've got to recognise the sacrifices that lots of our Armed Forces personnel have actually made for this country and for us to keep us safe, so if they need help then we need to make sure that we give them that help where and when we can to ensure that we show our appreciation for their work they've done over the time serving this country."