02.10.19
Mayor to support homeless veterans in South Yorkshire
Mayor of the Sheffield City Region, Dan Jarvis, is using £90,000 of funding from the Government’s Homelessness Veterans Fund to support Help 4 Homeless Veterans charity.
UK Armed Forces have protected our way of life but can find themselves without protection upon leaving the forces.
The latest Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) homelessness data reveals that in last year alone 1,780 homeless veterans were identified by local authority housing services.
Stoll and the Forces in Mind trust have recently launched the No Homeless Veterans Campaign in a bid to tackle the issue.
Jarvis is joining the crusade, supported by the four South Yorkshire authorities and the South Yorkshire Armed Forces Covenant Group, by giving the money to a South Yorkshire charity – Help 4 Homeless Veterans.
The funding will extend the work of the charity, who currently help and support homeless armed forces in the Barnsley and Doncaster communities.
By providing the extra money, Jarvis will see these services reaching people in Rotherham and Sheffield, helping people who served in the British Army, Royal Navy and Royal Air Force.
Front line staff who support those who are homeless will be provided with additional training, improving the service provided from physical care to communication with families.
The money will also enable work to be undertaken to look into why the current gaps in help and care exist and how they can be addressed.
Dan Jarvis, Mayor of the Sheffield City Region, said:
“Most service leavers go on to achieve great things in civilian life, using the invaluable experience and transferable skills gained in the military. But as someone who had the honour of serving in the Armed Forces myself, I understand the challenges some people can face when leaving the Forces.
“That’s why I’m using the small amount of funding that has been provided by the Government to boost the work of an important charity based here in South Yorkshire.
“In one of the richest economies in the world, no one should be without a home, especially those who’ve risked their life serving our country. It’s time that we recognise our service men and women in a manner that befits their sacrifice and better support them in the transition from military to civilian life.”
Steve Bentham-Bates, Chief Executive for Help 4Homeless Veterans, said:
“We are delighted to learn our charity has been identified by the Sheffield City Region as a worthy recipient of funding to enable us to provide help to the most vulnerable veterans right across South Yorkshire.”
Figures released by the Office of National Statistics earlier this week show that more than 720 homeless people died in England and Wales in 2018 – representing the highest year-on-year increase since records began.