Forward Assist & Salute Her Provide Written & Oral Evidence At The Inaugural Women In Defence Inquiry

Patron Sarah Atherton MP argues that women make a vital and valued contribution to our Armed Forces and to our country. However, serious challenges remain. Female personnel are more likely to make complaints, more likely to report mental health difficulties and more likely to be subject to sexual assaults. Sarah states that, we need to understand the scale, nature and root of the challenges that female personnel face. Only then can we begin to address the incidence in which the services have failed female serving personnel and identify the solutions.

Her hope is that this inquiry will provide servicewomen and veterans, who have too often struggled to get their voices heard, with a platform to discuss their experiences frankly, freely and without fear of repercussions. There is worrying data to suggest a disparity in the experiences of women and men both during and after leaving the Armed Forces that demands serious examination. Neglecting to do so is a disservice to those prepared to lay down their lives for our safety and protection.

Our Forces are stronger, richer and more capable when they are diverse and inclusive. A robust Armed Forces includes personnel from all walks of life, with different experiences and fresh perspectives. This is not only the right thing to do but contributes directly to operational effectiveness. We need the right person for the right role, and it is in no one’s interest to discourage women from joining and remaining in the Armed Forces.

The Committee will look at:

• Whether the Government and MoD is doing enough to address any additional challenges

• how easy it is to make a complaint, and identify what barriers there are to female personnel complaining

• whether the experiences of female BAME personnel differ

• why women chose to leave the Armed forces

• whether ex-servicewomen face different challenges to men during their transition to civilian life

• whether the needs of female veterans are currently met by the available services; and

• the effect that the introduction of the Armed Forces (Flexible Working) Act (2010) has had

Other areas of interest that the Committee are keen to cover within the scope of the inquiry include issues around pensions, terms and conditions of employment, housing and general wellbeing.

As part of this inquiry, the Committee will be taking evidence from female service personnel about their experiences serving. Yesterday, Salute Her Women Veterans lead Paula Edwards was honoured to give oral evidence at the first sub committee hearing.

You can watch it here: https://t.co/pkZt9uO5F8

You can read our written evidence here: https://committees.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/21078/pdf/

The 2021 Forward Assist & Salute Her Lockdown Exit Road Map.

The Government Lockdown Exit Roadmap gives us all the opportunity to start thinking about the practicalities of a return to a new normal. For all intents and purposes this means a return to the physical workspace and for Forward assist this includes the reopening of Salute Cafe, The Veteran ‘Drop In’ , Archery, Model Making, Horticulture, Angling, Bee Keeping, Photography, Independent Living Skills, and the much needed Veteran Retreats. However, this all depends on the successful completion of four key government stages:

Until 16th May, the staff team will continue to work remotely at which point it is envisage both staff and volunteers will have received both C-19 vaccinations and testing kits may still be made to anyone accessing our services and activities. Essential business meetings and training may take place within the prescribed social distancing requirements. However, this will be at the discretion of the staff member and virtual options of participation will be made available as a matter of course.

From 17th May, we will explore the possibility of reopening Salute Cafe and getting the Salute Coffee Truck and coffee roaster back on the road. If this happens social distancing will be required and the rules of six will apply, with table service only being provided at Salute Cafe and one Barista in operation on the Coffee Truck. Training courses may go ahead but only if they operate within the recognised social distancing requirements as set out by Government.

 From 21st June, social distancing requirements are scheduled to end and a full return to the physical work environment will take place. 

Technical Difficulties Resolved

We are delighted to report that the technical difficulties that we have experienced over the last few months have now thankfully been resolved. You can now contact the team via our landline and via the Contact Page on our website. If you have been trying to get in touch recently and haven’t had a reply, please accept an unreserved apology and we look forward to returning to the real world when it is safe to do so. In the interim our digital support service is available to those registered with the charity. Stay Safe

Under The Radar ...

It is one of the strange anomalies of life that we know more about the moon than the lived experience of the UK’s women veterans as they transition from military service to civilian life. It is also remarkable, and a cause for concern, that the needs of women who served in our armed forces have been completely overlooked by parliamentarians, academics and service charities since the end of the second world war. Read More: https://fabians.org.uk/under-the-radar/

Women Veterans ' Virtual Debate Training' Starts in March 2021

Thanks to funding from the Covenant Trust Fund we are, at last able to progress our Veterans British Parliamentary Debate Training Project. As such, we are delighted to partner with Parallel Histories https://www.parallelhistories.org.uk/ to deliver virtual debate training to women veterans in March 2021.

A team of eight women veterans will initially work with a group of students to learn the art of debate. During the course participants will gain an understanding of debating, confidence in public speaking, and the opportunity to develop critical thinking skills that enhance their ability to structure and organise thoughts and arguments. By enhancing the learners' analytical, research and note-taking skills, the women will learn how to form balanced, informed arguments using reasoning and evidence. The participants will also be invited to visit the House of Commons & House of Lords to see debates taking place in both sides of the House when the current C-19 restrictions permit.

Labour 'Friend of The Forces' Invite 'Salute Her' To Talk About Women Veterans

Labour Friends of the Forces and Forward Assist talk about Women Veterans

Join Labour Friends of the Forces on Wednesday 31st March at 6.30pm to discuss the findings of No Man’s Land the report written by forces charity Forward Assist.

Report’s author, Paula Edwards, along with Wing Commander (Retired) Dr. Sophy Antrobus talk about the particular needs of women veterans, and the experiences of women while serving in the Armed Forces.

Sign up to the Event Here:

No Man's Land - with Forward Assist: 31st March 2021 - Labour Friends of the Forces (labourforces.org)

Starting Monday... Virtual Happiness: Women Veterans Health & Wellbeing Sessions

Team Salute Her are delighted to be working in partnership with James Garrity Fitness to deliver a virtual 28 Day Mind - Body - Soul Virtual Body Transformation Course for isolated women veterans. Starts Monday 15th February 2021.

Fitness can significantly benefit the mind, as it increases blood flow and releases “happy” chemicals that help you to feel better emotionally.  When you exercise, neurotransmitters called endorphins are released in the brain and provide a sense of well-being and happiness that can last for hours. Another way that fitness helps the mind is that it relieves built up stress.  As you go through your day to day activities, anxiety and stress can affect you mentally and physically.  Chronic stress can cause physical and mental problems such as high blood pressure, anxiety disorders, and depression.

Forward Assist CEO Interviewed on Veterans Talks!

Earlier this month, CEO Tony Wright was interviewed by the Veteran Talks team.

“ I was delighted to be asked to speak on this superb veteran led initiative, how often does one get asked to describe a 12 year journey and it was an honour to share my experiences and observations in a frank and open discourse. Keep up the great work guys!”

You can watch the video here: https://youtu.be/BDsnSoN9tok

The UK Government/MOD Should Recognise Military Sexual Trauma (MST)

We are campaigning for change. The Government and Ministry of Defence do not currently recognise the term ‘Military Sexual Trauma’ (MST) and as a result there are no ‘gender specific’ trauma informed services specialising in MST. The negative impact of such experiences can be devastating and last a life time without timely specialist support during and after service.

In response, we have lodged a Parliamentary Petition with the UK Government and it has now gone live. You can sign the Petition here:

https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/566588

“We call on the Government to take responsibility and action to provide 'gender specific' trauma informed, confidential and independent specialist interventions/support for survivors of MST. The UK Government & (Ministry of Defence) should, like our international partners adopt the term Military Sexual Trauma (MST) as a stand-alone and recognisable enduring traumatic experience that affects men but disproportionately women service personnel, during and after military service”.

Forward Assist are actively campaigning for equitable mental health support services & post service employment opportunities for women. https://www.forward-assist.com/salute-her”

Forward Assist recognise that women veterans are a hidden, marginalised, frequently ignored & forgotten population. We have been actively campaigning for equitable mental health support services for those traumatised by war, sexual assault and harassment.

Have you registered for Amazon Smile?

It is really easy to support Forward Assist even while you shop.

Every time your order through Amazon Smile, they will make a donation to us.

• Go to: smile.amazon.co.uk

• Log in using your normal Amazon log in.

• Select Forward Assist Limited

• Shop as normal, and we will receive a donation from Amazon.

It really is that simple, you can support us without any extra cost to yourself.
 

Click here to get set up: smile.amazon.co.uk

Covid -19 Advice & Guidance 'Stay Safe'

As people across the country start to be vaccinated, now is not the time to break the rules, please follow the guidance and let’s keep each other safe.

If you attend work, remember to:

• Maintain 2m social distance

• Frequently wash your hands throughout the day

• Meet virtually wherever possible

• Clean desks and work surfaces before and after use

• Notify your manager, self-isolate and arrange a test if you show any symptoms

• Observe all the working arrangements relevant to your job role.

Veteran Friendly Dentists... Why We Need Them!

If there’s one thing the recent lockdowns have taught us in never take the NHS or Dentistry for granted. Several Veterans on our caseload have had to self medicate in the absence of instant access to dental care and we received anecdotal evidence that one was so desperate he removed his own tooth, which raised additional health and hygiene concerns. In the North East we are very lucky to have a Dental Training Hospital in the City Centre which provides emergency treatment at no cost for those in need. Its proved to be invaluable for many.

The excellent ‘Veteran Friendly’ GP scheme has proved to be extremely helpful in reminding veterans of the importance of registering with a GP practice but also in connecting them with the plethora of Veteran Support groups that now exist in many areas. We at Forward Assist & Salute Her UK are promoting the idea that both NHS Dentists and the Private Dental Sector join the scheme with particular consideration given to the needs of women who have been traumatised by sexual assault. If you are interested in supporting us in this endeavour please get in touch at: admin@forward-assist.com

Veterans Collaborative UK

Forward Assist & Salute Her Are Delighted To Partner With ‘Forces in The Community’ & ‘Veterans Contact Point’ To Establish ‘The Veterans Collaborative UK’

Vision Statement
The Veterans Collaborative UK aims to build fully integrated partnerships with military charities and community based organisations in support of UK Military Veterans and their families.

Mission Statement
Veterans Collaborative UK is a strong voice created to advocate for a holistic, compassionate continuum of services, treatment and care for our service members, veterans, families, care givers and care providers. We provide a forum to share information and education, raise awareness, focus outreach and promote strategic partnerships that will streamline and improve access to entitlements, benefits and health and wellbeing services.

The Development of a veteran specific ‘Accelerated Access Collaborative’ could bridge the gap for those veterans that have fallen through the gap of the welfare safety net.

See: https://www.veteranscollaborative.co.uk/

Veterans Mental & Physical Health: The Importance of a Healthy Nutritious Diet

Bob Wilson, Forward Assist volunteer and Royal Artillery Veteran served fifteen years in the military and was involved in seven tours of Northern Ireland. Bob 70, suffers from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and lives on his own. He has embraced the healthy living skills he acquired on two of our Health & Wellbeing veteran retreats and was a keen participant on the healthy eating and cookery classes designed by Team Forward Assist. In September 2019, Bob decided he would make significant changes to his lifestyle. On the advice of our Occupational Therapist he stopped eating fried food and white bread and bought a pressure cooker with which to cook all his meals. 

Under the guidance of his GP and a dietician, Bob who was 21 stone, now weighs in at a healthy 12 stone. His blood pressure has normalised and he is now able to take his companion dog for long walks. This has made a huge difference to Bob’s health and mental wellbeing as he is no longer breathless and he no longer needs breathing apparatus for sleep apnoea. Outstanding Bob, well done you!

Quote:

“Attending the healthy eating course taught me how to cook better and make healthier meals. I now enjoy cooking and enjoy experimenting with new recipes. Because of the healthy eating course I now know what not to eat and how to replace un-healthy food with a healthier alternative.  The course also gave me a purpose to get out of the house and meet new people.”

Centre For Social Justice Award Winners Video

Its six years since we won the Centre for Social Justice Award in 2015. Since that time we have remained true to our core values and continued to develop services that are ‘needs led’ and ‘person centred’.

We are particularly proud of our ground-breaking work developing gender specific support services for women veterans.

You can watch the video here : https://youtu.be/d1XczsPVrFI

'Salute Her' Women Veterans Task Force Campaign For Women Veteran Statue

Team Forward Assist in collaboration with the ‘Salute Her’ Women Veteran Task Force are campaigning for a statue that celebrates and reflects the service, sacrifice of women veterans past and present. (Including all those women from minority groups such as the BAME and LGBT community.)

After receiving a message from a Woman veteran asking why all statues in London only depict men or symbolic representations of of female WW2 Veterans, our Patron Mary Glindon MP wrote to Johnny Mercer MP to see if he would support such a campaign. See his response below:

Disappointing, but the campaign goes on….

The Importance of Sleep & Mental Wellbeing

Team Forward Assist are delighted to be partnering with fellow Winston Churchill Memorial Trust Travelling Fellowship recipient Charlie Morley in 2021. Charlie Morley has over 10 years’ experience in the field of sleep, dreams & mindfulness and has authored three bestselling books on the subject.

He is the lead facilitator and co-creator of Mindfulness of Dream & Sleep.

Although best known as an authorised teacher of lucid dreaming within the Tibetan Buddhist tradition he has been teaching on veteran’s mindfulness retreats since 2016 and has presented his work at the Ministry of Defence Mindfulness Symposium and the Defence Buddhist Conference.

In 2018 he was awarded a Churchill Fellowship grant to research “Mindfulness Based PTSD Treatment in Veterans” and continues to teach sleep & dream practices to armed forces veterans and civilians with Stress or Trauma Affected Sleep Patterns.

You can find out more about Charlies ground breaking work ‘Beyond mindfulness: Best practice for Veterans with PTSD’ by watching this fantastic video which captures his travels in Canada and the USA.

See: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GT70TiLFym4

Happy New Year 2021

Wishing All Our Supporters A Happy New Year

We’re Hiring

Thanks to funding from the National Health Service (NHS) and the Armed Forces Covenant Trust Fund we will be recruiting up to eight professionally qualified staff in 2021 to develop and support innovative ‘gender specific’ interventions for veterans and their families. We will continue to develop comprehensive assessments that address individual and family needs. Through care coordination and integrated care pathways we will facilitate direct linkage to treatment services for Post Traumatic Stress (PTS),Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), Moral Injury and Military Sexual Trauma . Our ‘Healthy Relationships’ workshops and ‘Citizenship Reloaded’ programme will offer a ‘best in class’ approach to supporting families who may be experiencing relational stressors following adjustment to civilian life and/or the difficulties faced during the C-19 pandemic.

The 12 Suits of Christmas!

Forward Assist and Salute Her are delighted to have partnered with ‘Suitability NE’ to give twelve unemployed, male and female veterans the best chance possible chance of finding work in 2021. The twelve lucky veterans will be given a voucher which will enable them to access a free suit, shoes, shirt and tie to improve employment chances next year. The package of support will also include one to one confidence building sessions , a free haircut from veteran owned barbers ‘The Mane Man’ in Dudley and mock interview training from one of our business partners. You can find out more about Suitability at : https://suit-ability.com/