Dedicated Trauma Informed Support Service Available for Male & Female Veterans Affected By Military Sexual Trauma (MST)

As a result of the unprecedented requests for support from both men and women veterans over the last 15 months we have now initiated a dedicated support service for male victims/survivors of Military Sexual Trauma (Abuse). Team Salute Her will continue to offer specialist trauma informed interventions for serving women and veterans, as they continue to campaign for systemic change, awareness and understanding of the long term impact sexual abuse in the military has on survivors both during and after service. Forward Assist will work exclusively with male victims/survivors and will in the coming months employ a dedicated team of support staff to address these issues. Similarly , we have created training materials for Healthcare professionals and those working in the service charity sector.

Leo Docherty MP, Minister for Defence People and Veterans Visits Forward Assist HQ

We were delighted to welcome Leo Docherty MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Minister for Defence People and Veterans, to the Forward Assist Health & Wellbeing Hub on June 10th 2021. During the visit he was able to talk with veterans who had served in WW2 , The Falklands War and Northern Ireland. He also had a private consultation with Salute Her project lead Paula Edwards and women veterans who had accessed support from the charity over the last 5 years. During the meeting he was able to hear the lived experience of women veterans who had struggled to access timely trauma informed mental health support, employment advice and practical gender specific health information, advice and guidance. We also facilitated a tour of the Forward Assist HQ and the Minister was able to have a close up look at the Veterans mobile Coffee Truck.

The Veteran Land Rover Helping Veterans!

Forward Assist, an award-winning forces charity Based in Dudley, North Tyneside, looks for innovative ways to support veterans. In 2016 it was looking for a suitable truck for its venture, Salute Coffee, the latest in a series of initiatives. Enter… Salute Coffee Truck and its fascinating history!

The short, sharp and brutal Falklands War of 1982 is still very recent history. Many will remember the hastily gathered naval task force: 127 ships ploughing 8,000 miles through the waves towards a distant archipelago in the South Atlantic. Famous liners the QE2 and Canberra, along with merchant ship SS Atlantic Conveyor, were requisitioned. The aircraft carrier HMS Hermes was the flagship of the task force, continuing to serve until 1984. The rescue mission to the Falklands carried national pride as well as thousands of British troops, bringing together the British Army, Royal Navy and Royal Air Force in an urgent bid to rid a British overseas territory of an invading force.

Land Rovers had always been essential on the Falkland Islands, but the vast stretches of boggy terrain demanded amphibious, tracked vehicles such as the Scottish firm Cuthbertson’s ‘Water Buffalo’ tractor, which could extract heavy plant such as diggers and excavators even from marshy ground.

There are still two of these vehicles on the Falkland Islands from an original three sent out there for land drainage work in the early to mid-1960s.

There’s also a Roadless Traction Series IIA Forest Rover now owned by Nick Pitaluga. It escaped being commandeered by the Argentine forces in 1982 but another of his Land Rovers famously did see action, seized under Argentine occupation and deployed again by British Forces in the period after liberation. Planning for the recapture of the islands, the British saw that wheeled vehicles would struggle and even supporting combat vehicle reconnaissance tracked vehicles such as Scorpions and Scimitars (and one Sampson recovery vehicle) were deployed very hesitantly.

Read more here: https://www.keymilitary.com/article/anyone-coffee

North of Tyne Mayor Jamie Driscoll Visits Forward Assist HQ

We were delighted to host a visit from North of Tyne Mayor Jamie Driscoll to show him around our Veterans Health & Wellbeing Hub based in the the John Willie Sams Centre.

Jamie Driscoll was elected as the first ever North of Tyne Mayor in May 2019. He heads up the North of Tyne Combined Authority and, together with the six local authority Cabinet members, is accountable for its activity. As North of Tyne Mayor, Jamie is committed to driving forward his manifesto pledges around community wealth building, addressing the climate emergency, revitalising life in local communities, building affordable homes and delivering lifelong learning for the people North of Tyne.

Mayor Driscoll had the opportunity to meet a few of the veterans that access the centre and they talked about how the Covid-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdowns had impacted on their mental health and wellbeing. Like the rest of the UK we are working hard to be ‘covid compliant’ and hope to open up both Salute Cafe and the veterans and families ‘Drop In’ plus the usual weekly activities that improve mental and physical wellbeing at the end of June 2021.

We believe veterans are the communities greatest untapped asset and our veteran led community activities enable many to live lives filled with passion, purpose , commitment whilst being of service to others.

Thanks to a little funding acquired in 2020, we will also be employing more staff in the next few months to further develop our services for Women Veterans and Military Families. Hopefully our community based activities and skills in helping veterans and they families get ready for the employment market and sustain employment will in some small way, facilitate an economic recovery for both the region and local community who access the multi-disciplinary social care teams working within the John Willie Sams Community Centre. The next two years look like being a difficult but exciting time as we try to adjust to the ‘post covid’ normal. As always, veterans and being of service to the wider community, will be at the centre of our ‘soldier to citizen’ support service.

Forward Assist & Salute Her Mentioned Several Times During Parliament Sub-Committee on Women in the Armed Forces

The Defence Sub-Committee on Women in the Armed Forces: From Recruitment to Civilian Life chaired by Sarah Atherton MP culminated with a final Q&A session. The Committee has met several times over the past few months and Salute Her presented written and oral evidence sharing the lived experience of female service personnel as they transition from recruitment to civilian life. The final report which is due in June will address the following topics.

• 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)

Team Forward Assist & Salute Her were honoured to give evidence and delighted to be mentioned as an example of best practice in the area of gender specific support for those traumatized by experiences of sexual assault whilst serving. You can watch the final session here: https://t.co/RYXmAFOIdr?amp=1

Women Veterans Seeking Support Quadruples During Pandemic!

We were delighted to meet Deborah Johnson earlier this week from NR Times https://www.nrtimes.co.uk/ and talk with her about our groundbreaking work with women veterans. Moral Injury, Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and the long term physical and psychological impact of Military Sexual Trauma. You can read the full article by following this link: https://t.co/g3CsWxQ7uL

Women Veterans Only: Six Week Online Mindfulness of Dream & Sleep Course

Thanks to funding from the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust, we have collaborated with Charlie Morley to deliver a series of six week online courses for veterans struggling to cope with the harmful effects that stress and trauma can have on the amount of time we spend asleep. Courses will be delivered over the coming year and the first course will be for women veterans only and runs from 13th May to 17th June. If you would like to register for this course please email Paula Edwards at paula@forward-assist.com

See Poster below for more details:

Forward Assist Feature in Armed Forces Bill Special Report 2021

Tony Wright CEO, Forward Assist was honoured to provide both written and verbal evidence to the House of Commons Armed Forces Bill Select Committee in March 2021. The final report can be read by following the link below;

https://committees.parliament.uk/publications/5580/documents/55272/default/

Exploring Moral Injury In Social Work & The Impact of Military Sexual Trauma.

We were delighted to be invited by Siobahn Maclean and the Social Work Student Connect Team to take part in a unique webinar exploring Moral Injury in Social Work. We shared the research findings from the Salute Her ‘No Man’s Land’ ethnographic research report to highlight the under reported connection between Military Sexual Trauma, Moral Injury and Post Traumatic Stress. As a service charity that believes Social Workers should be the lead profession to oversee care planning and care coordination for veterans and their families, it was an honour to share and showcase our work the Social Workers of the future. Thank you all for the warm welcome and kind comments, its appreciated.

You can watch the webinar here: https://youtu.be/uQdkeRXWcRs e

Veterans: Free Legal Advice From David Gray Solicitors

We are delighted to report that David Gray Solicitors https://www.davidgray.co.uk/ in partnership with Forward Assist are offering military veterans the opportunity to access free, independent legal advice via digital appointments.

You will be able to talk to an experienced lawyer or solicitor to discuss matters relating to subjects matters such as the Criminal Justice System, Mental Health, Family Law or Immigration Law. Appointments can only be booked through Forward Assist and if interested we ask that you contact Paula Edwards in the first instance: Email: paula@forward-assist.com

Exploring Moral Injury In Social Work: Webinar

Forward Assist are delighted to have been invited to speak at the ‘Exploring Moral Injury In Social Work webinar on Wednesday 21st April 7.00-8.00pm. We will be sharing aspects of our research into Military Sexual Trauma and the direct links between Adverse Childhood Experiences, Moral Injury, Survivor Guilt & Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

Family Life and the Armed Forces Community Evaluation

Thanks to funding from the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust we have been really busy providing digital support to military families during the C-19 lockdown.

Forward Assist is a charity that helps Veterans to reintegrate into civilian life and provides services to assist them in building the capacity and skills to access employment. The services offered by Forward Assist include support, advice and guidance, and advocacy services. The organisation also runs projects intended to reduce social isolation and loneliness and to support Veterans and their families by improving their health and wellbeing. Forward Assist runs the Citizenship Reloaded programme, which provides an eight-week Veteran-specific course to facilitate the transition to civilian life. The programme includes interactive group sessions with experienced social workers and mental health professionals who can provide support and advice for the families.

The Family First project was in its early stages at the time of writing (December 2020); however, it intended to provide holistic support for the family in an environment suitable for the needs of children, parents and the entire family. The project acknowledges the importance of sustained support for Armed Forces families and so plans to provide a long-term service for as long as its beneficiaries require support. It aims to build long-term relationships with Armed Forces families based on trust, integrity and openness. The project intends to provide tailored counselling sessions for Armed Forces families both virtually and in groups (COVID-19 permitting). Subjects covered will include healthy relationships, life skills, emotion regulation, managing anxiety and depression, and positive living sessions including family activities (such as cooking sessions) and therapeutic activities for Veterans and their partners. Forward Assist has noted that it has conducted an extensive consultation to understand the needs of Armed Forces families in order to develop support that is tailored to their specific needs. At the conclusion of the project, Forward Assist will conduct an evaluation that will look at the effects on the Veterans and their families via anonymous questionnaires and one-to-one sessions in order to examine and assess the impact of the project.

https://covenantfund.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Family-Life-and-the-Armed-Forces-Community-Evaluation.pdf

MST Support Group For UK Women Veterans

Team Salute Her has developed a confidential specialist support group for women veterans with lived experience of Military Sexual Trauma (MST)

The virtual support group will provide a safe place for emotional healing.

The Group starts at 18.00hrs on 28th April 2021

If you would like to take part contact Paula Edwards, Salute Her Women Veterans Lead.

Email: paula@forward-assist.com

Mindfulness of Dream & Sleep: for Stress or Trauma Affected Sleep

Thanks to funding from the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust, Team Forward Assist & Salute Her are delighted to partner with Charlie Morley to deliver virtual and weekend retreats especially for veterans with stress or trauma affected sleep patterns. Mindfulness of Dream & Sleep is a holistic approach, using scientifically verified mindfulness based techniques alongside breath & body-work practices, yoga nidra and lucid dreaming. The Mindfulness of Dream & Sleep protocol helps to reduce stress before bed and optimize sleep quality. Through online and in person workshops we will explore how to transform the harmful effects that stress and trauma can have on the third of our life that we spend asleep. 

Mindfulness of Dream & Sleep is based on a non-pathologizing approach to sleep & dreams supported by five core pillars: 

1. Sleep Awareness (learning how we sleep) 

2. Rest & Relax (Yoga Nidra & Hypnagogic Mindfulness) 

3. Transforming Nightmares 

4. Coherent Breathing (the Breath-Body-Mind approach) 

5. Lucid Dreaming 

From common work-related stress to the more serious effects of trauma, these virtual and in person workshops will teach you effective techniques to help you sleep better and wake up healthier. If you are interested in taking part please contact admin@forward-assist.com for more information.

Dates times and joining instructions will be provided in due course.

Life Enhancing Debate Training for UK Women Veterans

Thanks to funding from the Armed Forces Covenant Trust we able to offer UK women veterans a unique opportunity to learn the art of British Parliamentary Debate. The course is perfect for absolute beginners and the first cohort are thoroughly enjoying the experience.

“I went along to the ‘Salute Her’ debate night with some trepidation, but it was not what I expected. It was refreshing to have a well run, professional event, with support from a whole range of women ranging from some extremely impressive young women at a local Grammar school, to a range of women who spoke extremely well about the issues to be debated. It was only a hour long, very welcoming and this gave everyone a chance to speak up and have a go. It was a great confidence boost, especially for people who are nervous and are not used to speaking out. Thanks so much for organising it.“

The group meet once a week and the virtual classes run from 18.00-19.00hrs. All participants who complete the training will be invited to the House of Commons to enjoy a tour of the House of Commons & House of Lords. Sarah Atherton MP has kindly agreed to host the visit and hopefully the participants will be able to watch a debate in progress on the day of the visit. We are also hoping to organise a group debate in London to raise the profile of women veterans.

If you would like to join the next cohort of trainees please email your expression of interest to:

admin@forward-assist.com or leave a voicemail at 0191 250 4877

We look forward to speaking with you soon.

Salute Her Task Force Are Fundraising For A Statue Dedicated To UK Women Veterans

Forward Assist, fully support the Salute Her ‘Women Veterans Task Force’ who are raising funds to commission and erect a statue honouring all women veterans especially those that served in the UK Armed Forces since World War Two. The total cost will be in the region of 130K but we must first raise 2K to cover the cost of commissioning a sculptor and potential designs. Women Veterans are a hidden population in the UK and we hope this initiative will go a long way to recognise and celebrate their selfless service, sacrifice and contribution.

You can donate via this link: https://www.givey.com/forwardassistlimited

For more information contact Paula Edwards; Salute Her Project Lead on 0191 2504877

Free weekend workshops for any veteran who wants to learn how to relax deeply and sleep peacefully.

Forward Assist are delighted to be working in partnership with Charlie Morley, and over the course of 2021 we will be offering ‘Veteran specific’ workshops for anyone who wants to learn how to relax deeply and sleep peacefully.

In anticipation of the programmes to come ,Charlie is offering a free weekend course and In this practical weekend we’ll learn how to transform the harmful effects that stress and trauma can have on the third of our life that we spend asleep.
Using scientifically verified mindfulness based techniques alongside breath & body-work practices, yoga nidra and lucid dreaming the mindfulness of dream & sleep protocol helps to reduce stress before bed and optimize sleep quality.
Mindfulness of Dream & Sleep is based on a non-pathologizing approach to sleep & dreams supported by five core pillars:
1. Sleep Awareness (learning how we sleep)
2. Rest & Relax (Yoga Nidra & Hypnagogic Mindfulness)
3. Transforming Nightmares
4. Coherent Breathing (the Breath-Body-Mind approach)
5. Lucid Dreaming
From common work-related stress to the more serious effects of trauma, this weekend workshop will teach you effective techniques to help you sleep better and wake up healthier.

Places are limited so if you are a veteran, sign up soon to book a free place:

https://www.meetup.com/Lucid-Dreaming-and-Mindfulness-of-Dream-and-Sleep/events/276486111/

Forward Assist CEO Gives Evidence At Select Committee on the Armed Forces Bill.

Forward Assist were honoured to be invited to speak at the Select Committee on the Armed Forces Bill today. On the panel were Emma Norton from the Centre for Military Justice and Dame Vera Baird Victims Commissioner, who praised the work of Forward Assist and Salute Her and their joint efforts to support those veterans struggling to come to terms with the long term impact of military sexual trauma during service life. Our 2019 ethnographic research paper ‘No Man’s Land’ highlighted a significant number of women veterans for whom the military justice system had neither resolved or offered any closure in relation to bullying, harassment, sexual assault or rape. Tony made the point that the victims welfare needs to be at the centre of any military investigation and the reputation of the military should be secondary both during and after that judicial process ended.

You can watch the event by following the link below;

https://www.parliamentlive.tv/Event/Index/eaf8d87e-0017-4f19-87a8-ff4a72a7a324

You can read our written evidence here:

https://committees.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/23626/pdf/

Women Veterans Are Invisible!

Check out CEO Tony Wright’s article on UK Women Veterans in the Wavell Rooms https://wavellroom.com/

On return to civilian life, women report that they feel that their service does not matter and their contribution and sacrifice is not recognised by society. These issues are further exacerbated for women from minority groups such as the BAME and LGBTQ+ communities. Many report feeling overlooked, abandoned and discriminated against when not wearing uniform. We feel that we all have a collective responsibility to embrace, understand and promote diversity, especially intersectionality and women veteran narratives.

Read the full article here: Women Veterans are Invisible » Wavell Room

Independent Legal Advice For Veterans

Last year we trialled a confidential virtual Legal Advice Clinic with https://www.boltburdonkemp.co.uk/

Feed back from those that took part was very positive. Over the course of 2021 we will be organising a series of legal advice clinics where you can decide on the best way forward for you.

The service is free, independent, confidential and impartial and gives you the opportunity to discuss your rights on subject matters such as #PTSD, #Harassment and service complaints. We would like to thank Ahmed Al-Nahhas for providing these pro-bono legal advice sessions, author of ‘A Practical Guide to Military Claims (Law Briefing Publishing 2019).