Armed forces support

South Tyneside Council is committed to recognising the sacrifices our service men and women make, and to helping with the pressures that service personnel and their families can face in adapting back to civilian life.

If you have served in the Armed Forces and need a helping hand to get back into civilian life, this page has lots of useful information and services.

Alternatively, call into any Council customer service centre, housing office or welfare rights centre, where staff can signpost you to the organisations that can help.

We can support you if you have ever served in the armed forces and need help with housing or are facing homelessness. This includes regulars, reserves and merchant navy.

For more information, visit: South Tyneside Homes: Housing support for the armed forces community

The aims of the service is to allow veterans and ex-service men and women to meet, socialise, network and get information about support available in South Tyneside.

This includes anyone who needs transitional support.

NAAFI Break is working to make sure that ex-armed forces personnel get the support they need at the right time.

For more information about NAAFI Break contact Joe Mills on 07850 584 960.

Come along

All serving, reservists, veterans and family members are welcome to come along. 

Date and time

A drop-in service takes place on the first and third Wednesday of every month, 10am to 12noon.

Location

NAAFI Break is held at Trinity House, Laygate, South Shields, NE33 4JD.

[googlemap location="Trinity House, South Shields NE33 4JD, UK" expand title="Map of Trinity House"]

Find out more about NAAFI Break 

Twitter: NAAFI Break South Tyneside

Facebook: NAAFI Break South Tyneside

There are lots of local and national services available to support members of the armed forces community, with things like employment, housing, mental health, money, and more.

Armed Forces Support Service

The Armed Forces Support Service is the first point of contact for members of the armed forces community in South Tyneside.

The service supports all members of the armed forces community, including those who have left (regardless of how long ago) or are leaving, as well as reservists and family members.

The service can help with all kinds of queries and situations, and can signpost you to other services or groups who might be able to help.

To contact the service, call South Tyneside Homes on: 0300 123 6633

Types of support

There are lots of local and national services available to support members of the armed forces community, with things like: 

• advice and practical support
• employment
• housing
• mental health
• money
• drug support

Advice and practical support

• Armed Forces Support Service
• Blesma, The Limbless Veterans
• Blind Veterans UK
• Forces For Change
• Forward Assist (Veteran Support Charity)
• Help for Heroes
• NAAFI break drop-in service
• Royal British Legion
• SSAFA (The Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Families Association)
• Veterans Welfare Service (VWS)

Employment

• Career Transition Partnership (CTP)
• Demob Job
• RFEA (Forces Employment Charity)
• The Poppy Factory
• Walking With The Wounded

More services that can help with employment include:  

• Skills South Tyneside training courses
• JobCentre Plus
• Finchale College

Mental Health

• Combat Stress
• Veterans at Ease

See more Mental health services.

Housing

• Armed Forces and Veterans Launchpad
• Changing Lives

For more information see Armed forces housing (South Tyneside Homes). 

Money and welfare

• Veterans UK

More services that can help with money and welfare include: 

• Welfare Support Service
• Citizen's Advice Bureau

Drugs and alcohol 

See a list of Drug, alcohol, substance misuse services.

Armed forces forum

We are committed to helping the armed forces community in South Tyneside.

We have set up an Armed Forces Forum to help ex-service men and women, serving officers and their families get the help and support they need from the Ministry of Defence, statutory providers, charities and voluntary sector.

The forum aims to:

• Improve communication and understanding between agencies
• Identify opportunities for greater synergy between agencies
• Share information about best practice
• Help to co-ordinate action to reduce health inequalities and improve services which impact on health and well-being of the armed forces community
• Raise any other issues of concern

For further information, please contact Paul Baldasera, South Tyneside Council, on 0191 4246022.

Armed forces covenant

South Tyneside Council has signed the Armed Forces Community Covenant, showing its active support for serving personnel, veterans and their families. 

The Armed Forces Community Covenant is a voluntary statement of mutual support between a civilian community and its local armed forces community.  It commits the borough to key principles, which are that service personnel, veterans and their families should:

• not be at a disadvantage when they try to access public services such as education, employment, housing, or health care
• be given special consideration where appropriate in some cases, especially for those who have given most, such as the injured and the bereaved

The South Tyneside Armed Forces Community Covenant was signed on 1 December 2011, and the Council has remained committed to the principles. Councillor Ed Malcolm is our Armed forces champion (Tel: 0191 456 2019).

See the South Tyneside Armed Forces Community Covenant

Watch the video

Cllr Ed Malcom, Chair of South Tyneside Armed Forces Forum, talks about the work we've undertaken since signing the Covenant and the positive impact this is having on the lives of our Armed Forces community in South Tyneside (February 2021).

Video transcript

Hello I'm Councillor Ed Malcolm, Chair of South Tyneside Armed Forces Forum and I want to tell you about how we are supporting our Armed Forces community here in South Tyneside.

The South Tyneside Armed Forces Forum was set up in 2011 to make it easier for ex-service men and women, serving officers and their families to access help and support.  

It's been 10 years since South Tyneside Council first signed up to the Armed Forces Community Covenant. The covenant is a promise that the Council, our partners and the wider community will recognise and support our armed forces community.  This includes support in housing, health care, welfare employment and education.

The covenant has been at the heart of our support to the Armed Forces community, allowing them to access vital services in South Tyneside, as well as supporting the transition from service life to civilian life. The work we've undertaken since signing the covenant in 2011 is having a really positive effect on the lives of both serving and ex-service men and women.

South Tyneside Council was one of the first UK councils to hold the Gold award in the Ministry of Defence's Armed Forces Covenant Employer Recognition Scheme.  This demonstrates just how dedicated we are in supporting our Armed Forces community and aligning our values with the Armed Forces Covenant.  As Chair of South Tyneside Homes, I was delighted that the company also secured Gold status for its work in the community and for supporting staff who are part of the armed forces community.

The South Tyneside NAAFI Break, which is run by veterans, is a core element of our approach.  Supported by the Council, it provides a community base for Armed Forces personnel where they can meet like-minded people and receive the advice and support they need and absolutely deserve.

As Chair of the Armed Forces Forum, I would like to remind the residents of South Tyneside that our teams are still here during the Coronavirus pandemic and that the Armed Forces Community remains very much foremost in our minds. Support is available for any serving members, reservists or veterans and their dependants via the Council's Covid support hub.   

The NAAFI Break team are located and available within the community - and have a social media presence to connect to people, whatever the government restrictions in place. NAAFI Break holds a weekly ZOOM catch-up chat and briefing sessions for both veterans and family dependents, as well as a daily veterans chat on Facebook Messenger to help ease the hardship of isolation. A NAAFI Break Community Officer is also available to help with shopping and deliveries if a member of our armed forces community is isolating and in need.

The Council's proactive work to support its armed forces, reservists and veterans aims to strengthen connections between key agencies, so that we can work together to make a lasting difference.

Both Council and South Tyneside Homes staff have received awareness training on the needs of ex-service personnel and where to direct them for help. The council and our partners have also developed a number of projects with a clear focus on improving the health and well-being of the Armed Forces Community. We are working with local businesses to encourage them to sign up to the Armed Forces Covenant and with the NHS to ensure that GP practices are aware of the needs of their patients from the Armed Forces Community.

South Tyneside also has a dedicated Armed Forces accommodation scheme called 'move-on' which has been developed by the Council and South Tyneside Homes. Our specialist accommodation provides veterans, who need support, both a place to live and help to progress into a more independent life including help with employment, education or training. Veterans are given housing priority status by South Tyneside Homes.  No veteran in South Tyneside will ever be left without an offer of a home.

We know that settling back into civilian life after being in the forces can be a huge adjustment and we want to provide our servicemen and women with whatever it is they need. Having a place to call home, in a supported environment, can help veterans find their feet again and manage the transition into an independent life. Veterans are signed to a tenancy with a view to moving into longer term accommodation within a year, and during that time they will be offered support, advice and assistance.

We have also recently been successful in a funding bid to support veterans who are struggling with isolation and feelings of loneliness. We will use this funding to engage veterans to get involved in different community activities and develop peer support amongst veterans in the community.

South Tyneside Council is committed to giving fair support to members of the armed forces, veterans and their families, whilst recognising and remembering the sacrifices they have made.

To date, our covenant work has made a real positive impact on the lives of our armed forces community, but we certainly aren't complacent. We recognise that there is always more that we can do. We are constantly challenging ourselves to see if we, and our partners, can make even more of a positive impact on the lives of those who sacrifice so much to serve our country. 

If you know of a veteran, a serving member, or an armed forces family, who would like support or advice, please direct them to South Tyneside Council and we will do all we can to support them with the help they need and deserve. Thank you.

Armed forces picture gallery

Armed Forces Covenant Trust

The Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust run a programme that makes grants of up to £20,000 for local projects that support the Armed Forces Community and a programme to bring Armed Forces and civilian communities together through the Armistice and Armed Forces Communities programme.

They also have a programme that allows organisations to work together to provide better support for veterans that are experiencing serious stress, along with their carers and families.

For the first 3 years, the Covenant Fund was based within the Ministry of Defence, and in April 2018, following a decision that it should become independent, it moved to the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust.

The fund is a promise by the nation ensuring that those who serve or have served in the armed forces and their families, are treated fairly.

Funding themes

The Armed Forces Covenant Fund has 4 broad funding themes:

1. removing barriers to family life
2. extra support after service for those that need help
3. measures to integrate military and civilian communities and allow the armed forces community to participate as citizens
4. non-core healthcare services for veterans

For more information visit Armed Forces Covenant

2021

'Forever' Home for Ex-Forces Mark - 24 June

Air, Land and Sea - an Online Tribute to the Armed Forces - 22 June

Support Officer Helps Veterans Leaving the Forces- 22 March

Armed Forces Support Available During Pandemic - 5 March

2020

Online Act of Remembrance this Sunday - 5 November

Every Poppy Counts- 22 October

Virtual Tributes Planned to Remember the Fallen - 19 October

Veterans Stay Connected in South Tyneside - 26 June

Supporting the Armed Forces Community - 24 June

Armed Forces Day Goes Digital for 2020 - 23 June

South Tyneside to mark VE Day with online celebrations - 5 May

Remembering War Heroes This Anzac Day - 25 April

Attention! New Patron for NAAFI Break! - 11 March

Leisure Concession for War Pensioners - 2 March

South Tyneside Armed Forces Forum in Spotlight - 23 January

Historical Events Set to be Remembered in Special Way - 23 January 

Armed Forces Day

South Tyneside celebrates Armed Forces Day once a year on a Sunday in June. Every year, thousands of people turn out in force to pay tribute to military organisations in South Tyneside with a colourful military parade and service followed by a family fun day at South Shields seafront.

Watch our commemorative film

Watch our fantastic Air, Land and Sea-themed film below as we celebrate Armed Forces Day 2021.

The film opens with a spectacular scene featuring free-falling skydivers. It also involves the Armed Forces Day flag being passed between various organisations against the backdrop of popular Borough landmarks, before being hoisted up on the flagpole at the 324 Air Cadets base in Northfield Gardens, South Shields.

"Our Heroes: Their Stories" features interviews, footage and still photography, telling the stories of South Tyneside's service men and women.

The film includes moving stories from serving personnel and veterans, and shows how South Tyneside was affected by the First and Second World Wars as well as more recent conflicts in Korea, Borneo, the Falklands, Northern Ireland, Iraq and Afghanistan.

The film, which was shot by North East company Media Partnership, was part of a major exhibition funded by the Ministry of Defence that appeared in local libraries from June to September 2013. The exhibition included historic photos and artefacts from the world wars as well as more recent conflicts.

Meet Ross Lloyd

Ross Lloyd, 33

I had my joining paperwork in to the Army Careers Office during my last year of secondary school and had started basic training before I received my GCSE results. My training started in July 2001 and after successful completion of Infantry training I joined 2^nd Battalion the Light Infantry. The regiment has some of its roots in the Borough as it was created from an amalgamation of the Durham Light Infantry and other regional Light Infantry units. I served between 2001 and 2016. During that time I served all over mainland UK as well as Cyprus, Falklands, Iraq, Northern Ireland, Belize, Kosovo and Kenya. During this time, the regiment amalgamated once more to be known as the Rifles. During my career I was employed as an Infantry Soldier, Communications Specialist, Intelligence Analyst, Junior Manager, Logistic Supply Specialist, Boxing Coach and Quad Bike Instructor.

The support available to those leaving or thinking of leaving the Armed Forces is good and well-funded. I pushed for the things that I wanted and convinced my chain of command that I was trusted to make use of my terminal leave at home. Some people don't get that much leeway which affected their chances of resettlement.

An ex-service person has a varied amount of funding available to them after they leave the military. I received quite a comprehensive package which included 3 annual grants of £2,000 to be used in my first 3 tax years after service and a £10,000 grant for further education (i.e. a degree) within 10 years of leaving the military. There are a number of courses available including First Aid at Work and basic health and safety. These courses are available through Armed Forces charities and forces friendly training providers. These courses can be free or provided at a reduced rate. This is provided to help the Armed Forces community get that first step on the employment ladder if they are struggling with unemployment or a permanent contract. There is free training funds for an employer that employs an ex-service person. There are many different avenues for the Armed Forces community to receive continued professional development. Being a member of the reserves or cadet forces can provide a training avenue for staff. All cadet instructors must have annual safeguarding training and DBS clearance (useful for schools and social care) as well as high government security clearance (useful in IT). Reservists can receive most military training and all Army reservists have annual training in substance misuse, values, equality and diversity training as well as others. All an employer would have to give is time for the employee to attend the training.

I approached South Tyneside Council's HR and asked for some work experience in Project Management during my terminal leave from the Army. They kindly put me in touch with the relevant department Manager. After an interview process, it was decided that I would join the Asset Management's Construction and Technical Services Team. After my employment with the Army came to an end, I had currently worked for South Tyneside Council for around 3 months. My Manager saw how useful I had become and I was, in turn, rewarded with a temporary contract of employment. I now work as the Assistant Facilities Officer for the Facilities Office at South Shields Town Hall. I assist in the day to day running of the Corporate Buildings, I manage the bespoke meetings and events at South Shields Town Hall and I am involved in office moves around the Borough. 

I also support the Community Covenant and the NAAFI Break meetings. I am lucky to find myself in a position where I can support and sign post others to relevant agencies. I am also able to give some solid advice to the Armed Forces Community after overcoming some hurdles of my own. I hope to continue serving the public just like I started out many moons ago.

If you need help with any of the information on these pages contact Armed Forces Support. 

To get in touch call 0191 424 6022.