Back on the Right Foot – Veterans Moving Forward Together
A 6 week course designed by Veterans for Veterans aimed at equipping veterans and their families to better understand and improve their skills to enable integration and general awareness of mental wellbeing in a friendly non-clinical way starts 21st April 2020 at The Veterans Contact Point in Nuneaton. It will run between 10:00 and 14:00 and will be co-delivered by Coventry & Warwickshire Partnership Trust – Ex Armed Forces Service, The Recovery & Wellbeing Academy, The Veterans Contact Point and Ubique Partnerships.
The Course is completely FREE and aim at the Armed Forces Community – Those stills Serving, Veterans and their Families. Full details are shown on the attached poster. If you want more information please ring or email us: 02476 343793 contactus@veteranscontactpoint.co.uk
BREW & BANTER
Bored with your own company? Do you miss the military banter and company that you had whilst in the Military? Pop into the Veterans Contact Point on Wednesday between 14:00 -16:00 to enjoy some good old military banter with likeminded Veterans – Even the RAF Regiment are Welcome!
See poster for full details – no appointment needed – not open to Civvies
FREE Wets/Brews and Company – help with travel costs (bus & train fares) and links into other support if you need it.
Veterans into Work Program
Are you a veteran, unemployed and looking for work or training? We are providing a “Drop in” Veterans into Work Program here at The Veterans Contact Point – starting Friday 6th December 10:00 – 13:00 and then every Friday.
Interested and what more details? Who knows you may even get that ideal job that you have been seeking since you left the Armed Forces! This course is also open to Female Veterans and Partners of the Armed Forces both Veterans and those still serving
See the poster for contact details – Ring or email us – rock up and meet Roger our Expert Employment, Training & Education Advisor – No appointment needed.
We can help with bus fares and train fares – and the course us FREE
Veterans Wife & Female Partners – Tea & Chat
Starts Saturday 14th December 2019 10:00AM to 13:00PM here at the Veterans Contact Point, Horsa Building, Bentley Road, Nuneaton CV11 5LR
Come and join other Female Partners of Veterans/Serving Service Personnel for a FREE cuppa and a chat. Connect and create friendships with other women in our extended Armed Forces Community.
Armed Forces Covenant in Action
| Army Reserve Recruitment event: Wednesday 17th April As part of the Council’s commitment to the Armed Forces Covenant, WCC is hosting an Army Reserve recruitment event on Wednesday 17th April. This will take place in Shire Hall, Warwick between 11.30-2.30pm with presentations in Committee Room 1 at 1pm. There are 4 Reserve Units attending: 243 Squadron, Royal Logistic Corps, Coventry (with opportunities to be Drivers, Chefs and Supply Specialists) 37 Signal Regiment, Redditch (with opportunities to be Communications Specialists/Engineers) D Company, 4 Parachute Regiment, Rugby (with opportunities to be a parachute trained soldier) 126 Recovery Platoon, 103 Battalion REME, Coventry (with opportunities to be a vehicle/recovery mechanic, armourer, combat medic) As a Reservist an individual will get paid for the time spent training, and a bonus payment for completing a certain amount of training days each year (usually 27 comprising of evenings, weekends and an annual camp). The pay scale will be based on what a Regular soldier with the same job and rank would get. For further information please contact Phil Deakin, Armed Forces Covenant Worker on afcc@warwickshire.gov.uk or 01926-476862. |
Meet Up, Eat Up and Put Your Feet Up
 An opportunity to meet other veterans. Meet Up,Eat Up and Put Your Feet Up is a new lunch opportunity in Polesworth, Mancetter and Coleshill. This is being organised by the Nuneaton and Bedworth Healthy Living Network in collaboration with the Veterans Contact Point (VCP). The lunches are open to all and cost £4 for a home made 2 course meal. Every month they will be held in: Polesworth Memorial Hall (first Monday) Mancetter Memorial Hall (first Tuesday and the 3rd Sunday) Coleshill Town Hall (the last Friday) Nick Caswell, Veterans Outreach Worker from the VCP will be there to support any veterans who attend. For more information please call 02476-322048. |
Leamington FC signs the Covenant
‘Leamington FC Chairman Jim Scott recently signed the Armed Forces Covenant for the club, pledging to uphold the key principles of the Covenant and support serving personnel and veterans. The Covenant was signed jointly by Lieutenant Colonel Paul Walkley, Commanding Officer of 2nd Battalion Royal Irish Regiment, in a ceremony held at the Club’s Phillips 66 Community Stadium in front of local dignitaries, both serving and former military personnel and invited guests. The Club are supporting the employment of veterans, offering flexibility to Reservist employees and families of serving personnel and taking part in the Tickets for Troops Initiative.
Kineton Health Fayre: Raising awareness of Covenant Support
Kineton Station held its annual ‘Health Fayre’ on Monday 25 March. The stall on the Armed Forces Covenant was very popular and gave Phil Deakin, AFC Worker for Warwickshire County Council, the opportunity of promoting the benefits of the Covenant to both serving personnel and their spouses. Now, was it Phil’s winning personality or the goodies that were on offer that attracted people to the stall?! If you’ve missed it, serving personnel can still learn about the Covenant here and spouses here.
| A pupil from Smith’s Wood Academy is set to see her design in flowers after winning the annual Love Solihull flowerbed design competition. The competition is in partnership with the Royal British Legion and their ‘Thank You’ campaign, which last year marked 100 years since the end of World War One. The competition received more than 300 entries from 12 local schools but it was Tamzin Clarke, age 12, who drew the winning entry. Her design will be used to transform a flowerbed at Malvern Park and showcases the importance of the Poppy as a symbol of hope and remembrance. The Love Solihull ‘Thank You’ display is at Touchwood until the end of April and can be seen by the exit next to Zara. |
Other Information:
- Veterans Cafe at St. John’s Museum; first Tuesday of every month, 1030-12.30pm
- Veterans’ Hub Drop In, Unit 7, The Arcade, Atherstone, first Thursday of every month, 1030-12.30pm
- Royal British Legion drop in at Galanos House, Southam, every first Tuesday 10-2pm
- Royal British Legion drop in at Riverside House (Warwick DC), every 4th Monday, 1-3pm
Contact us: afcc@warwickshire.gov.uk
March 2019 Update – Balfour Beatty/WCC/VCP Refrubishment “Giving Back” Project
Internal Refurbishment – Balfour Beatty & Sub Contractors
Internal refurbishment of the Horsa Building has included removal of some internal walls, installation of new stud walls, improvements in disabled access and reconfiguration of shared communal areas: i.e. toilets/shower room/kitchen area.
New Kitchen Area
Trg Rm- Power/Lighting Cables)
Trg Rm (View left side from Fire Exit towards new Toilet Area)
Trg Rm (View Entrance to Fire Exit)
The Partnership Office is in a similar state of refurbishment with all walls plastered, first fix electrical/lighting cabling installed. A new utilities cupboard has been formed to the rear of the office next to the fire exit.
Pictured below are the plans showing the final refurbishment of the Horsa Building.
March 2019 – Foundations for new annex building and installation of external building.
Plans showing new interior – some changes have already taken place
( Artists impression)
New building following refurbishment
Hold the Date – Wednesday 15th May 2019
Refurbishment of the internal building continues, additions of new annex and planning for external areas. The Project Team envisages that all works will be completed to schedule. Planning has also started to celebrate the project completion with a re-opening ceremony planned for Wednesday, 15th May 2019 and the handover of the building back to The Veterans Contact Point.
Attendance at the Re-Opening/Handover Ceremony on the 15th May 2019, will be by invitation only. However when the building has been handed back to the VCP, it will be open to the local community to come and look around the new Veterans Centre.
Balfour Beatty/VCP Refrubishment “Giving Back” Project
The VCP’s main operating base is current going through a major refurbishment provided by Balfour Beatty in support of the work we do across Warwickshire & Coventry to ensure there is a visible gateway to support for our Armed Forces Community.
Phase 1 of the refurbishment project was completed in September/October by Warwickshire County Council who replaced the buildings old roof.
Pictures below show the team at the first informal meeting of Balfour Beatty Staff and the VCP at a BBQ event in Solihull.
Balfour Beatty also hosted a Golf/Dinner/Auction Fund Raising event kindly hosted by the Belfry Hotel and Golf Centre, which was attended by over 100 staff and contractors. Although the veterans golf team lead by Roger did not win, we were all made to feel welcome at this fantastic show of support. A staggering £23,795 was raised through the golf event and auction. Photos of the event can be found at:
https://shotbygeorgeoliver.pixieset.com/balfourbeattyxthebelfry/
To download any of the images use the PIN 3416
Veterans from the VCP supported by 30 Signals Regiment, Balfour Beatty workforce, Students from Hereward College in Coventry, also gave back to their neighbour Queens Academy Schools in removing rubbish in their local school playing field and completing a general tidy up of the field to ensure that pupils have a safe clean space to play sports/outdoor activities:
Support the VCP through NBBC Big Lottery
You can support the work we do at the VCP through NBBC Big Lottery and potentially win money by doing so. #ShowYourSupport.
Thank You
Balfour Beatty/Warwickshire County Council – Giving Back Project Armed Forces Community
The final schedule has been confirmed for the Balfour Beatty/Warwickshire County Council – Giving Back Project. Please use the below link to watch their final version of VCP video: www.balfourbeatty.com/vcp
Please share and spread the word.
Phase 1. Removal & Replace Existing Roof – Warwickshire County Council (10th – 21st September 2018)
Phase 2. Building Refurbishment – Balfour Beatty (24th September – End of November 2018)
If you are a veteran, serving Armed Forces person, or a supporter of the Armed Forces Community and you want to be involved in this project. Mainly working with Balfour Beatty tradesmen, electricians, plumbers, carpenters, bricklayers etc during phase 2, even given just a day, would help show support to our Warwickshire and Wider Armed Forces Community. This would also provide you with the potential of 12 weeks work experience in a trade that you may be considering when leaving the Armed Forces or wish to know more about before committing to learning a construction trade.
If you are interested in getting involved please email: contactus@veteranscontactpoint.co.uk
Phase 3. Grand Re-Opening – Early December 2018. More details will be shared once dates of completion have been confirmed.
Unfortunately this work will mean the VCP will be closed for normal business but we can be contacted on the email above.
We are also looking for support in raising additional funds to support the internal fixtures and fittings that will enhance the services that we will be able to provide after the refurbishment phase of the building. We will be provided with an updated, cost & energy efficient, modern building with facilities to support our plans for improved services in support of the Armed Forces Community across our Region. If you are willing and able to support our efforts to help raise vital funds for the project, follow link shown in the video link above, or contact us via email (link above). Thank you for your support and patience.
Proposed New Interior and Extension
