Telford and Wrekin has a large community of former Service personnel settled and living in the Borough. There is a range of dedicated services available locally and nationally for Serving personnel, veterans, and their families, to access, particularly in times of need.

Veterans' Gateway

Wherever you are in the UK the Veterans' Gateway offers comprehensive, single point of contact and online support to veterans and their families. The service will signpost you to your nearest support so you can get the help you need. It also offers lots of information and guidance including a team of advisers available 24 hours a day on 0808 802 1212.

Armed Forces and Veterans Breakfast Club

There are Veterans Breakfast Clubs all over the UK and further afield that all share the same ethos of mutual support and understanding. Breakfast Clubs exist to facilitate veterans (and current Service personnel) meeting face to face in a relaxed, safe, social environment.

They meet regularly on Saturday mornings at the following locations:

  • Malinslee: The Church Wickets, Church Road, Malinslee, TF4 2AS on the 3rd Saturday of each month at 9am. 
  • Halesfield: Willows Cafe, Halesfield 22, TF7 4QX on the 1st Saturday of each month at 9am.
  • Oakengates: The Wakes/Outpost Cafe, Oakengates, TF2 3EP on the last Saturday of each month at 9am.

For further information, including contact details, please visit the Armed Forces and Veterans Breakfast Clubs website.

Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Families Association (SSAFA)

Shropshire has an active local branch of SSAFA who offer experienced, non-judgemental and friendly advice, as well as a variety of practical services which cover a range of social, family and financial issues.

Royal British Legion

The Royal British Legion helps the Armed Forces community through welfare, companionship and representation as well as being the nation's custodian of remembrance. They can be contacted via their Helpline on 0808 802 8080 (8am to 8pm all week) or through their local clubs:

  • Dawley and District Branch - meets monthly on the 1st Monday of the month at the Dawley and Dirstrict Royal British Legion Club, Station Road, Dawley, TF4 2NW.
  • Oakengates and District Branch - meets monthly on the 1st Wednesday of the month, at 7pm, at The Wakes, Theatre Square, Oakengates, TF2 6EP at 7pm.
  • Wellington and District Branch - meets monthly on the 2nd Tuesday of the month, at 7.30pm, at The Plough Inn, King Street, Wellington, TF1 3AW.
  • Broseley Branch - meets monthly on the 2nd Wednesday of each month, at 8pm, at Broseley Social Club, Bank House, High Street, Broseley, TF12 5EZ.
  • Shifnal Branch - meets monthly on the 3rd Thursday of each month, at 8pm, at the War Memorial Club, Five-ways, Shifnal, TF11 8AD.
  • Newport Branch - meets monthly on the 2nd Tuesday of each month, at 7.30pm, at the Newport RBL Club, Audley Road, Newport, TF10 7DP.
  • Madeley Branch - meets monthly on the 3rd Sunday of each month, at 12pm, at The Anstice Memorial Institute Club, Anstice Square, Madeley, TF7 5BB.
  • Jackfield Branch - meets monthly on the 1st Sunday of each month at 11am, at the Boat Inn, Ferry Road, Jackfield, TF8 7LS.

Combat Stress

Combat Stress provides mental health support for veterans and serving personnel. Their clinical and professional outreach team develop a programme of treatment and support to meet individual needs. They are also available online and through their 24 hour helpline – for more details visit the Combat Stress website.

Help for Heroes

Help for Heroes supports those with injuries and illnesses attributable to their service in the British Armed Forces. They have a Community Recovery team who identify priority areas to improve physical and mental health and wellbeing. They offer a range of services including sport recovery sessions, clinical and professional support. To request support, please visit the Help for Heroes website. 

Veterans UK (Pensions and compensation)

Veterans UK administers the Armed Forces pension schemes and compensation payments for those injured or bereaved through service. They also provide welfare support for veterans of any age, and their families, through the Veterans Welfare Service and the Veterans UK. Helpline: 0808 1914218 or visit GOV.UK website.

Armed Forces Healthcare

The armed forces healthcare section of the NHS website explains how the NHS can help if you are currently Serving in the Armed Forces or are a veteran.

GPs

Registering with a GP is probably one of the most important things you will need to do when you leave the Armed Forces. Please ensure you tell them of your Armed Forces background so they can access your medical records and give you the support you need. GPs should annotate your records with the Code 13JY if you are veteran. There are a number of Telford and Wrekin surgeries that are accredited as Veteran Friendly:

  • Donnington Medical Practice, The Health Centre, Wrekin Drive, Donnington, TF2 8EA.
  • Dawley Medical Practice, Webb House, King Street, Dawley, TF4 2AA.
  • Stirchley Medical Practice, Stirchley TF3 1FB.
  • Wellington road Surgery, Newport, TF10 7HG.
  • Woodside Medical Practice, Woodside, TF7 5NL.

For further information about Veteran Friendly GP Practice Accreditation, please the e-learning website.

Defence Medical Welfare Service

The Defence Medical Welfare Service are an independent charity providing medical welfare to the Armed Forces, veterans, and their immediate family when they are receiving treatment in hospital. Their practical and emotional support ensures that no one goes through the worry of illness or injury alone. Please phone 0800 999 3697 or email: referrals@dmws.org.uk

Dentists

Use the NHS search site to find NHS and private dentists in Herefordshire.

Veterans' Mental Health Transition, Intervention and Liaison Service

An NHS local and regional service for veterans, provided by specialist staff in mental health who have an expert understanding of the armed forces. Call 0300 323 0137.

Support in the Criminal Justice System

YSS: Remember Veterans

A project that runs across Herefordshire, Worcestershire, Telford and Shropshire, funded by the Police Crime Commission and Armed Forces Covenant. The service provides specialised support to veterans across West Mercia, who are involved with, or are at risk of being in the criminal justice system. Link workers provide practical and emotional one to one support to veterans in the community, in custody and on release from prison in order to reduce the likelihood of offending/re-offending. The project also works closely with West Mercia Police in custody suites, with probationary agencies and related services.

Please contact Lisa, the Senior Link Worker for Shropshire and Telford on 07773930149 or email Lisa.burnett@yss.org.uk

Visit the YSS Remember Veterans website.

Housing

Telford and Wrekin Council do not own or manage any homes. For further information, view the Housing association page.

Employment

The Career Transition Partnership (CTP) provides resettlement services for those leaving the Royal Navy, Army, Royal Air Force and Marines. Regardless of time served, all members of the Armed Forces can benefit from CTP support when leaving Service. They also operate as an intermediary service for employers wishing to hire Service leavers. To date, they have assisted over 235,000 Service leavers with the transition to civilian life and supported thousands of organisations looking to employ ex-Service personnel. Visit the CTP website.

Locally, Job Box is a Telford and Wrekin Council initiative supporting residents of all ages to find work.

If you are unable to find the help you need please contact your local Armed Forces Covenant Co-ordinator at: armedforcescovenant@telford.gov.uk.

Last updated : 5 September 2024

Sign the covenant

The Armed Forces Covenant is a promise by the nation that those who Serve or have Served in the Armed Forces, and their families, should be treated fairly and should not face disadvantages when seeking to access public or private goods and services in the UK.

The Covenant is a voluntary pledge. Organisations may choose to sign up in order to demonstrate their support for the Armed Forces Community and for the principles of the Covenant. All organisations – public, private or voluntary and small, medium or large – are welcome to sign the Covenant.

How to sign

If you are interested in signing the Covenant, please download, complete and sign the template. Once you have done so, please e-mail your signed copy to Telford & Wrekin Armed Forces Covenant Co-ordinator at armedforcescovenant@telford.gov.uk . For examples of best practice, please see visit the GOV.UK website.

What you can pledge

Your Covenant is yours to write. While all signatories pledge to uphold and act in accordance with the basic principles of the Covenant, organisations are free to tailor their specific pledges to suit their circumstances. In other words, you are free to specify – with as much or as little detail as you think necessary – how exactly you plan to support and uphold the Covenant. Specific pledges can be adapted to make them appropriate to your organisation.

Search for local and national businesses and organisations that have signed the Armed Forces Covenant

To find a local (or national) business or organisation that has pledged their support to our Armed Forces community by signing the Armed Forces covenant, please search online.

Terms and Conditions

By signing the Armed Forces Covenant, an organisation demonstrates its intention to support the Armed Forces community and provides the signatory with the opportunity to be recognised by the Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) award. An ERS award shows that the recipient is delivering tangible support for the Armed Forces community. The Ministry of Defence (MOD), as the representative of HM Government, welcomes these commitments and is grateful for the support being pledged and provided. However, neither signing the AFC nor achieving an ERS award should be taken to imply MOD endorsement of any individual or organisation.

ERS awards at Silver and Gold level are reviewed every five years, at which point they can be renewed for a further five years, providing the organisation is continuing to deliver support. However, at any time, the MOD reserves the right to withdraw an award and/or to remove an organisation from the register of AFC signatories, if it considers that the organisation is acting in a way that is incompatible with the spirit of the AFC or otherwise behaves in a way that could bring the AFC, the ERS or the MOD into disrepute.

For further information on any of the above, please contact the Telford and Wrekin Armed Forces Covenant Co-ordinator at armedforcescovenant@telford.gov.uk.

Last updated : 5 September 2024

If you are a member of the Armed Forces community and are seeking support for yourself, or you know of someone who is in need of assistance, there a number of ways to find the help that is needed. In the first instance, please refer to support for Armed Forces Veterans and their families or the Veterans Gateway webpages for access to local and national support, charities, services and social groups available to the Armed Forces community in Telford.

If you still haven’t found what you are looking for, then please fill out an enquiry form and someone will be in touch to assist you.

Last updated : 5 September 2024