Caring for veterans in crisis... Now!
Veterans Aid
Our history
For 90 years, Veterans Aid has been battling homelessness among the ex-service community.
Established in 1932, the Charity started life as H10, a canteen and recreation room for destitute ex-servicemen. The following year it was designated The Embankment Fellowship Centre. It was subsequently rebranded The Ex-Services Fellowship Centre (EFC) before assuming its present identity as Veterans Aid.
The Charity was founded by Mrs Gwen Huggins whose husband was Adjutant of The Royal Hospital Chelsea from 1932-35. Moved by the sight of men who had served their country sleeping on the capital’s streets, she decided to do something practical to remedy it.
Main activities
All Veterans Aid’s activities revolve around helping ex-servicemen and women in crisis.
The Charity has played a significant part nationally in the reduction and eradication of homelessness among veterans. It intervenes immediately, practically and at three stages: before crisis (preventing), during (addressing) and after (sustaining).
Because homelessness is both a cause and an effect, Veterans Aid’s activities are diverse. Its objective is always to enable sustainable, independent living, but the interventions necessary to achieve this can involve days, weeks, months – or even years of investment.
Welfare to Wellbeing©
Veterans Aid’s Welfare to Wellbeing© model is one that looks at both context and the circumstances of the individual when tackling crisis. It introduces veterans to a system that will offer holistic support, but it recognises that some issues need to be resolved as a priority before others can be addressed.
Immediate actions might be provision of a place of safety.
Subsequent interventions might involve prolonged periods of counselling, drink/drug rehabilitation and medical treatment.
Further support frequently involves education, retraining or the acquisition of a new skill.
Help is given to identify employment opportunities and, when they are considered ready, individuals are helped to move into new homes.
Welfare to Wellbeing© is the game-changer that accounts for Veterans Aid’s success and it goes a long way towards explaining why so many politicians, practitioners, academics and philanthropists involved in veterans affairs worldwide are looking beyond traditional benevolence towards a system that is multifaceted and integrated; a system that goes beyond welfare, towards sustainable ‘wellbeing’.
Call: Contact our Ops Team on freephone 0800 012 6867 or landline 0207 828 2468. We are open 9am - 3pm, Monday to Friday.
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