Veterans Volunteer Service

Who we are and what we do

Our vision is to provide a unique service where veterans can find a renewed purpose and pass on their knowledge to others, particularly young individuals facing behavioural challenges. This initiative is called ‘RE-FILL YOUR BOOTS’ and benefits both veterans and the local community whilst promoting positive outcomes, bridging generational gaps, and offering pathways to potential career choices. 

What triggered the need for the charity?

Veterans Volunteer Service was founded by Iraq and Afghanistan war veteran who understands first hand the trauma that conflict can cause to mental wellbeing.
The catalyst for the VVS came from several places. The first being the lived experience of leaving the army and identifying the need to utilise special skill sets and to give back to the community as a civilian. The second was seeing how the local area needs support.                                                                        

The ethos behind VVS

The ethos of the Veterans Volunteer Service is to provide opportunities to engage in meaningful community initiatives, rekindling a sense of purpose and promoting civil responsibility.

Our community initiatives

Fit and Feed

The Fit and Feed initiative offers young people aged from 4 to 18 the opportunity to enjoy a fitness training session, a hot meal and a haircut – all for £1!

Over 40% of the residents of Littlehampton live in food poverty, so as you can imagine, the need to fit and feed this community is huge.

The food is prepared into hot meals by veteran volunteers in our local churches. The fitness session takes place in local community buildings and delivered by military veteran PTI’s.

Fit and Feed is an amazing example of building community resilience. Uniting young people, families on the breadline, and military veterans with health and wellbeing the central focus for all. We were thrilled to have this program highlighted by BBC News South earlier this year. 

Youth Focus Group

The Youth Focus Group offers a bespoke educational experience to our local youngsters. We provide modular, hands-on practical learning opportunities with active participation guided by Military Veterans utilising their unique skillsets and experiences. 

The young people attending the Youth Focus Group have been referred by District Councils, anti-social behaviour teams and social services to improve and inspire the youth of today. 

During the 10-week programme the participants engage in four modules: ‘Self Resilience’; ‘Community Resilience’; ‘Cyber safety’ and ‘Fitness and First Aid’.

The final week of the programme results in a challenging test scenario combining all the skills they have learnt - whilst under a little pressure from the military instructors, of course!

PROJECT SOMME- YOUR DONATION IS VITAL!

In addition to the 'Youth Focus Group', the VVS provides a Veteran welfare programme. This programme consists of direct support, signposting to appropriate organisations and a buddy-buddy system paring veterans who have settled into civilian life with those who are struggling.

The Somme Project gives Military Veterans the opportunity to transforms their lives and improve physical and mental wellbeing through exercise and camaraderie.
VVS has united a group of veterans with various visible and non-visible injuries in the challenge of walking the length of the front line of The Somme, France.
This will be 108 years since the British Infantry Attack on the 1st July, 1916.

The team will be leaving England on the 28th June and returning on the 3rd July.

Route
A. Gommecourt
1hr43 mins (5.3 miles)
B. Beaumont-Hamel
1hr (2.8 miles)
C. Thiepval
45 mins (2.5miles)
D. La Boiselle
1hr (3.1miles)
E. Fricourt
1hr20mins (4.2miles)
F. Mametz
40mins (2.1miles)
G. Montauban

The walk is 20 miles and would usually take around 5hrs 23 minutes. Due to the difficult terrain for our disabled members we are open to a longer time.

The Team 

The VVS has an excellent team who are specialists in their field. The Designated Safeguarding lead is able to provide full and specific mental health support and is extremely experienced. He is qualified with OP Courage, Fortitude, SAAFA, Royal British Legion and is a member of the high Intensity Service Crisis support team for NHS Transition Intervention and Liason Service. Also, a specialist in mental health first aid, suicide prevention and trained within SERVS. 

The VVS also has a team of Armed Forces Network Champions who are able deliver support to the veteran by sign posting to the appropriate support group if required. In October 2023, VVS Head of Welfare was presented as the Armed Forces Service Champion of the Year for Southern England.

All trustees hold the relevant safeguarding young people and vulnerable adult’s certificates and the VVS also provides the services of two PTSD dogs which acts as a calming measure and highlights anyone present that might need immediate invention/support.

As it stands, we currently have a core pool of 20 veteran volunteers aged between 30-85.

Case Study

The strength of the organisation and support it provides is unwavering and the VVS is proud to have helped many Veterans ‘Re-fill Their Boots’. We will share with you an example. 

In June 2022 a Veteran who has served in multiple conflicts across the globe became overwhelmed and triggered at Armed Forces Day. His moment of crisis was quickly identified and he came under the care of the VVS welfare team, who worked closely to ensure that he was supported with the next steps of seeking help. The Veteran was referred to professional therapy with Op Courage and “time to talk” initiatives and a fellow VVS member sign posted him to Service Dogs UK in November 2022.

Duke (the spaniel dog) came home in December 2022. The best Christmas present ever and after hard work and training was accredited in September 2023.

With a renewed focus and sense of purpose, the Veteran now shares his Royal Electrical Mechanical Engineers skillset as an instructor at the Youth Focus Group and is looking forward to another constructive year in civilian life. 

“It’s totally changed me from being a recluse and not going out to actually doing things that make me happy.”