Veterans accommodation fund: what you need to know (armed forces covenant) (Archived)
Updated 18 July 2014
© Crown copyright 2014
This publication is licensed under the terms of the Open Government Licence v3.0 except where otherwise stated. To view this licence, visit nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3 or write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gov.uk.
Where we have identified any third party copyright information you will need to obtain permission from the copyright holders concerned.
This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/veterans-accommodation-fund/veterans-accommodation-fund-what-you-need-to-know-armed-forces-covenant
This document has now been archived.The scheme has now closed and is superceded by the Covenant Fund.
In the Chancellor’s Autumn Statement 2013 it was announced that up to £100 million would be made available to support service and other charities. As with the previous £35 million Libor fund these funds are the result of fines levied on the banks for attempting to manipulate Libor.
The Ministry of Defence (MOD) has subsequently been allocated up to £40 million of the announced £100 million in order to support projects which provide veterans accommodation.
As with previous funds, projects which were funded had to be in the spirit of and meet the 2 principles of the armed forces covenant, that:
- members of the armed forces community should not face disadvantage in the provision of public and commercial services
- special consideration is appropriate in some cases, especially for those who have given most such as the injured and the bereaved
This fund was a one-off fund which closed on 27 June 2014. We received 69 bids worth over £163 million covering a wide range of accommodation types and locations.
On 7 July a decision panel comprising of MOD representatives, the Treasury, devolved administrations, advisers from the COBSEO Housing cluster, The Royal British Legion and the Families Federations met to assess and agree which bids they wished to support. The first of these successful projects have now been announced by the Prime Minister and are detailed below.
0.1 Successful projects
The first projects to receive funding are detailed below.
- Haig Housing Trust: £8.6 million to expand its accommodation provision in south London and Edinburgh to assist a further 416 veterans and their families per year
- a partnership between Riverside ECHG, Haig Housing Trust and Stoll: £6m to provide 65 units of temporary, supported and independent accommodation in Colchester to form a pathway for Veterans in housing need to pass through on their way to independent living
- The Royal British Legion: £2.5m for a new dementia unit to provide additional, high quality accommodation for up to 30 veterans in Broadstairs, Kent
- Blind Veterans UK in partnership with BLESMA: £1.25m to create 5 purpose built apartments, in Llandudno Wales, for vulnerable veterans with sight and/or limb loss where they will receive accommodation and support to prepare them for independent living
- Erskine care homes in Scotland: £550,000 for to help improve the quality of the living environment for residents and help meet best practice lighting guidelines for elderly veterans with dementia
- RAF Benevolent Fund: £400k to adapt the kitchens and gardens in the homes of 20 wheelchair-dependent, lifetime disabled veterans and their families
- Stoll: £240,000 to refurbish 30 bathrooms for disabled and older Veterans at the Mansions who, due to poor health and deteriorating mobility, have a need for adapted bathing facilities in order to remain living independently
- The Royal Naval Benevolent Trust: £112,000 for a new House Care and Nursing Home Window Replacement service provided by in Kent to ensure residents are warm and comfortable throughout the year