The Hub will be overseen by a steering committee, chaired by Cllr Kevin Foster, the Armed Forces Champion for North Yorkshire, and managed by the Veterans Hub Lead, Dr Lori Boul, with the assistance of her first two volunteer Veterans Ambassadors, Paul & Maggie Ratcliffe, both ex-forces.
Operating in Scarborough, Whitby, Filey and Ryedale areas, and joining forces with other groups and organisations, the Veterans Hub will be able to ensure the Armed Forces Community in North Yorkshire receive the support they need and want.
Dr Lori said, “We are very excited to be able to offer our services to the thousands of serving and former members of the UK Armed Forces and their families and to the increasing number of Ukrainian veterans and families living in the region. We are inviting serving personnel, veterans and their families to become members of the Veterans Hub.
Members will have their say in the services we provide, receive regular updates on what is available to them and meet with fellow members at exclusive social events. We are also recruiting a team of volunteer Veterans Ambassadors who will have opportunities to offer their unique skills to benefit the community. So, we are sending out a ‘call to arms’ to all the veterans in North Yorkshire to join us in our new venture”.
The Veterans Hub is on duty on Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays between 0900 and 1700 hours offering the following services to members of the Armed Forces Community, charities, community groups and commercial organisations:
- Information Services: Providing information; signposting and navigation to Armed Forces and Civilian services
- Social Activities: As requested by members, e.g., themed social events, outings etc.
- Membership: Members only newsletter; networking; exclusive invitations to events and activities; advocacy and lobbying on behalf of the AFC
- Veterans Ambassadors: Gaining a sense of purpose and putting their unique skills to use to make positive contribution members of the AFC
- Training Services: Providing free talks and fee-paying training services for community groups, charities and organisations that seek to improve how they support members of the AFC