Forces in Mind Trust has awarded a grant of £84,000 to LGBT+ veterans charity Fighting With Pride (FWP), to support their work helping organisations to demonstrate their commitment to supporting LGBT+ veterans.

The funding over 2 years will allow Fighting With Pride to better support organisations to adopt the Pride in Veterans Standard (PiVS) and help to further develop inclusion and equality of treatment for LGBT+ veterans. The project will build upon an existing network of seven regional LGBT+ Veterans Community Workers, providing an expert resource to assist the team with their work.

The Pride in Veterans Standard (PiVS) is a programme run by FWP and open to any organisation that provides veteran services or delivers veteran support that wishes to demonstrate a commitment to providing an inclusive and welcoming service to LGBT+ veterans, service personnel and their families. There are currently over 30 organisations which hold a PiVS including:

  • Scottish Veterans Commissioner
  • WRAC Association
  • The Poppy Factory
  • Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue
  • Greater Manchester Combined Authority
  • Hull4Heroes
  • Guy’s & ST Thomas NHS Foundation Trust
  • Hywel Dda Health Board
  • Mission Motorsport
  • Op Courage (North of England) HIS/CTS

To achieve the PiVS, organisations must prove their understanding of the experiences of LGBT+ Veterans, and how this impacts them when they access support. FWP hopes to raise wider awareness of the PiVS and to see it more widely rolled out in veteran-facing organisations.

Tom McBarnet, Chief Executive (Acting) of Forces in Mind Trust, said “We are pleased to be able to support this project through the funding of the Pride in Veterans Standard Manager role. Fighting With Pride is doing important work raising awareness of the challenges LGBT+ veterans, serving personnel and their families face, and enabling veterans support organisations to provide accessible and inclusive services. We look forward to seeing how this role supports the work Fighting With Pride is doing to improve understanding and support the fair treatment of LGBT+ veterans.”

Craig Jones MBE, Executive Chair and Caroline Paige, Chief Executive of Fighting With Pride said: “This is a fantastic step forwards and this funding will enable FWP to support organisations to develop their understanding of the challenges faced by some LGBT+ Veterans. Through PiVS, organisations offering services to LGBT+ veterans are demonstrating that their organisations offer a warm welcome, particularly to those most affected by the ‘ban’. PiVS is enabling a leap forward in the development of inclusion in veterans services and we are very pleased the Forces in Mind Trust has recognised this.”

If you are interested in finding out more about the PiVS programme or how your organisation can support LGBT+ veterans, you can contact the Fighting With Pride team on info@fightingwithpride.org.uk.

 

Notes to Editors

About Forces in Mind Trust (FiMT):

Forces in Mind Trust was founded in 2011 with a £35 million endowment from the National Lottery Community Fund to improve transition to civilian life for Service leavers and their families. Our mission is to enable successful and sustainable transition to civilian life, and the Trust’s strategy is to provide an evidence base that will influence and underpin effective policy making and practice. By funding high quality, credible research where there is an identified gap in relevant understanding, and by then exploiting the findings, FiMT aims to effect positive change.

www.fim-trust.org | @FiMTrust

About Fighting With Pride (FWP)

FWP was created on the 20th anniversary of the complete lifting of the ban on LGBT+ service – the ‘gay ban’. FWP is a ‘lived experience’ LGBT+ charity, supporting those seeking help and a resource for those who seek to help them.

The charity supports LGBT+ Veterans, serving personnel and their families, particularly those who were affected by the ‘gay ban’, ultimately lifted on 12th January 2000. Before then, thousands of LGBT+ service personnel were removed or forced from service and abandoned, after serving with pride. In the years ahead FWP aims to bring this community back into the military family.

FWP works with organisations supporting the Armed Forces Community to build capacity for LGBT+ Veteran support, to recognise their service and help resolve the challenges they face in their lives beyond military service.

You can find out more about the Pride in Veterans Standard here: https://www.fightingwithpride.org.uk/pride-in-veterans-standard/

Website: www.fightingwithpride.org.uk

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