Walking with the Wounded - North East Service Delivery Update
WWTW's North East became operations in June 2019, we take a look at how far the service has come since it started
In mid-June 2019
Walking With The Wounded North East Service went operational. Since then, the
team have been working in close partnership with Gateshead Council, Newcastle
City Council and the Armed Forces Outreach Service (AFOS).
Since its launch, the
NE Service has gone from strength to strength, developing relationships, reach
and our Care Coordination and Employment programmes. The NE Service have also
worked in partnership with the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust and NHS
England, to support the delivery of the Northern Care
Coordination Partnership (NCCP) , which paved the way for the NHS’s Veteran Mental
Health and Wellbeing Pathfinder, High Intensity
Service (HIS)
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Originally located at
Gateshead Civic Centre, the NE Service have been working in partnership
with MySpace Housing Solutions to develop a North East Hub based at
the Walker Building in North Shields. On Remembrance Day 2020, the Hub was
launched, and now provides onsite support for 10 homeless veterans as well as
local and regional outreach support to the veteran community. The project was
not only supported by MySpace Housing, but the NE Service has also been
supported by:
1. The Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust
2. MITIE
4. Apleona HSG Facilities Management
5. Dunelm
7. Fortem Cares
9. Bell Group
10. DXC Technology
11. North East Business Systems
Phase 2 – Disability
Upgrade
In April 2021 the NE
Service will enter phase 2 of the Hub project and thanks to the Catherine
Cookson Foundation they will upgrade the existing access and toilet facilities
to make our space more accessible for people with disabilities.
This upgrade will be
completed by May 2021 and will ensure that any veteran attending our hub will
be able to access all facilities.
Phase 3 - Programme
Integration
Over the past 24
months the NE Service have been gradually introducing WWTW programmes into the
North East: Employment, Care Coordination (Through NCCP), and the introduction
of Head Start, with the NE Service seeing their first referrals through this
pathway.
In February 2021,
WWTW’s volunteer programme, OP-REGEN, was introduced into the North East
through our Growing Together programme in partnership
with the Armed Forces Covenant Fund and Newcastle City Council that saw
planting 500 trees across Newcastle to kickstart our volunteer programme.
Find out more about the support WWTW offer here