Support for Veterans' Challenge Fund extended indefinitely

[Batgirl]

Published Friday 28th October 2005

Government support for projects commemorating the heroism of our World War veterans and providing practical support to ex-service personnel will be extended indefinitely, Veterans' Minister Don Touhig announced on 28 October 2005.

The Veterans' Challenge Fund, a £2m programme introduced in April 2003, was originally intended to last three years. However, it has been so successful that it is to be extended. Once the original three-year period has expired in March 2006, £750,000 per annum will be dedicated to this important scheme.


Founders Day at the Royal Hospital, Chelsea, 1999. For the first time, there was a mechanised aspect to the march past of Chelsea pensioners at the annual parade in memory of the founder of the Royal Hospital, King Charles II. At the rear of the four divisions of marching pensioners there were five electric mobility scooters which past in formation in front of the Prince of Wales while he took the salute. The pensioners are wearing the traditional oak leaves which commemorate King Charles' escape after the Battle of Worcester by hiding in an oak tree. [Picture: Sgt Ian Liptrot]

Mr Touhig will launch the extended fund on Saturday 29 October during his speech to the Windrush Foundation, in which he celebrates the often unpublicized contributions of West Indian servicemen and women to the war effort:

"The Veterans' Challenge Fund has helped to part or wholly fund many important projects that celebrate the bravery of our WWI and II veterans.

"Successful schemes often also provide invaluable support to ex-Service personnel finding themselves in difficult circumstances, because of problems such as disability or bereavement.

"It is highly fitting that this decision is announced in conjunction with the 60th Anniversary of the end of WWII, as it is part of the Government's commitment to improving the lives of our veterans."


Veterans marched proudly down the Mall in a parade of over 700 standards, Veterans Week 2005 [Picture: Allan House]

To date, the Veterans' Challenge Fund has supported various commemorative projects. Examples include:

Sponsorship of the St. Dunstan's Education and Citizenship Project to help them raise awareness of the challenges experienced by those with loss of sight and how these can be overcome.
Sponsorship of the British Limbless Ex-Servicemen's Association's (BLESMA) participation in the Atlantic Rally for Cruisers in December. Their aim is to show that the disabled are fully capable of dealing with challenging events and master the situations in which they may find themselves.
Contribution to the War Widows' Bereavement Course, which trains defence widows/ers to support others following bereavement and help improve the welfare support available to personnel and their families at this difficult time.
Since the Fund launced in April 2003, about £1m of projects have been approved and just under £400,000 worth of new projects are currently being assessed, but the Ministry of Defence is keen to encourage more applications to the fund. For information on how to apply, please write to:

Challenge Fund,
Director of Veterans Policy Unit,
Ministry of Defence,
Floor 7, Zone I,
Main Building,
Whitehall,
LONDON SW1A 2HB.

MoD News