Veterans' Foundation awards grant to increase capacity for treatment

A grant awarded to us by the Veterans’ Foundation, via the Contact Group, will increase our capacity to deliver full clinical assessments for veterans and ensure they can access treatment sooner and in the way that most suits them.

The Contact Group is a collaboration of charitable, academic and professional organisations working to improve mental health support to serving personnel, veterans and their families. The £200,000 funding from the Veterans’ Foundation will be disbursed by the Contact Group and shared among those charities that provide veterans with mental health treatment: Combat Stress, Help for Heroes, Icarus Charity, PTSD Resolution and Walking With The Wounded. All of these organisations are Contact members and participants in the Contact & Royal College of Psychiatrists’ Quality Network for Veterans Mental health.

Robert Marsh, Director of Fundraising at Combat Stress, said: “We are very grateful to the Veterans’ Foundation for providing funding via the Contact Group to expand our capacity to deliver full clinical assessments for veterans. This will help reduce waiting times and ensure veterans can access the treatment they need sooner and in ways that suit them best.”

Dr Charles Winstanley, Independent Chair of Contact, said: “We are delighted that the Veterans’ Foundation has recognised the demand and capacity issues that are currently affecting many veterans being able to access quality mental health treatment in a timely way. We are looking forward to working with the Veterans’ Foundation and treatment-providing charity partners to ensure that this dedicated fund is appropriately targeted and effectively used to achieve its strategic aims and help veterans in need access the quality treatment they urgently require.”