Veterans Outreach Support (VOS) has officially opened this week as a VALOUR-recognised centre, bringing government-backed support to veterans and their families across the Solent region as part of the programme’s first national rollout.
VALOUR is the Ministry of Defence’s new £50M national programme, delivered by the Office for Veterans’ Affairs (OVA), designed to improve access to the right support when it’s needed – a key commitment of the government’s Veterans Strategy.
As a VALOUR-recognised centre, Veterans Outreach Support, with its headquarters in Portsmouth, will act as a trusted front door, connecting those who’ve served to coordinated support across housing, health, employment and welfare, ensuring no one falls through the gaps.
We will work with our consortium partners, including specialist charities, NHS partner (Hampshire and Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust) and seven local authorities (Portsmouth City Council, Havant Borough Council, Gosport Borough Council, Isle of Wight Council, Eastleigh Borough Council, Southampton City Council, Fareham Borough Council) – to provide joined-up support in this region for veterans and their families.
Ian Millen, VOS CEO, said:
“We are proud to lead the VALOUR-recognised centre in the Solent region, continuing 18 years of dedicated work with veterans and their families across Portsmouth, the Isle of Wight, the wider Solent region and beyond.
“Working with our consortium partners and a wide network of organisations, we will provide joined-up support, committed to ensuring no one is left behind.
“We believe there should be ‘no wrong door’ to support and through the programme, we will provide a trusted ‘front door’ – helping people navigate their way to appropriate support and services, either directly from our VALOUR-recognised centre or from our many partners, especially when their needs are complex or challenging.”
Portsmouth City Council Leader and Armed Forces Champion, Cllr Steve Pitt, speaking on behalf of the Solent Armed Forces Covenant Partnership, said:
“I am delighted to see this new VALOUR-recognised centre open in Portsmouth providing much-needed additional support to veterans across the region.
The Solent is home to one of the country’s largest armed forces communities and this centre will play a vital role in ensuring veterans and their families can access the support they need, when they need it.
“Veterans Outreach Support has a long and proven track record of helping those who have served, and through the strength of our regional partnership we can now provide even more joined-up assistance across housing, health, employment and wellbeing to those who have bravely served our country.”
Each VALOUR-recognised centre is shaped by its community – not a one-size-fits-all approach, with this in-person support offered alongside online via a new VALOUR website and through MOD Veterans Services – for those who can’t reach a centre in person.
How to access support:
The wider VALOUR programme ensures support is available online through the OVA’s new VALOUR website and in person at a number of UK-wide VALOUR-recognised centres, including Veterans Outreach Support: VALOUR-recognised centre.
It can also be sought through MOD Veterans Services, which provides VALOUR’s case management offer. Referrals into Veterans Services can be made via digital referral form – link here.
VOS’ VALOUR-recognised centre is open 0900-1700hrs Monday to Friday, excluding public holidays. To arrange an in-person support appointment, please call our main switchboard on 02392 731767 or by email to admin@vosuk.org
Next steps:
VALOUR does not replace the many and varied statutory and non-statutory support services that already exist, including those provided by the third sector. Rather it seeks to work with them and collaboratively build a ‘network of networks’ at local, regional and national level so that it is easier for veterans and their families – and in due course the wider Armed Forces Community – to access the support they need, when they need it.
This programme has been designed to take on an agile approach – enabling it to be iterated and refined as it is scaled up. A second round of VALOUR-recognised centres will be established, VALOUR Field Officers will come into post across the UK to deliver regional strategic stakeholder engagement, and enhanced data and digital services will be developed.
In time, VALOUR will include the wider Armed Forces community and will be underpinned by the extended Armed Forces Covenant legal duty.
VALOUR will continue to be rolled out and refined throughout 2026 and 2027, to reach Full Operating Capability in 2028.
If you’re a veteran from the UK Armed Forces or the Merchant Navy (from any time of service) or a partner to one, VOS would love for you to join our community. We are here to offer our support: call us on 02392 731 767, visit an upcoming drop-in, or email wellbeing@vosuk.org0
