We’re remembering November! It’s been a busy month for Veterans Outreach Support. Here’s how our veterans in Portsmouth, the Isle of Wight, and the Solent area marked this Remembrance season.
Read on for exactly what we got up to in the last month, all in support of local veteran mental health and community-building.
Social Meet-Ups, Old and New
Our social groups were as lively as ever this month. You may have joined us at The Acorn Community Centre for our Brew & Biscuits Social Group, or for our Tea & Stickies Social Group at Becket Hall.
On Thursdays, our Online Social Group happened on Zoom and our Brew, Butties, and Banter crew came together in person at the Crofton Club. On Thursday 17/11, we held our our very first ‘Mid Month Muster’ at the Royal Maritime Club- a social group offering hot food and a good natter in the evening.
The Mid-Month Musters are here to stay, so if you’d like to eat and be merry with us next month, mark your calendar for 13th December from 1830-2000.
Veterans Outreach Support Isle of Wight officially kicked off a new meet-up schedule as well, to include a very special location on the first Monday of each month. The Donkey Sanctuary in Wroxall will now be hosting our Isle of Wight veterans monthly, so don’t miss the next one! It’s a lovely cozy location with a cafe, outdoor spaces, and lots of room to chat and connect with fellow local veterans.
Wellbeing Activities by Land and Sea
Many of our members enjoyed ‘Paint & Chill’ sessions and tried their hands at assembling/painting models with ‘Models for Heroes’ at the Royal Maritime Club this month. The painting above was made by one of our talented veterans (Antony) and features a beautiful birch tree in autumn.
We also held another popular book binding session with ‘Bound by Veterans’ and a new Christmas Card making session in the RMC. If you’re interested in these types of events, know that materials are free and included in each experience, and they usually involve light refreshments (mince pies lately!).
On 13/11, several of our veterans tried the very exciting Motor Gunboat 81 Experience at the Portsmouth Naval Base on Remembrance weekend. Further down the Solent, Kelley’s Heroes Charters hosted an excellent sea fishing trip, too. We aim to provide engaging activities all year round, but especially during Remembrance season when some veterans prefer to keep busy and be surrounded by friendship.
Later in the month, veterans tried the 1502 Seaplane Tender Experience at Portsmouth Naval Base as well. If you don’t want to miss these types of adventures, email wellbeing@vosuk.org and you can receive a weekly email about what’s on.
RELATED: ‘Inside/Outside/At Sea – There is Something for Everyone at VOS.’
Celebrating Generous Trustees & Donors
In the second week of November we put the spotlight on those who share their time with us as trustees. It was Trustees’ Week 2022, and we took the opportunity to thank and hear from some of our own volunteer trustees.
As one VOS Trustee put it: “I find it to be an honour and a privilege and it makes me appreciate how lucky I am to be in a position to hopefully help others.”
Over the past year VOS Isle of Wight has been supported by the Co-op Local Community Fund, and this month we said a big thank you to Co-op East Cowes store members who helped VOS IOW to raise a total of £1,380.76. Those funds go directly toward supporting veterans on the Isle of Wight who may be socially isolated through age, poor mental health or substance abuse.
We also received £1,500 raised by our very own Nigel Turner’s fundraising efforts at the Great South Run 2022! This run saw VOS Operations Manager Alex Watts raise over £1,300 as well through JustGiving. Through these actions and countless more, Nigel and Alex help make the VOS community a warm and welcoming space for all members. We are grateful for you both!
Coming Together at Local Remembrance Events
Large gatherings of our volunteers, veterans, and VOS staff were found wearing their poppies and paying their respects at various Remembrance services this year.
On Friday 11/11, many community members attended the Guildhall Square Armistice Day Service in Portsmouth as well as the Thorney Island Remembrance Day Service.
On Remembrance Sunday, many of our community members witnessed and participated in the parade of veterans, military personnel, and community groups in the Guildhall Square, the two-minute silence, and the wreath-laying ceremony at the Cenotaph.
It is events like these that make us so proud to participate in Veterans Outreach Support: the moments of friendship and understanding we witnessed were very touching, and helped all of us to bear the heaviness of the day.
Veterans Outreach Support in the News
On the day that the Census insight statistics were published for Armed Forces veterans, our Stubbington Brew and Banter hosted the ITN crew to interview veterans and our CEO Ian Millen. We’ll be linking to that interview on vosuk.org.
Ian was also featured in an LGiU article, ‘In Conversation with Ian Millen of Veterans Outreach Support.’ Check it out to see what he said about how local governments can step up to support veterans across the UK. This was an insightful piece that got many members of our community talking.
Some of our veterans had the opportunity to speak with a podcaster this month for a meaningful series about PTSD and relationships. Keep an ear out for their interviews, which will be featured here on our website and across VOS’ socials in the coming weeks.
We also wrote our own monthly profile of a VOS partner organisation, this time being the LGBTQ+ veterans’ charity, Fighting with Pride. VOS Partner Spotlight articles give you a closer look at the services that our many unique partners provide. You can read that profile at the following link.
RELATED: VPPP Partner Spotlight: Fighting with Pride
Drop-In Days (and VOS Dropping into Partner Events!)
This month saw two more successful drop-ins at the Royal Maritime Club in Portsmouth and the Riverside Centre on the Isle of Wight. Our drop-ins are a perfect way for you to experience some VOS camaraderie and take advantage of the many resources available locally. They also feature clinical professionals who provide mental health support in private (one-on-one) for those who need it. Learn more here: Veterans Outreach Support Drop-Ins.
The VOS team also attended an excellent networking event by Portsmouth Carers Centre to hear from Portsmouth City Council and others on their plans to make carers count. We attended on behalf of spouses and partners caring for veterans – touch base if that’s you and you need help to find out what is available in the local area to support your caring needs.
You can also find VOS this month at the Age UK Portsmouth Open Day on 30th November, spreading awareness about our services to the folks who stop by.
Launching AmazonSmile for the Holiday Season
As November came to a close, we were pleased to announce that you can now add us as your chosen charity on ‘AmazonSmile.’ This means each time you shop on Amazon, they will donate a small percentage of your purchases to VOS at no extra cost to you.
Here’s a quick guide for anyone interested: How to Support VOS on AmazonSmile.
Did you enjoy any events this November with Veterans Outreach Support? Reach out at the contact information below to share your thoughts.
VOS is here to support veterans from the UK Armed Forces service, the Merchant Navy, and their partners. If you know a veteran (from any time of service), please pass our details along. If you’re a veteran or partner and are thinking about getting in touch, we would love to hear from you. Call us on 02392 731 767, visit one of our drop-ins, or email admin@vosuk.org.
VOS is immensely grateful to the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust and the Royal Navy & Royal Marines Charity, as without their support and funding we would not be able to provide such a wide range of activities.
