Veterans Outreach Support (VOS) is refreshing the way it delivers welfare, wellbeing and mental health support for Armed Forces and eligible Merchant Navy veterans, serving personnel and their families across the Isle of Wight.
The charity is moving away from reliance on one large monthly event towards a more flexible network of community activity, outreach, planned appointments and specialist support.
Following a wider review of attendance, referrals, accessibility, partner engagement and the resources required to operate the current model, the monthly Drop-In Day at the Riverside Centre will end, with the final routine session taking place on 16 December 2026.
The revised approach will build on the strong foundations already established on the Island and provide more flexible ways for veterans and their families to access support, with continued offers in welfare, wellbeing and clinical support, alongside appropriate referrals to specialist services, such as employment and housing.
The future approach will include:
- Local outreach and engagement
- Planned appointments and targeted interventions
- Stronger referral pathways
- Closer collaboration with specialist partners
- Flexible support that responds to local needs
Continuing support across the Island
Existing Social Hub activities in Arreton, Newport and Carisbrooke, and Yarmouth will continue, alongside the Female Veterans Social Group in Newport. These sessions provide opportunities to meet peers, build camaraderie, and access advice and guidance.
Social Hub groups
- First Monday of each month: Arreton Community Hall
- Second Monday of each month: Newport and Carisbrooke Community Council
- Fourth Monday of each month: Yarmouth Community Hall
Each group runs from 10.30am to 12 noon, with free tea, coffee and biscuits available.
Female Veterans Social Group
- Fourth Friday of each month, 12 noon to 2pm: Utilita Energy Hub, Newport
Utilita Energy Hub mini-drop-in provision
VOS will continue to provide mini-drop-in provision at the Utilita Energy Hub in Newport, offering information, resources and initial triage. Where appropriate, service users may also be able to access planned specialist support through VOS delivery partners.
The frequency and format of these sessions may evolve as the new model develops. Dates, times and details of any partner organisations attending will be advertised in advance through VOS’s usual channels.
Working together through VALOUR
This change coincides with VOS becoming a VALOUR-recognised centre for the Solent region, including the Isle of Wight. It provides an opportunity to strengthen local access to support, improve partnership working and develop more flexible routes into services.
VALOUR provides an opportunity to strengthen collaboration particularly across health, housing and employment, supported by VOS’s wider welfare, wellbeing and mental health provision. This is especially important on the Isle of Wight, where geography and travel can make accessing support more difficult.
VOS welcomes collaboration with partners through targeted outreach, specialist support sessions, improved referral pathways, community activities and events, information-sharing and joint initiatives. By working together, organisations can identify gaps in provision and reach veterans and families who may face additional barriers to support.
The revised model will continue to evolve in response to demand, feedback and service-user outcomes. VOS is grateful for the continued support of its partners, volunteers and beneficiaries and looks forward to strengthening the Island’s veteran support network together.
We are grateful for the part that the Riverside Centre in Newport has played in our operations since 2018, and excited at what 2027 will bring as we move into new ways of delivering services to our veterans, their families and carers.
For further information, please contact admin@vosuk.org
If you’re a veteran from the UK Armed Forces or a qualifying former member of the *Merchant Navy* (from any time of service) or a partner / carer to one, we are here to offer our support: call us on 02392 731 767, visit a drop-in, or email wellbeing@vosuk.org
