Commissioner provides additional funding to support veterans

Police and Crime Commissioner for Humberside, Keith Hunter has provided an additional £48,000 for Project Nova to support Armed Forces veterans.

This funding will help to provide dedicated emotional and practical support services for veterans to help them gain social stability and health and wellbeing to support with the transition from military to civilian life.

Project Nova, delivered in partnership between RFEA - The Forces Employment Charity and Walking With The Wounded, is there to offer help to veterans who have been arrested or deemed vulnerable. It also supports veterans who are referred by specialist police teams (including NHS Liaison and Diversion Teams), or other statutory organisations, because they are at risk of arrest. It focuses on improving social stability, health and wellbeing and employment. This continues through to securing sustainable employment.

Among the specific measures to be supported as part of this funding are: 

• Responding early to existing and emerging threat of risk and harm
• Reducing reoffending for those who engage in their services
• Reducing victims and repeated cycle of offending
• Reduce violence amongst veterans before they reach crisis point. 

Keith Hunter said “Some veterans find it difficult to re-adjust to civilian life and occasionally come into contact with the police and other agencies. They may also have been victims of crime themselves and are often found to be within the most vulnerable groups and requiring specialist support. With this funding we are assisting in bridging the gap between the individual and the services they need via a trusted partner such as Project Nova.”

Project Nova’s National Manager, Colin Back, said: “Most veterans transition successfully into a civilian life after their Services career. However, there are some who face additional challenges when leaving the Military, including housing, debt, drugs and alcohol misuse, or health issues such as PTSD.

Thanks to the continued support of Humberside Police and the Police and Crime Commissioner and this generous boost in funding, for which we are incredibly grateful, Project Nova will be able to improve the lives of ex-Forces personnel by preventing them from reaching the point of arrest, tackling root-cause issues head-on before they spiral into the risk of offending.”

More information on Project Nova HERE