A programme to support current and former members of the armed forces and their families in Dorset has been given a significant funding boost.

There are an estimated 51,000 veterans living in Dorset. The county has 2 per cent of the UK’s veteran population and 1.2 per cent of the overall national population, meaning that Dorset has a greater proportion of veterans than the country as a whole

The Ministry of Defence Armed Forces Covenant Fund has given a grant of £234,786 to enhance work to make sure members of the armed forces community are treated fairly across the county.

The bid for the funding was made by Dorset County Council, Bournemouth Borough Council and Borough of Poole, working with Dorset HealthCare and Dorset Police and Crime Commissioner’s Office.

The money will go towards projects which focus on areas including employment, training, schools, health and wellbeing and housing, and builds on the Armed Forces Covenant, a commitment between local public-sector organisations and the Ministry of Defence.

As well as ensuring Dorset is meeting the statutory obligations laid out in the Covenant, the programme will work with existing organisations currently working with Dorset’s military bases, military families and veterans to make sure they can access appropriate services when they need to. There are also plans to create 13 one-stop-shop Veterans and Armed Forces Family hubs across Dorset, based in libraries.

Cllr David Walsh, Dorset County Council Armed Forces Champion said: “Having had personal experience of being a member of the Royal Air Force, it is exciting to be working closely with partners across Dorset to make much-needed support more readily available for members of the armed forces community. I feel a huge sense of relief that finally, more is being done to support our local military families and veterans.”

Andy Willis, Chair of Dorset HealthCare, said: “Our Corporate Covenant with the armed forces in Dorset recognises our strong commitment to supporting members of the armed forces and veterans living in Dorset. We know that 24 per cent of veterans aged 16-64 report long-term illness, compared to 13 pre cent of the general population. Mental health issues figure highly and we are working to address the stigma relating to this and to improve access to care for members of the armed forces, veterans and their families. We are excited to be part of this initiative and pleased to be hosting the covenant officer in our armed forces health and wellbeing service on behalf of the partnership.”

Martyn Underhill, Dorset Police and Crime Commissioner said: “Because of my role, I am especially excited by the opportunity to address reoffending rates among veterans. This includes those who are serving a sentence or are being released from custody or prison. The success of our partnership bid provides a fantastic and much-needed opportunity to engage with and provide tailored support to meet the complex needs of our veterans in Dorset.”