Mark Garnier, MP for Wyre Forest, is delighted at the announcement that The Big Lottery Fund (BIG) has given a partnership of forces charities and mental health organisations the go ahead to set up an independent trust supporting former UK military personnel and their families.
The partnership, led by the Confederation of British Service and Ex-service Organisations (COBSEO), has been named by BIG as the 'preferred candidate' to set up the Forces in Mind Trust which will provide UK-wide long-term support and advocacy for former forces personnel to make a successful transition to civilian life. This will include those who served in Iraq and Afghanistan and will span over the next 20 years.
The main focus of the trust will be on addressing a range of problems that some ex-service personnel and their families can experience back in civilian life such as poor mental health, family breakdown and alcohol-related problems. It will also work on educating people about these issues and commission research.
Mark, who sponsored a parliamentary drop-in-surgery for The Big Lottery Fund today, is extremely pleased to hear that such a significant amount of money is being granted to such an important cause.
Mark said: "We are all aware of the heroic work and sacrifice that our service personnel do whilst in the armed forces. But when they return to civilian life, they face new challenges. I am aware that the readjustment can be very traumatic and this contribution by BIG is incredibly important."
Speaking with BIG staff at the session Mark was also brought up to date with the contribution the fund has made in his constituency of Wyre Forest. Since April 2007, BIG have granted a total of £2.6 million to a wide range of businesses, schools and voluntary organisations throughout the area.
More recently, BIG has committed at least £1 million to be channelled into the Horsefair, Broadwaters and Greenhill areas of Kidderminster.
Mark said: "The contribution from BIG is very significant locally and I am very pleased to be working with them on recent £1 million funding in Kidderminster. The other £2.6 million has gone into a wide range of causes locally and I am delighted that Wyre Forest is getting its fair share of support. This is exactly what the Lottery was created for and the heritage Lottery Fund has also recently announced a further grant of nearly £2 million for the carpet museum. This is all good news locally."
COBSEO will now begin work to set up the Trust using a development grant of up to £200,000 from BIG. It is planned that the remainder of the £35 million Lottery award will be transferred to the partnership by the end of summer 2011 when the Trust will become operational.