Supporting independent living

Who is a Veteran

At SVR the term 'veterans' means all those who have served in the Armed Forces or Merchant Marine (Admiralty Chartered), but our mission also includes their spouses as part of the veteran's community. Presently there are approximately twenty four thousand Service leavers per year, the vast majority of whom make a smooth transition into civilian life. Veterans' of all ages are part of a large constituency whose problems are common to society as a whole, such as homelessness, illness or unemployment. A small percentage are vulnerable to social exclusion due to experiences in the Armed Forces, such as physical or mental trauma or death of a spouse.

Those That We Help

The veterans that we help range from those who have recently left the Armed Forces and have difficulties adjusting to civilian life, to those who have been isolated or homeless for many years or need the support of our care accommodation. Some have problems with alcohol dependency or other health problems others simply need a place to live while they sort out their lives. Many ex-military personnel find adapting to civilian life extremely difficult. They cannot adapt from regimented life to an independent life where they are responsible for their own day to day needs. At SVR we enable our residents to live in a supportive community atmosphere and to adapt to their change in circumstances. The younger veterans' tend to move back into main stream society having found a job, a house of their own and have become 'adjusted' to the changes in their environment. However, we have a hard core of veterans' who for one reason or another cannot cope with change or are seeking more sheltered accommodation stay with us for longer periods.

A Typical Residents Story

Donald, a Whitefoord House resident, served for nine years with the Second Battalion Scots Guards seeing active service in the Falklands. "I came to Whitefoord House in 1995, I had nowhere else to go. I had great difficulty adjusting to civilian life when I came out of the Army.

I got a lot of support from the staff and my fellow residents, many of them had been through similar experiences in their lives.

There is a great community atmosphere, we look out for each other. We live very independent lives, but the staff are on hand when you need advice and support".
Read more on Donald's story here.

Looking to the Future

SVR is constantly evolving and changing to continue to meet the needs and expectations of the veterans' community. Some things, however will remain the same. Service in the Armed Forces is likely to remain a unique experience with it's own challenges and opportunities that can affect service people well after they have returned to civilian life. SVR recognises that today's Service personnel are tomorrow's veterans.

SVR believes in working in partnership with our residents and providing a flexible and responsive service that meets the needs and expectations of our residents. Last year we helped some 300 ex-service men and women and their spouses of all ages.