Veterans, serving personnel and Armed Forces families in York are set to benefit from major new investment, as City of York Council secures £625,114 of government funding.
The funding will strengthen support across the city by building on York's strong commitment to the Armed Forces Covenant and the successful partnerships already assisting the Armed Forces community.
Working alongside organisations including York Learning, Age UK York, York Carers Centre and York CVS, the investment will help expand services covering housing, wellbeing, employment, skills, carers' support and social connection for veterans and their families.
York is one of just 20 areas across the country to receive the funding through the Government's VALOUR programme. The investment will enable the council to establish a new VALOUR-recognised veterans support centre at West Offices, creating a central, accessible hub where veterans and their families and other members of the Armed Forces Community can find the support they need quickly and easily.
The new centre will also be a base for enhanced outreach work across communities, helping even more people access services and support wherever they live in York.
A key part of the programme will see veterans and their families helping to shape the services they use. Through a strong focus on co-production, people with lived experience will help identify unmet needs, influence service delivery and improve support for future generations of the Armed Forces community. A dedicated Co-production Champion, hosted by York CVS, will lead this work.
The VALOUR-recognised centre is expected to open in January 2027 and operate until March 2030. Over the next three years it is expected to directly support around 1,500 veterans and a further 3,000 family members, carers and others connected to the Armed Forces community in York.
Councillor Claire Douglas, Leader of City of York Council and Armed Forces Champion, said:
"This funding win is absolutely fantastic news for York, our veterans, their families and our wider Armed Forces community. It recognises the incredible strength of the partnerships that already exist across our city, bringing together veterans' charities and support organisations, the council, our garrison communities, health services and education providers.
"This new VALOUR veterans centre will build on our strong track record of supporting our Armed Forces community and take that support to the next level, making services even more accessible, better connected and easier to navigate.
"We are committed to ensuring veterans, serving personnel and their families can access the help and support they need, when they need it. An investment like this will strengthen that support for years to come."
VALOUR is a £50 million UK-wide programme designed to improve access to services for veterans and their families, ensuring they can get the right support at the right time. It is a key commitment within the Government's Veterans Strategy.