What is a veteran?
A veteran is anyone who has served for at least one day in the Armed Forces, whether as a regular or reservist.
It means the same as ‘ex service personnel’ or ‘ex-forces’, although not all veterans know the term or choose to associate with the term ‘veteran’.
Younger veterans might refer to themselves as ‘ex-forces’, in the belief that a veteran is someone who fought in the 1st/2nd World War.
Veteran Health Resources
- British Army
- Combat Stress provide specialist treatment and support for veterans from every service and conflict, focusing on those with complex mental health issues.
- NHS Choices provides mental health support for veterans, service leavers and reservists.
- Royal British Legion helps members of the Royal Navy, British Army, Royal Air Force, veterans and their families. They support serving and ex-serving personnel all year round, every day of the week. Support starts after one day of service and continues through life, long after service is over.
- ssafa exists to relieve need, suffering and distress amongst the Armed Forces, veterans and their families in order to support their independence and dignity.
- Togetherall is a safe, online community where people support each other anonymously to improve mental health and wellbeing. Millions of people in the UK have access via their participating employer, university, college, NHS provider or local council. All armed forces personnel, veterans and their families (16+) also have free access.
- Veterans at Home Service, in partnership with The Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust Fund and The Royal British Legion, are supplying tailored activity packs to lonely and isolated Veterans to assist with their cognitive stimulation.