Surrey Fire and Rescue Service and Surrey Civilian Military Partnership Board are delighted to launch their first online Veteran’s Hub on Friday 11 December from 10.30am to 12pm.
The hub, which will be hosted on Zoom, will provide veterans, ex-service personnel and family members with the opportunity to get together virtually on a regular basis whilst adhering to Covid-19 restrictions.
Prior to the first national lockdown, Guildford Fire Station hosted a successful veteran’s hub which gave everyone the opportunity to chat with fellow comrades over refreshments and view a presentation on a wide range of subjects and support services.
Due to Covid-19, plans to open additional new hubs at Fordbridge and Woking Fire Stations have not yet been possible although lots of work in building the hubs and the wellbeing gardens connected to them has been happening, work is underway locally with the Borough Councils and other partners to have these running as soon as it is safe to do so.
Steve Owen-Hughes, Surrey Fire and Rescue Service’s Chief Fire Officer, who had a successful career within the British Army, is introducing the hub. He said, “I’m really pleased that we are adapting our Veteran’s Hub so that we can still provide crucial support to our veterans, ex-service personnel and of course, their families and loved ones, during the pandemic.
“In my lifetime, I have transitioned out of the Army into a civilian career, and even in my role now, I still work very closely with the military (both regular and reserves), as part of my Fire and Rescue role, as a member of the Surrey Military Civilian Partnership Board and as Chair of the Surrey Local Resilience Forum leading the response to Covid-19. Therefore, we welcome anyone from a military background to join us.”
SSAFA the armed Forces charity will also be joining the hub and updating on the support given to veterans and ex-service personnel during the pandemic.
Please share this event with people you feel may be interested. Join via this link using the meeting ID: 968 3764 4057 and passcode: Veterans.
Surrey County Council also have a Forces Connect mobile app, which is free to download on apple and android devices. This signposts people to information and sources of help/support including other veteran hubs around the county, which can also be found on our website www.surreycc.gov.uk/armedforces.
If you have any queries, email us at [email protected] and we do hope you are able to join us on 11 December.
