Directory of Armed Forces support services

Phone: 0800 917 7650

Email: help@aamail.org

Website: Alcoholics Anonymous

Multiple meetings all over Bedford Borough on various days - search for a meeting.

Concerned solely with the personal recovery and continued sobriety of those who might be drinking too much. If you are having trouble with your drinking, or if your drinking has reached the point of where it worries you, you may be interested to know something about Alcoholics Anonymous and the AA programme of recovery from alcoholism. Safe, friendly, informal, confidential.

Tel: 0808 8020 133 (National Gambling Helpline)

Email: feona@peeraid.org (Armed Forces Lead)

Website: www.betknowmoreuk.org

Betknowmore's mission is to reduce the risk and incidence of gambling harms amongst the armed forces community by creating an enduring support service for armed forces personnel, veterans and their colleagues, friends and family.

Tel: 0330 094 0322

Meetings are held on Wednesday evenings.

Email: s.info@gamblersanonymous.org.uk

Website: www.gamblersanonymous.org.uk

A fellowship of men and women who share their experience, strength, and hope with each other so that they may solve their common problem and help others do the same. 

Tel: 0333 332 4019

Email: elft.p2rsupportsystems@nhs.net

Website: www.elft.nhs.uk

P2R is a one-stop service that provides drug and alcohol advice, treatment and support to adults whose lives are affected, support can include the whole family.

Phone: 0300 999 1212

Meetings are available online and in person.

Website: https://ukna.org/

Recovering drug addicts who can help you get and stay clean. Members regularly share their personal experiences with each other, not as professionals but as ordinary people. 

Narcotics Anonymous teaches basic principles such as honesty, open-mindedness, trust, willingness, and humility that may be applied in everyday life. 

Online referral claim form Apply for Armed Forces Compensation or a War Pension - GOV.UK

Website: www.gov.uk/guidance/armed-forces-compensation-scheme-afcs

A compensation scheme for UK serving and former service personnel injured because of their service in His Majesty's Armed Forces. It compensates for any injury, illness or death which was caused by service on or after 6 April 2005. (must be within last 7 years).

There are two main types of AFCS awards:

• Tax-free lump sum payment for pain and suffering.
• Guaranteed Income Payment (GIP) which is a tax free, index linked monthly payment.

You can claim under the War Pension Scheme if you are no longer serving in His Majesty’s (HM) Armed Forces and your claimed disablement arose before 6 April 2005 (you do not need to have a combat injury to claim).

Tel: 0808 1914 218 (8am-4pms Monday - Friday by appointment)

Email: veterans-uk@mod.gov.uk and Veterans-UK-VWS-South@mod.gov.uk

Website: www.gov.uk/government/news/learning-from-our-experiences-together

Request your personal information: submit-a-data-protection/request.service.mod.uk

This is a MOD run service, providing free one-to-one support to veterans or anyone supporting a  veteran, their families, and dependants, with a national network of welfare managers. 

It works together with local authorities, voluntary organisations, service charities and Veterans Advisory and Pensions.

Tel: 0300 046 1366

Email: segroup.armedforceschampions@dwp.gov.uk

Website: www.gov.uk/universal-credit

Help for veterans (and in some cases families) who receive Universal Credit (UC), Employment Seekers Allowance (ESA) and Jobseekers. Assessments to see if they are receiving the correct financial support. In many cases, there may be more entitlement that is not being claimed.

Email the local Armed Forces Champion. Face to face appointments are available after the initial contact.

For veterans, those serving, and family members are invited to these two AFBC run breakfast clubs

Bedford 

Address: RAFA Club Bedford, 93 Ashburnham Road, Bedford, MK40 1AE

Tel: 01234 350107 

Website: https://afvbc.com/club/bedford-armed-forces-veterans-breakfast-club

Held every second Sunday of the month.

Bedford North 

Address: North End Social Club, 60 Roff Avenue, Bedford , MK417TW

Website: https://afvbc.com/club/bedford-north-armed-forces-veterans-breakfast-club

Held on the first Saturday of the month.

Adult Social Care includes a range of personal and practical help for people over the age of 18 who need support, to stay as healthy and independent as possible, to stay included in their local community and to maintain contact with their families and friends.

General enquiries / referral form

General enquiry online form

Tel: 01234 276168

Tel: 0300 300 8123 (out of hours)

Needs assessment

See our needs assessment webpage about different ways to arrange a self assessment.

The Children Act 1989 says that there are certain things we must do for children in need and their families. Doing these things is our priority. Beyond this, we do our best to help as many people as we can. 

To make sure we get the right services for the right children at the right time, we have to carefully assess what they and their families need.

See our children and families webpage.

Find out all you need to know about Early Years funding, school admissions, free school meals and special education needs (SEND). You can also find information for new teachers and gain access to our secure area for schools.

See our schools, education and childcare webpages.

Get housing advice and help with finding accommodation. Find support if you are homeless or rough sleeping. You can also view our housing policies and strategies.

See our housing webpages.

Tel: 0207 901 8900

Email: info@armybenevolentfund.org

Website: armybenevolentfund.org

The Army Benevolent Fund is the Army’s national charity, there for soldiers, past and present, and their families for life and providing financial assistance to relieve hardship.

Tel: 03330 338 338 (9am-5pm Monday - Friday)

Website and online referral form: www.missionmotorsport.org 

Email: team@missionmotorsport.org 

The Forces’ Motorsport Charity aids in the recovery and rehabilitation of those affected by military operations by providing opportunities through motorsport and the automotive industry.

Tel: 0208 940 3305

Email:  support@poppyfactory.org

Website: www.poppyfactory.org

The Poppy Factory supports veterans with health conditions and their families into employment, helping them overcome any barriers.

It offers employment support to individuals who have served for one day or more in the Armed Forces or Reserves, and consider themselves to have any kind of physical or mental health condition.

Tel: 0333 900 1028 (9am-5pm Monday - Friday)

Self-referral by email: help@theripplepond.org or complete online self-referral form at theripplepond.org/getsupport 

Website: theripplepond.org 

Support for adult family members of physically or psychologically injured British Armed Forces personnel and veterans.

Tel: 0300 102 1919 (9am-5pm Monday - Friday) 

Email: welfarenavigators@rafbf.org.uk

Website: www.rafbf.org 

The RAF Benevolent supports members of the RAF Family providing practical, emotional, and financial support. 

It will consider any request for assistance, providing a tailor-made approach to each individual situation. 

From mobility aids and confidential counselling to financial grants, it offers a range of support tailored to the individual's needs. 

Tel: 0808 802 8080 (8am-8pm 7 days a week)

Website: www.britishlegion.org.uk

The Royal British Legion (RBL)  is at the heart of a national network that supports our Armed Forces community. 

RBL is the country’s largest Armed Forces charity, with 180,000 members, 110,000 volunteers and a network of partners and charities; helping to give support wherever and whenever it’s needed.

Tel: 02392 690112 (9am-4.30pm Monday - Friday) 

Email: rnbt@rnbt.org.uk 

Website: www.rnbt.org.uk

The Royal Naval Benevolent Trust makes grants to assist in a very wide variety of circumstances, such as help towards living expenses, house repairs, disability aids, job training, all sorts of financial difficulties, care home top-up fees, domiciliary care and much more. 

Website: counties.britishlegion.org.uk

Bedford and District Branch meets at 7.30pm on the second Wednesday of the month at the North End Club, Roff Avenue, Bedford MK41 7TW.

Website: www.ssafa.org.uk 

SSAFA and their network of 7,500 volunteers provide lifelong support to anyone who is currently serving or has ever served in the Royal Navy, British Army or Royal Air Force and their families. 

Tel: 0800 092 8571 (9am-5pm Monday - Friday) 

Text: 07741 1621 132

 Email: families@scottyslittlesoldiers.co.uk

 Website: www.scottyslittlesoldiers.co.uk

Supporting bereaved military children and young people who have experienced the death of a parent who served in the British Armed Forces. 

When a serving parent dies, the impact on their child is significant. The children often feeling they have lost their connection to the military community. Scotty’s Little Soldiers ensures the very best bereavement support remains available for service/veteran families.

Tel: 07584 056181

Website: www.veteransatease.org

Email: admin@veteransatease.org

Address: Alington House
4 North Bailey
Durham
DH1 3ET

To increase the mental health fitness levels by delivering 1:1 specialist psychotherapy to serving members of the Armed forces, Veterans and their immediate family members.

Contact: vcn.org.uk/contact-us

Website: vcn.org.uk

The Veterans Community Network offers services across Bedfordshire, Milton Keynes, Luton, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire, West Berkshire and Northamptonshire.

It provides one-to-one support for Veterans, Reservists and military families, through a network of trained Veteran Peer Mentors and Partnership working. 

Tel: 07379 435513

Website: veteransgrowth.org

Email: hello@veteransgrowth.org

Address: Rocks Farm
Oast Cottage Lane
Westfield
TN35 4RS

Veterans’ Growth provides horticultural therapy to veterans facing mental health issues.

Set amidst beautiful Sussex farmland, our site offers a relaxing green space where veterans can come to immerse themselves in nature and learn horticultural skills.

During their time on site, participants socialise with other veterans, gain confidence, knowledge and experience and some go on to find employment within the industry.

The charity also conducts woodland management and green woodwork, alongside Mechanics and Carpentry skills.

Tel: 03300 58 58 00 

Web: www.wwtw.org.uk 

Walking With The Wounded (WWTW) support veterans, reservists, serving and their families who may be mentally, physically, or socially wounded. 

It offers personalised employment support, mental health and wellbeing support, and support care coordination. WWTW is also the delivery partner for Op Courage in Bedfordshire.

Tel: 07522 386555

Email: colin.davidson@warriorprogramme.org.uk

Website: www.warriorprogramme.org.uk

12-month programme, commencing with either a 3-day residential or 5 day online intensive foundation course, followed by regular refresher sessions and online interaction. Introduced to coaching techniques that will enable veterans to stay grounded, build resilience, deal positively with day-to-day life, and ensure that they remain focused and motivated to achieve. 

Fully funded, including, food and accommodation, (excluding travel arrangements).

Tel: 0121 262 3058

Email: employer@forcesemployment.org.uk

Website: www.forcesemployment.org.uk

This program aims to help veterans and their families find employment opportunities, ensuring equal access, supporting sustainable careers, and creating tailored pathways into employment.

Building on Op PROSPER, Op ASCEND provides clear, accessible career pathways for veterans, empowering them to succeed from the moment they join the Armed Forces, throughout their service, and beyond. It focuses on both national security and civilian career transitions, ensuring veterans and their families can access meaningful opportunities.

Tel: 0300 034 9991

Email: mevs.mhm@nhs.net

Website: walkingwiththewounded.org.uk

Op COURAGE is an NHS mental health specialist service in England supported by trained professionals who are from, or have experience of working with, the Armed Forces community. 

Op COURAGE is designed to get the right type of specialist care, support and treatment for each person, including serving military personnel due to leave the military, military reservists, Armed Forces veterans and military families.

Tel: 0800 917 7299

Email: opnova@forcesemployment.org.uk

Website: www.forcesemployment.org.uk

This initiative, independent of the police force, works with veterans who have come into contact with the criminal justice system, providing a bespoke package of support. 

Project Nova is independent of the Police force and all parties within the Criminal Justice System, works with them to ensure that veterans get the best possible service from all parties. 

Tel: 020 3311 3311

Website: www.imperial.nhs.uk

The Veterans Physical Health and Wellbeing Service is an NHS service that supports individuals who have served in, or are leaving, the UK Armed Forces and have continuing, physical health injuries and related medical problems attributed to their time in the Armed Forces. 

Hosted at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust.

Tel: 0800 9520 774

Website: www.riverside.org.uk

Op FORTITUDE works with individual veterans at risk of or experiencing homelessness, supporting them either into suitable accommodation or supporting them to maintain their current home.