Coronavirus (COVID-19)

For the latest information and updates on our services view our coronavirus advice section →
If you are a business, please visit our Business support pages →
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For urgent needs, Kent County Council's helpline is available 24 hours a day. Phone 03000 41 92 92.

Armed Forces Community Covenant

Supporting our Armed Forces Community

We've put together some useful information to help both current and former members of the Armed Forces locate particular services.

Find information on applying for housing, starting your own business, accessing local services, and much more.

COVID-19 Support

The Armed Forces Network (AFN) have published a list of helplines which can offer support during these challenging times.

Charity grant

The COVID-19 Impact Programme is a £6 million Ministry of Defence fund for charities to ensure that people from Armed Forces communities can keep accessing important services, where resources for these services have been impacted by the pandemic. It will be administered by The Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust.

The £6 million fund is available as grants of up to £60,000. In exceptional circumstances, grants of up to £125,000 or more may be awarded. To apply, charities must be working in one of nine key areas:

Support to the elderly (including care homes), mental and physical health, welfare, domestic violence, housing, the criminal justice system, service families (including childcare), bereavement and employment. The deadline for applications is 29 May 2020. You can apply using the link above.

Personalised care for veterans

View the new personalised care guide published by the NHS and Ministry of Defence

New Personalised Care Offers for Veterans with a Long-term Physical, Mental or Neurological Health Condition or Disability.

NHS England and NHS Improvement, together with the Ministry of Defence, have published the Personalised care for veterans in England, a guide for clinical commissioning groups and local authorities, which sets out a new personalised care approach for those veterans who have a long term physical, mental or neurological health condition or disability.

This guide is for those individuals and organisations who are leading or involved in supporting this patient group through the delivery of NHS Continuing Health Care or a jointly agreed care plan. A supporting patient leaflet is also available.

Veterans' ID card

Find out about the new ID card for armed forces veterans

Introduced in February 2019, this ID card for armed forces veterans, which will help them access specialist support and services, has started to be issued to service leavers.

Any personnel who have left the military since December 2018 will automatically be given one of the new ID cards, which will allow them to maintain a tangible link to their career in the forces.

The cards allow veterans to easily verify their service to the NHS, their local authority, and charities, helping them to access support and services where needed.

All other veterans will be able to apply for a new ID card by the end of 2019, to mark their time in the armed forces.

This ID card is one of three that are available to service leavers. Personnel leaving the armed forces are also able to keep their military IDs, known as the MOD Form 90, allowing them to maintain their emotional connection with their service. Additionally, veterans can access a range of discounts through the Defence Discount Service, the official MOD-endorsed service for the armed forces.

Further information in respect of this ID card can be found at GOV.UK

Gravesham Gateway

There are a range of helpful services available at Gravesend's Civic Centre

Services include Citizens Advice Bureau, Victim Support, Kent County Council, Police, and more.

View our Gravesham Gateway page for a full list of services and opening times.

Armed Forces Community Covenant

Find out about Gravesham's Community Covenant

Principles

The Armed Forces Community Covenant is a voluntary statement of mutual support between a civilian community and its local Armed Forces Community. It is intended to complement the Armed Forces Covenant, which outlines the moral obligation between the Nation, the Government and the Armed Forces, at the local level.

The purpose of this Community Covenant is to encourage support for the Armed Forces Community working and residing in Kent and to recognise and remember the sacrifices made by members of this Armed Forces Community, particularly those who have given the most. This includes serving Service personnel and Service veterans, their families and their widow(er)s in Kent.

For Kent County Council, the Community Covenant presents an opportunity to bring its knowledge, experience and expertise to bear on the provision of help and advice to members of the Armed Forces Community. It also presents an opportunity to build upon existing good work on other initiatives, such as the Welfare Pathway.

For the Armed Forces Community, the Community Covenant encourages the integration of Service life into civilian life and encourages members of the Armed Forces Community to help their local community.

Aims

The Armed Forces Community Covenant complements the principles of the Armed Forces Covenant, which defines the enduring general principles that should govern the relationship between the Nation, the Government and the Armed Forces Community.

It aims to encourage all parties within a community to offer support to the local Armed Forces Community and make it easier for Service personnel, families and veterans to access the help and support available from the MOD, from statutory providers and from the Charitable and Voluntary Sector. These organisations already work together in partnership at local level.

The scheme is intended to be a two-way arrangement and members of the Armed Forces Community are encouraged to do as much as they can to support their community and promote activity which integrates the Service community into civilian life.

View the Community Covenant

Community Covenant

Housing

Advice and support for finding a home

If you'd like to find a home in Gravesham you can apply to join the Housing Register. Find out how in our Apply for housing section.

Business start-ups

Thinking about starting your own business?

Need some pre-start-up advice? For business support covering research, funding, business planning and more, please visit our Business start ups section.

Events and photos

View the latest Armed Forces events from around Gravesham

You can view photos from our Armed Forces events on our Flickr page.

Useful links

Helpful links on a range of diverse areas

Support

Employment

Guides

Veterans Welfare Service Guide

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