A MILITARY charity is set to continue its support for veterans in the region.
Veterans Contact Point has agreed a 20-year lease on its headquarters on Bentley Road in Nuneaton with Warwickshire County Council, through its managing agent Warwickshire Property Management Ltd (WPM).
The charity says this move will enable it to focus on investing in its services and support for the 250-plus veterans it supports directly and indirectly annually.
Veterans Contact Point supports people who have served in any of the UK Armed Forces and live in the Coventry, Solihull and Warwickshire.
Since was formed in 2009 and became a military charity in 2012.
Its headquarters has been at The Horsa Building on Bentley Road since 2013 and will remain there until at least 2042.
The charity, which is supported by 12 volunteers and employs three former veterans in full-time positions, receives no core government funding and relies on public donations, project funding and grant funding.
Len Hardy, chief executive of Veterans Contact Point and one of its founders, spent 25 years in the armed forces.
He said: “From our headquarters in Nuneaton we provide one-to-one support, delivered by people who have been in similar situations. We never turn anybody away. The price of a cup of tea might save a life, it’s as simple as that.
“Being supported by the County Council is hugely important for us. Once we cover our running costs, the rest of our funding and donations can go directly to supporting the armed forces community.
“This allows us to plan better interventions, increase our involvement in the local community and it gives us the security to plan for the future.”
Jeff Worthington left the army in 1997 and came to Veterans Contact Point looking for help in 2020.
He has worked for the charity for more than four years helping other veterans in need.
He said: “We have a lot of veterans walking through the doors looking for help who have nowhere else to go, and without this building we wouldn’t be able to give them that opportunity.
“There is a great emphasis here on being approachable and easy to access. Whether you visit our centre or give us a ring, you will be speaking to someone who has been in similar circumstance themselves.”
WPM is part of Warwickshire Property and Development Group (WPDG), which manages the Warwickshire County Council leased portfolio.
Chris John, assistant development manager at WPDG, said: “Veterans Contact Point provides vital and personal support to those who have served our country when they need it the most.
“It has been fantastic to be involved in securing their long-term home, which will enable them to focus on continuing to deliver their invaluable services for people in Nuneaton and throughout Warwickshire.”
To find out more about Veterans Contact Point click here.
