Ex Service Personnel

PositiveMinds is a new style of service offering informal support for anyone who feels low, worried or hopeless in Portsmouth.

We're here to help you, if you are in despair about anything – such as housing, money, relationships, work, bereavement, or living away from home at university.

We provide lifelong support to those who are serving or have served in the British Army, Royal Navy, Royal Marines or the Royal Air Force, and to their families. Founded in 1885, we’re extremely proud of our long-standing heritage and of all the work we do with inspiring people from Hampshire, across the UK and around the world.

Our support covers both regulars and reserves in the Royal Navy, the Royal Marines, the British Army and the Royal Air Force and their families, including anyone who has completed National Service. They are all entitled to lifelong support from SSAFA, no matter how long they have served.

Through social activities and challenge holidays, The Not Forgotten combats isolation and loneliness amongst the Armed Forces community.

We support any serving man or woman who is wounded, injured or sick and any veteran with a disability, illness or infirmity; whatever the cause and whenever it arose. Any serving or former member of The Royal Navy, The Royal Marines, The British Army, The Royal Air Force and The Merchant Navy, both Regular and Reserve Forces, may be eligible for our help.

If you are supporting someone who has been physically, psychologically or emotionally injured in the British Armed Forces, we are here for you.  Whether you are a partner, parent, sibling, adult child or chosen family, we exist to be a community where you are seen, heard and supported.   We have 14 regional peer support forums, run virtual events such as book clubs, meet ups, quiz nights and wellbeing workshops, can support with employment and provide one to one navigation.

Anyone caring for a loved one with a service attributable, physical, psychological or emotional injury. No proof of injury is required.

Self or professional referrals for support can be made via www.theripplepond.org

The Royal British Legion (Portsmouth South Branch)

RNBT gives help, in cases of need, to serving and former Royal Naval Ratings and Royal Marines other ranks, which include Reservists; they are known as Primary Beneficiaries. We also help their partners, children and some others connected with them, they are known as our Beneficiaries.

The RNBT makes grants to meet a wide range of needs including food, clothing, rent, home repairs, medical needs, respite breaks, mobility aids and much more. We also support independent living with regular charitable payments. We can give grants towards the cost of domiciliary care and care home top up fees.

We also own and manage two nursing homes, Pembroke House in Gillingham, Kent and Admiral Jellicoe House, Southsea and offer support for Royal Navy and Royal Marines personnel and their families in times of need. Our veteran nursing homes offer residential care, nursing care and specialist in-house dementia care combined with a resident-focused approach that puts veteran care, respect and camaraderie at the heart of everything we do.

Our vision is: Sailors and Marines helping Sailors and Marines - now and always.

If you need our assistance, please contact the Royal Naval Family and People Support (RN FPS) or your local branch of SSAFA or The Royal British Legion and a caseworker will be able to talk with you.

The Veterans’ Mental Health Transition Intervention and Liaison
Service (TILS) is a specialist service supporting Armed Forces veterans,
experiencing a variety of challenges post-discharge.
Our goal is to quickly and accurately assess the support that you or a family
member might need and liaise with the services that can help.

Some of the issues we can support you with:

• Mental health difficulties
• Housing, finances and employment
• Referral to other services and charities
• Referral into our complex treatment service if appropriate
• Information to help families and carers

Being able to talk to others, share experiences and forge new relationships, is vital for our mental wellbeing. Togetherall (formerly Big White Wall) is your anonymous online support network, available 24/7, whenever you need it. Togetherall is free to all military serving personnel, reservists, veterans and family members, aged 16+.

The service offers a combination of resources, including online support through its moderated community of members, self-assessments, self-guided support courses covering a range of topics and a library of useful resources.

As a charity, we have been supporting homeless, vulnerable and marginalised people for 30 years. We help them transform their lives, providing accommodation and support to help them build skills, confidence and opportunities to live a fulfilled life.

Within our Homes and Services we work with:

- Those who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless
- Veterans (through our Homes for Veterans initiative)
- Young people and young parent and babies
- Adults with learning disabilities

Our vision is a society where everyone has the opportunity to live a fulfilling life.

Veterans Outreach Support (VOS) offers Welfare, Wellbeing and Clinical provision to UK Armed Forces & Merchant Navy Veterans, as well as to spouses/partners.

In addition to running monthly Drop-In facilities, we organise wellbeing activities throughout the month and enable access to bespoke welfare and mental health support.

VOS is an Armed Forces Covenant Employer. We support and encourage service spouses, veterans and reservists in the workplace.