Yesterday, I joined many others at Southampton Cenotaph to honour the courage, service, and sacrifice of all who defended our nation. This and other Remembrance events across the city were a poignant reminder of the debt and care we owe to everyone who has served in our armed forces.
So today, I very much welcome the announcement that the government is stepping up its support for people who have served in the armed forces.
As part of the Labour Government’s new Veterans Strategy, veterans support centres will be rolled out across the country. The new centres, which could be on the high street and in community centres, will help improve local veterans’ services.
The government is making £27m available for local bids for these centres- so I’m looking forward to getting behind any local efforts to bring one of these support centres to our region.
The centres will fundamentally transform how assistance is provided, offering the first coordinated national network of support centres. They will offer guidance and support in health, housing and employment, and may extend to finance, wellbeing, and integration into society.
This comes alongside the Labour Government’s recent Defence Housing Strategy which sets out the biggest renewal of military housing in over half a century. Over 40,000 military homes will be upgraded and modernised across the country.
The new VALOUR centres are just one part of Labour’s new Veterans Strategy, the first such strategy in seven years. Developed alongside the Strategic Defence Review and the Armed Forces Covenant, the new strategy commits an extra £12m to the Reducing Veteran Homelessness programme and extending Op FORTITUDE – putting the service that has already housed over 1000 veterans on a sustainable footing. These programmes will deliver three years of support services for veterans at risk of or experiencing homelessness, fulfilling the Prime Minister’s pledge that homes will be there for heroes.
VALOUR, which launched earlier this year – backed by £50m in total – will foster the enterprising spirit of veteran charities, better connect local and national services and ensure veterans’ support is truly data driven. VALOUR-recognised support centres will open from spring 2026, offering veterans with a single contact point for support needs.