An Army veteran from Ayrshire is calling on local residents to sign an open letter to Prime Minister Andy Burnham, urging the Government to lead a generational shift in support for veterans. The letter, from Armed Forces charity Help for Heroes, has already gathered more than 30,000 signatures in its first three weeks.
Veteran's plea to Ayrshire
John Owens, who lives in Kilmarnock, served in the Army for 24 years. He has issued a special plea to people across Ayrshire to add their names and show the strength of support for those who have served, ahead of the letter being delivered to No. 10 Downing Street next month.
Owens said: “Many veterans, particularly those injured while serving, still struggle to locate and access the quality healthcare, financial security and support they need and deserve. As a nation, we have made a promise through the Armed Forces Covenant, that no-one would be disadvantaged because they served our nation. We are failing to deliver on this promise.”
Call for reforms
The open letter calls on the Government to implement the changes outlined in the charity’s ‘People’s Promise to Veterans’, which sets out practical reforms needed to strengthen support. Help for Heroes has reported a 30 per cent rise in demand for its services over the past year.
High-profile signatories include TV presenter Lorraine Kelly CBE, actor Ross Kemp, and former head of the British Army, Lord Richard Dannatt. Dannatt said: “Those who wear the Armed Forces uniform accept unlimited liability in service of their country. We should be equally committed to ensuring they have the support they need when that service ends. We as a nation made a promise that no-one should be disadvantaged as a result of their service, and now is the time for all of us to hold ourselves to that promise.”
Ambassador's warning
Owens, now an ambassador for the charity, added: “Help for Heroes has 20 years of experience, supporting tens of thousands of veterans and families, so we know what needs to be done. With the push to expand our Armed Forces, because of an increasingly unstable global picture, if we don’t get this right now, we’re sleepwalking towards a crisis.”
More than 11,000 veterans and their families live across Ayrshire. The letter is available on the Help for Heroes website. The charity supports veterans and their families from any branch of the UK military, regular or reserves, irrespective of length or place of service, and local civilians working under the command of the UK Armed Forces.
