A directory of external organisations, resources, links, studies and downloads to offer you additional support when you need it most.
Op COURAGE is an NHS mental health specialist service, designed to help personnel due to leave the military, reservists, Armed Forces veterans and their families.
Everyone at Op COURAGE is either from the armed forces community or is experienced in working with serving personnel, reservists, veterans and their families. They understand military life and the courage it takes to speak with someone, and will work with you to make sure you get the right type of specialist care, support and treatment.
Veterans’ Gateway offers information, advice and support for veterans and their families, acting as a 24/7 first point of contact, and offering direct referrals you to expert charity partners.
Cobseo – the Confederation of Service Charities – provides a single point of contact for interaction between military-related charities and Government agencies, the Private Sector, and other members of the Armed Forces Community.
All UK military charities who are registered with Cobseo can be viewed on the Member Directory.
The Army Families Federation (AFF) is the independent voice of Army families, aiming to improve the quality of life for Army families around the world.
AFF is independent of the British Army, and offers confidential advice on any aspect that is affected by the Army lifestyle.
The vision of the Naval Families Federation (NFF) is for all currently serving Royal Navy/ Royal Marines personnel and their families to be able to have their views heard by those in positions of power, feel valued and to be treated with fairness and respect, and to be able to thrive in their communities of choice.
Offering a totally confidential service, the NFF team understand the challenges of Navy life but aren’t a formal part of the Naval Service.
The RAF Families Federation (RAF-FF) provides an independent voice for all personnel (single, married or in a partnership) and RAF families, both home and abroad.
The RAF-FF strives to ensure that personnel and their families are treated fairly, and do not face disadvantage because of the unique nature of service life.
The Poppy Factory’s employment consultants are based regionally throughout England and Wales, offering regular one-to-one contact and support for CV writing, job search, support with training, exploring new opportunities, interview preparation, overcoming barriers and in-work support.
Thanks to funding from The Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust, we will be partnering with The Poppy Factory to extend this crucial employment support service to members of The Ripple Pond, from Spring 2023, Watch this space!
RFEA‘s Families Employment Programme supports civilian spouses and partners of serving and ex-Forces personnel on their journey into employment.
The programme’s dedicated Advisors – all of whom are spouses – provide one to one advice, guidance and employment support; including bespoke career and training diagnostics, CV and application assistance, interview technique coaching and mentoring, and much more.
Recruit for Spouses (RfS) is an independent social enterprise dedicated to supporting, championing and finding gainful employment for an untapped talent pool of Armed Forces spouses and partners.
RfS provides spouses and partners with the tools and skillset they need to return to the workplace, as well as offering a unique and supportive community to become a part of.
A product of the AFF, and supported by both the NFF and the RAF-FF, Forces Families Jobs offers a central portal for employment and training opportunities for military spouses and family members, along with a directory of forces family friendly employers.
We consider ourselves incredibly lucky to have Psychotherapist and former TRP member, Jennifer Smith, conducting much-needed research into the impact of having an unwell combat veteran within a UK family.
“I currently work as an Adult Psychotherapist, but I have a Health & Social background that includes academic qualitative research – this is a type of research that can be very effective when used for understanding what people think and feel about the experiences that they have in their lives.”
Jennifer Smith undertook a small scale study exploring The Ripple Pond members’ experiences of using our peer support network. The report was compiled as part of a Master’s dissertation, awarded by the postgraduate Clinical Education Development and Research department (Psychology) at the University of Exeter.
NOTE: The names appointed to the study results are not the actual names of any participants who took part in this study. They were assigned to the study data by the Researcher.
RBL‘s ‘Unpaid Carers in the Armed Forces community‘ report, published in 2021, was produced with the aim of helping carers in the Armed Forces community to feel valued, and to receive support tailored to their needs.
The only registered UK charity solely supporting the adult family members of physically or psychologically injured British Forces personnel and veterans
Registered Charity Number 1161224 | Scottish Charity Number SC046402
