ABOUT US
History of Assistplus - ASSISTPLUS is UK based Veterans Community Organisation which seeks to support veterans and Service Personnel leaving the Armed Forces to gain the confidence to enable them integrate into civilian life. We believe that the structure of the 21st century Armed Forces makes it possible for personnel to gain specialist skills, which gives them the foundation to secure civilian-related employment.
Our support services are seen as a "gateway to civilian life" impacting not only the Armed Forces and the veterans community but also enabling local businesses and local authorities to understand the capabilities of Ex-Servicemen and women of the Armed Forces. As a company in the community and for the community, we continue to fulfil our mission by creating an environment for the military veterans and their immediate families to enjoy the benefits of decent life and promote talents.
Our commitments to seek, find, and support every individual who through no fault of their own, are disadvantaged by virtue of their military service remains as strong as ever. We are fortunate to have highly dedicated and professional volunteers who take great care to put the needs of our veteran Community in Bristol and South Gloucestershire at the forefront of their work.
BACKGROUND
We have been providing support services to the military veteran community in South Gloucestershire and Bristol since Feb. 2011 with initial funding support from FLOGIC LTD. As the demand on our services grew, we became an independent organisation and registered as a Community Interest Company in May 2018. Founded by Veteran Cllr. Franklin Owusu-Antwi, formar Deputy Mayor of Bradley Stoke Town, the ASSISTPLUS project was launched by a team from Stoke Gifford Branch of The Royal British Legion on 05th September 2018. We continue to have tremendous support from our key founding stakeholders including: Bradley Stoke Town Council, Mayor of Bradley Stoke Town (Cllr. Andy Ward 2018/19), The Royal British Legion-Stoke Gifford Branch, Filton & Bradley Stoke Constituency MP, and Bradley Stoke Journal.
VETERANS ADVISORY SERVICE HUB - VASH
The VASH is our drop-in centre initiative, which has been established to offer a supportive and informal place for members of the veteran community to access, better understand and navigate all local services as well as support them during their transition on leaving the services.
It also intends to ensure that after their service, veterans and their dependents who need help are known; that public, private and non-service voluntary & community sector organisations coordinate to provide appropriate support when, where and how it is needed, identifying underlying causes of issues and implementing preventative measures. Our Drop-In sessions are open first two Mondays of each month from 1330hrs to 1600hrs, in Cedar Room at the Jubilee Centre, Bradley Stoke Town Council, Savages Road, Bradley Stoke, Wednesdays ( please see schedules below) and last two Mondays at Patchway One Stop Shop at 1300hrs - 1600hrs (by appointment only) . Please find our opening times and locations below.
The Invictus Games Foundation
We are pleased to partner with Forces Help Africa to deliver Invictus Game Foundation (IGF) initiative in Africa, which has been extended to veterans in Africa. Enabling veterans attain access to international sports recovery opportunities that IGF offer and able to support domestically.
Since 2014, the Invictus Games has welcomed members of the international armed forces community to represent their nations and compete in a variety of sports on the world stage. Competitors all have a shared experience of life changing injury or illness during or as a result of their service and many speak with conviction about how sport has catalysed their recovery and been integral to their rehabilitation.
THE VETERAN COMMUNITY IN SOUTH GLOUCESTERSHIRE
South Gloucestershire has a significant armed forces community due to employment at the Ministry of Defence (MOD) in Filton and other local Defence organisations. It is an area of high-density population and many rural areas. Having formally signed the Armed Forces Covenant on 29 June 2013 during the Armed Forces Day celebrations at Staple Hill, South Gloucestershire Council has been supportive of its armed forces for many years and takes pride in recognising their contribution. The Armed Forces Community Covenant is a voluntary statement of mutual support between a civilian community and its local armed forces community. Local authorities and the armed forces community are encouraged to work together to establish a covenant in their area in order to:
Encourage local communities to support the armed forces community in their areas and to nurture public understanding and awareness among the public of issues affecting the armed forces community
Recognise and remember the sacrifices faced by the armed forces community
Encourage activities which help to integrate the armed forces community into local life
Encourage the armed forces community to help and support the wider community, whether through participation in events and joint projects, or other forms of engagement
Covenants in each community may look quite different from one location to another. This is a scheme where one size does not fit all, and the nature of the support offered will be determined by both need and capacity. Our engagement at local level enables us to enhance the Covenant implementation in the local communities in South Glos District and surrounding areas.