Agenda and minutes

www.swansea.gov.uk/DisclosuresofInterests

None.

To approve & sign the Minutes of the previous meeting(s) as a correct record.

The minutes of the Panel held on 28 January 2019 were agreed as a correct record.

Heather Ferguson gave a verbal overview presentation on Project 360, which is a partnership project between Age Cymru, Woody’s Lodge and Age Alliance Wales.

 

It is an all Wales wide project and will run until March 2020 and is funded by the Aged Veterans Fund. It is a project for helping veterans over 65 and its main aim is to improve services provided to older veterans through the project partners, whilst keeping older veterans at the heart of the process.

 

She outlined the staffing involved and detailed the six main key project activities:

·       Map the services available for older veterans through Age Alliance Wales organisations and their current engagement with older veterans in Wales;

·       Develop the South Wales Woody’s Lodge hub, including increasing engagement with veterans in the wider area, and expanding the range of relevant agencies;

·       Establish a North Wales Woody’s Lodges site;

·       Engage with older veterans across Wales to understand what they need to improve the quality of their lives, and what barriers they may currently face to access the services they need;

·       Develop relationships with veterans organisations, Armed Forces Liaison officers, and Armed Forces Champions to ensure effective information sharing of services available and identification of need;

·       Use information gathered through the mapping process and engagement with older veterans to improve services through allocation of internal grant funding, in response to the identified need.

 

She also outlined the evaluation that will be undertaken on the impact of the project by the Welsh Institute for Health & Social Care.

 

Grace Halfpenny indicated that the project could potentially greatly assist older veterans and possibly replace the loss of British Legion branches in communities across the country.

 

Mal Emerson was not present at the meeting.

 

Item deferred to future meeting.

Grace Halfpenny reported that she had attended a recent ABMU meeting. She indicated that the ABMU Chief Executive is keen to reinstate the forum which had met previously.

 

The next ABMU meeting is in June and she indicated she would attend and encourage them to send a representative to future meetings of this Panel.

Panel Members provided verbal updates relating to the current and proposed activities, events and workloads of the respective groups and organisations.

 

Chair

June Burtonshaw reported that work continues with Capt Chris Evans on the resigning of the covenant with current and new partners.

 

She indicated she continues to work on Housing & Benefit queries as and when she receives them.

 

She referred to the excellent Art Event arranged by the Veterans Club held in the Lord Mayors Reception Room which she had attended.

 

Swansea Council

Spencer Martin outlined that the resigning of the Covenant should take place in May at an event to be held in the Lord Mayors Reception Room. Invites would be circulated in due course.

 

He referred to a jobs fair being held at the National Waterfront Museum on 28 March which has been organised by the DWP and Julie James AM.

 

Special Events

David Price Deer reported that the plans for the Air Show/Armed Forces Day continue to progress. He outlined that bids have been submitted to the Military for Aircraft for the displays and outlined the plans to expand on last year’s ground displays which proved very successful with the public.

 

He outlined that discussions haven’t been finalised with Capt Chris Evans on the provision of a Covenant tent/stand, and he indicated he would inform Panel Members when the provision was finalised and after further internal Council discussions on the provision/cost had been completed. He outlined the potential commercial cost of stands at the show.

 

Members of the panel discussed the need and potential prohibitive costs of providing a stand at the show for Covenant Members.

 

June Burtonshaw indicated that if required she would fund the cost of a stand for Panel Members at the show from her Community Budget.

 

David Price Deer stated that a Freedom of the City Ceremony would take place on Saturday 27 July for the 157 Welsh Regiment with a march into the City Centre following the formal ceremony.

 

He also outlined plans for events in July to commemorate the 50^th anniversary of Swansea being awarded city status.

 

Blesma

Tom Hall outlined that he was now working with 33 veterans/widows in the Swansea area. He outlined the excellent links he has with both the Bulldogs gym and Swansea limb centre.

 

Poppy Factory

Natalie McCombe reported that she currently had 39 clients in the area, and outlined that there are grants available to help people get back into employment. She outlined the excellent working relationship she has developed with John Raymond Transport in Bridgend.

 

She referred to a potential event being arranged to commemorate the 25^th anniversary of the end of HMS Dragon in Swansea.

 

She outlined the VC gallery set up in Pembrokeshire by a veteran Barry John to help service veterans and those in the wider community by getting them engaged in a variety of art projects.

 

SSAFA

Dave Singletary referred to the reduction and loss of numbers of regimental associations and groups, and indicated that efforts could be made to investigate the possibility of amalgamating local branches.

 

Veterans Club

Katherine Jennings reported on the work she is doing in hospitals to raise awareness of issues affecting veterans.

 

Sandy Shaw referred to the recent opening of a drop in session in Cwmgrach, and the expansion of sessions into both the Port Talbot and Cardiff areas.

 

They outlined the success of the Art Event at the Guidlhall which raised over £1000 and indicated that an further fundraising event would be held at the Wig & Pen pub on 18 April.

 

British Training Board

Adrian Rabey reported that the company had recently started providing services from the Hereford garrison, with 35 people signed up with EFT consult on facilities management training. He indicated that this project would expand to London soon and the aim was to get 100 people involved.

 

He indicated that they had 47 people on courses in Swansea recently and were exploring further funding options to expand the training across the UK.

 

He reported that a recent event at the Liberty Stadium had raised over £2500, which would be spend on projects in Swansea.

 

He also outlined the start of a project with SSAFA in Catterick to provide training opportunities for those who don’t complete basic training.

 

Regional Armed Forces Covenant Liaison Officer

Grace Halfpenny indicated she had attended several jobs fairs and outlined that employers seem to welcome the prospect of employing veterans. She stated she would continue to give advice to firms and individuals alike.

 

She indicated that she was due to meet with officers from Swansea’s Education department shortly to discuss provision for armed forces families.

 

The updating of the Covenant page on Swansea’s website in still ongoing.

 

She referred to the excellent event held recently in Brecon with Stomp and the Probation service.

 

She also indicated that the Bridgend prison volunteer scheme started by a veteran is being expanded to North Wales.

 

Action on Hearing Loss

Charis Moon reported on the work her organisation does with older veterans which include home visits, advice, provision of equipment etc.

 

She indicated she would be happy to take any referrals form Panel Members.