“for veterans by veterans”
what is a veteran?
“A Veteran is defined as anyone who has served for at least one day in HM Armed Forces (Regular or Reserve) or Merchant Mariners who have seen duty on legally defined military operations.”
A common factor applying to all members of HM Armed Forces, irrespective of Rank, length of service, Force or Regiment, is that one day they will leave and look to return to ‘Civvy Street’. Military service is often looked upon as a selfless act that requires courage, loyalty, honour and commitment but many ex-service personnel do not consider themselves Veterans because they were not engaged in any conflict during their service.
It is not for us at IVN to argue with their reasoning, but we nevertheless consider a veteran to be someone of any gender, sexuality, ethnicity and nationality, with an age of 16 or above who meets the criteria as set out by the Ministry of Defence (MOD).
It may be argued that, according to the definition, Veterans have already left the Armed Forces, but at IVN we recognise that service leavers endure a long transitioning process, hence, we recognise them as Veterans also. Experience of service will be individually unique therefore, with most having a positive experience but, alas, some do not.
Sometimes, what you give to your country comes at huge personal cost directly resulting in far too many Veterans and their families fighting daily personal battles. The abrupt change of lifestyle not only impacts upon Veterans but can often lead to their families encountering difficulties too, as they have become accustomed to living in a disciplined and regimented community, it is as equally important to ensure they receive appropriate support.
The transition from military service into civilian life is therefore a crucial phase for many Veterans as they attempt to follow new career paths, adjust to new healthcare systems, and integrate into their respective communities - all very essential to healthy social functioning.
I’m Gordon Sinclair and I’m a Veteran!
I am proud to be elected by fellow Veterans as the Chairman of the Inverclyde Veterans Network (IVN) which is a recently constituted organisation set up to support Veterans, Reservists and their families in accessing the treatment and support necessary to help them cope with every day life. Veterans are often left to fight for the support they so desperately need and, unfortunately, this often leads to many of our brothers and sisters deciding the fight is too long and arduous!
But this isn’t just their fight - it’s ours, too!
I invite you to come aboard and help us empower the Veterans of Inverclyde to find the peace they so richly deserve.
This bulletin is produced to provide you with an insight into who we are and how we intend to support local veterans and their families.
"Upon leaving the forces and following resettlement, I felt lost without the structure and discipline of military life. I struggled with how confusing and chaotic life in civvy street was. I was too proud to ask for help and felt very frustrated about the new reality facing me and my family. After a difficult few years, I finally met other Veterans through a breakfast club and realised that I wasn't alone and that others had faced the same issues that I had encountered. This led to us coming together to form IVN as a force for good to help all veterans and their families in Inverclyde".
Gordon, ex-RAF Regiment