Welcome to our August news update, we hope you are having a good summer and have managed to find some sun.
This update includes an update on our campaign and the memorial as well as news on future events to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the ECHR ban decision and its lifting 4 months later. It has been another exceptionally busy period for the FWP team, with many of our different work strands coming together. The shape of veterans support is changing, though hopefully for the better. Today’s environment of financial constraints amidst rising levels of demand for help and resources, is influencing emerging developments that will impact the future for not just the LGBT+ military community and FWP, but also the wider defence community and how it is connected, included, and best supported too, including veterans, serving personnel, families and carers.
FWP is proud of its role in the building of joined up and inclusive support networks through our work in several key programmes, including the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust’s (AFCFT) national Veterans, Places, Pathways and People (V3P) programme, the Armed Forces Covenant Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS), our own Pride in Veterans Standard (PiVS), and thanks to the extraordinary work of our Veterans Community Team out on the ground at a regional level, though often with national influence.
The V3P programme is now completing its consultation phase and we are extremely grateful to all who contributed your experiences, expectations and thoughts on helping deliver a better more inclusive support network. The regional portfolio leads are now finalising their 2024-2027 strategies, ready for AFCFT approval, and we look forward to hearing how FWP will be involved; look out for updates.
On 22nd August, FWP became the proud recipient of Gold Award membership of the Employer Recognition Scheme. For a small charity to move from a Bronze award in March 2023 to Silver in the July was quite an achievement, so to receive Gold within the year of Silver, during delays caused by a change of Government, is an exceptional pathway that we are proud of, as a clear demonstration of the value of our work and commitment. The ERS is a scheme that recognises employer support and advocacy for serving personnel, veterans, reservists and cadet force adult volunteers. Our pledge is to uphold, lead and support delivery of the Armed Forces Covenant with a focus on inclusion and support of the LGBT+ military community. We are grateful to the tremendous work of our South-West region Veterans Community Worker (VCW), Anthony Knight MBE KJ, as our ERS lead, for his drive and dedication in helping the team to deliver this premier standard. As an indication of the diversity of organisations that FWP works with, check out our Pride in Veterans Standard (PiVS) pages on the FWP website, or in our recent Review publication. To date, nearly 220 organisations have signed to PiVS as visible demonstration of their commitment to LGBT+ inclusion, our most recent members include Everton Football Club and the British Medical Association.
With Operation Crescendo – Counting Down to the Parliamentary Debate, our message that the current proposals for reparations payments are inadequate is being heard loud and clear in Westminster and across Whitehall. In July, 660 personalised letters were sent to your new MPs helping ensure that all those who represent you in the House of Commons know about the ban and its impact. In response to our request for support, hundreds of letters have been sent to MPs by our LGBT veterans and those wrongly accused of being LGBT. We are also grateful to supporters and allies who have written. In the last few days, Operation Crescendo has featured in the national press and on BFBS – there is much more to come. If you have not found the right moment to contact your MP, it’s not too late!!
In September, Craig, our Head of Campaign, will continue his meetings with MPs from all political parties and will meet with the new Minister for Veterans and People. For those who have requested personal meetings with MPs please get in touch with Craig a few days beforehand, so that he can bring you up to date and let you know if there is anything that can help the campaign from your specific meeting. If you would like Craig or a team member to join you, please let him know – we may not be able to support all meetings, but we will try. Craig is contactable at craig.jones@fightingwithpride.org.uk
On 19th August the Memorial Team met with members of the Steering Group at the National Memorial Arboretum for a first-look site visit and briefings from the NMA, you can read the Memorial Team’s first report in this newsletter. The visit was quickly followed by a Town Hall where the team provided an update on the memorial, next steps, and answered participant questions. In September, the Team will be sending out a survey asking for your input and thoughts on the Memorial, so please do share that widely so we can hear from as many LGBT+ veterans and serving personnel as possible. In-person events are unfortunately limited due to funding and resources, but drop-in events in Portsmouth, Edinburgh, Cardiff and Blackpool will be live-streamed where possible. If these are not accessible please don’t worry, contributions will be equally deliberated whether from online or in-person sources, but if you have any questions the contact details for the Memorial Team are included in their following report.
The outline for our Blackpool weekend, is also developing nicely and we have some great events lining up. Our focus is to acknowledge and celebrate the 25th Anniversary of the ECHR’s decision, that the ban was illegal, and it will be a great opportunity to catchup with each other and many involved in those times. If you have already signed up for this event, FWP’s lead, John Beckett, will be providing more detail in early September. If you haven’t yet signed up, it is not too late, but we will need to close the list fairly soon to confirm numbers for venue management and catering purposes.
Please keep an eye out for other 25th anniversary opportunities we have in-hand for 2025. We recently posted details of the Imperial War Museums’ request for LGBT+ Veterans impacted by the ban to tell their stories on camera, as part of the Anniversary. Although this project will be limited to 8 stories, it is only one part of the wider work the IWM is preparing for to record, include and portray LGBT+ military history, across all their sites and beyond. If you would like to be part of the filmed interview project, please do see the advert and its link for expressing your interest. Applications need to close on 3rd September.
FWP is also working with other museums and organisations to capture the history of the ban, not just for the 25th anniversary, but for eternity, including with the single-service museums. Please keep an eye out for further details as we provide updates.
And last but not least, although applications are still currently lower than anticipated, we are delighted that more LGBT+ veterans, and service personnel wrongly accused of being LGBT+, are understanding that the Reparations aren’t solely for being dismissed from service but are there for a whole range of impacts that are personal to each individual, regardless of how they unfolded. Even those who served without being outed have experienced losses as a consequence. The Reparations exist to acknowledge, value and restore pride and respect for service, with a range of measures to help address some of the consequences identified in Lord Etherton’s report. Although the financial reparation is still in progress, the non-financial reparations are all open for application. Whether that is for receiving a written apology, a return of medals, a beret, or another matter, all three services stand ready to welcome veterans in-person as a valued member of the armed forces family, should you request it. The feedback we have received from Welcome events already held is incredibly positive, and it’s not too late to ask to be included in future opportunities, even if you have not indicated this request previously in a submitted reparations application; just contact the Restorative Actions Team. Please don’t talk yourself out of believing you qualify or merit reparations, if in doubt you are very welcome to get in touch with us through our website, or with one of our regional team of VCWs.
We look forward to catching up with many of you in Blackpool, and hope you get to enjoy the rest of the summer.
Best wishes,
Caroline and Ed
Please read the full FWP August Newsletter here.
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