A programme which supports members of the armed forces community with their mental and physical wellbeing has been launched in Cornwall.

The new ‘social prescribing’ programme will see a pair of Armed Forces Community Social Prescribing Link Workers (AFCSPLW) help veterans and their families access the right kind of help.

This can be anything from medical care, mental health support and community activities to help with housing, finances, and employment.

Having served in the armed forces themselves, the pair have first-hand experience of the difficulties and barriers veterans can face and are therefore ideally placed to provide advice and empathy.

The programme first ran for two years between 2021 and 2023 and successfully supported more than 250 people. It also received ‘widespread’ praise when it was first showcased at a special conference during the National Armed Forces Day event held in Falmouth last June.

To align with the Armed Forces, Covenant in Cornwall, the programme aims to ensure that those who serve or who have served in the armed forces, and their families, are treated fairly and that special consideration is appropriate in some cases.

Funding has now been secured to continue the programme for another three years, delivered by Active Plus and overseen by Public Health, Cornwall Council and the NHS Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Integrated Care Board.

Cornwall Council Armed Forces and Veterans Championship, Cllr Louis Gardner said: “This programme has already proved to be of huge benefit to veterans, and I am delighted it is set to continue.

“Research shows that ex-service personnel are more likely to present with complex healthcare needs in comparison with the UK general population, and around 60% of military personnel with mental health issues do not seek help.

“This why projects like this are so important. Because the link workers are recruited from within the armed forces community they are able to provide the understanding and empathy necessary to help ex-service personnel and their families with a range of complex needs.”