It's now widely accepted that Britain is facing a defence crisis with an estimated funding shortfall of £28bn. Talk of conscription indicates that there is a recruitment and retention problem. As the Government prepares to launch a 'Gap Year Foundation Scheme' and urge veterans of 65 to prepare for war, CEO of Veterans Aid Prof Hugh Milroy asks if it is time to take the Armed Forces Covenant to the next logical level

Towards the end of November, The Princess of Wales called for a more compassionate approach to those struggling with addictions. It was a call that struck a chord with CEO of the charity Veterans Aid, Professor Hugh Milroy.

As Remembrance Day approaches, the UK's 1.85m veterans have been promised "easier access to essential care and support" under a new system called VALOUR. £50m has been set aside to fund the project which is described as being part of the Government’s commitment to renew the nation’s contract¹ with the military. CEO of Veterans Aid, Professor Hugh Milroy, looks at how much has been spent in recent years, and to what effect - and questions how much benefit (if any) this latest initiative will bring.

Not many organisations are willing to open their books to scrutiny and invite an independent audit of their activities - yet the frontline charity Veterans Aid has done so twice. CEO Professor Hugh Milroy explains why.

The Ombudsman's Complaint Handling Code is aimed at protecting tenants, a move that is both highly commendable and overdue. Part of the statutory nature of the Code means that landlords - among whose number are specialist charities such as Veterans Aid - are required to submit a lengthy annual report against tenant satisfaction measures. In some respects, this is a good thing - writes CEO Professor Hugh Milroy, who points out that what might be desirable for large social housing providers, threatens to be an oppressive administrative burden for small, specialist organisations.

Three years ago, in PoliticsHome, CEO of Veterans Aid Professor Hugh Milroy warned about the legacy of distress the charity was dealing with due to drug-related outflow from HM Armed Forces. Two years later it was revealed that the discharge of large numbers of service personnel due to drug abuse was continuing unabated – approximately 4,000 between 2018 and 2022. In the wake of several distressing cases at Veterans Aid Prof Milroy is urging policymakers to revisit the wide-ranging consequences of 'zero tolerance' dismissals.

It is now six years since the redevelopment of the charity Veterans Aid's New Belvedere House 'hostel' was completed – a facility that has broken the mould in terms of transforming homeless veterans’ lives. At a time when so many aspects of social care and wellbeing are under pressure CEO Professor Hugh Milroy asks why standout successes are often overlooked – particularly when their effectiveness has clear implications for the future.

With the appointment of a new veterans minister and change of government, CEO of Veterans Aid Dr Hugh Milroy reflects on how mistakes can be rectified, and effective ex-service support measures integrated into wider social care.

Despite lots of high-profile Government initiatives and so-called collaboration within the sector there is clear evidence that veterans are still being failed - writes CEO of Veterans Aid, Dr Hugh Milroy.  

As 2023 draws to a close, CEO Dr Hugh Milroy reflects on why Veterans Aid is receiving regular calls like this when so much has been invested in advancing the cause of veterans' wellbeing.