Newcastle City Council is proud that so many of its citizens are prepared to serve our country in HM Armed Forces. The City understands that that the ex-servicemen and women bring a lot of positive things to the City including skills and motivation learnt during their time in uniform. Sometimes however the transition from service life to the civilian world is not easy at the end of a military career.
This web page offers veterans of all ages some links to organisations there to support you in civilian life. Indeed if you have the time and skills, please consider supporting these organisations in the work that they do too.
About Turn CIC and Forces for Good
Big White Wall
Building Futures East
Jobcentre Plus
Norecare Veterans Centre
Northumbria Probation
Royal British Legion
Royal Naval Reserve
Your Choice Homes
About Turn CIC and Forces for Good
Peer-led support groups for ex-Forces personnel living in the community or serving custodial sentences.
About Turn CIC is a social enterprise that aims to improve the lives of ex-service 
personnel and their families through the development and delivery of ‘wrap around’ support, practical assistance, training and consultancy. As well as running tailored programmes, we also coordinate the implementation and roll-out of Forces for Good peer led support groups for ex-servicemen and women who are unemployed, experiencing homelessness or housing problems, substance misuse problems, mental health and/ or post-traumatic stress disorder. We also offer specific support for Veterans involved in the Criminal Justice System.
The About Turn CIC founders and directors are both veterans who trained as Social Workers/Probation Officers after leaving the services. We have specialist skills in relation to mental health, drug and alcohol dependency, social exclusion, the Criminal Justice System.
For more information visit: http://www.aboutturncic.co.uk/
Big White Wall
Big White Wall is an online early intervention service for people in psychological distress. It is provided in partnership with the Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust.
Big White Wall is a community of people who are experiencing common mental health problems who are supported to self-manage their own mental health and improve their mental wellbeing. According to members, one of the most important elements of the service is the ability to talk freely, whilst remaining completely anonymous. For more information visit www.bigwhitewall.com.
Building Futures East
Building Futures East offer a range of employment, vocational and personal development training and work experience opportunities in addition to the successful running of our social enterprise.
We offer accredited training programmes in construction skills, health and social care, ict programmes and employability skills. We also offer an automotive manufacturing training programme with our partner NAC Group for Nissan UK. BFE are also a CSCS Test Centre.
For further information phone: 0191 2632752
Email: admin@buildingfutureseast.org
Web: http://www.buildingfutureseast.org/
Jobcentre Plus
Jobcentre Plus provides a wide range of information and services, like benefits, loans and grants and help with finding a job.
If you need to make a claim for benefit phone 0800 055 6688. If you find it hard to speak or hear clearly a textphone is available on 0800 023 4888. Lines are open from 8am to 8pm, Monday to Friday.
Jobcentre Plus operates one of the largest job sites in europe. You can search for a job online using the Jobs and Skills search on http://www.direct.gov.uk/. The database holds information of vacancies throughout Great Britain and in Europe but you can narrow your search by geographical area or the type of work you’re looking for.
You can also search for a job by telephone. To use the Jobcentre Plus phone service phone 0845 6060 234. If you find it hard to speak or hear clearly a textphone is available on 0845 6055 255.
Norcare Veterans Centre
The Norcare veterans centre offers accommodation and a range of support services to veterans who find themselves homeless. The centre also offers a drop in facility for veterans who perhaps do not require accommodation but need support such as counselling, health and wellbeing services, employment and training and debt and financial advice. Veterans who require help to find accommodation will be supported through the centre and a floating support service will ensure that veterans continue with the support as long as they need.
This is a seamless service for homeless veterans which sets out to ensure that all the care and support they need can be accessed through one point of contact.
Web: http://www.norcare.co.uk/
North East Veterans Network
The North East Veterans Network provides easy access to the wide range of services that are available to support Veterans and their families through effective communication and partnership.
The North East Veterans Network website provides weblinks for a wide range of sources of advice and support and you can find information about new developments and regional events. The website also provides a Directory of services that is updated every month. For more information please visit http://www.northeastveterans.net
Northumbria Probation Trust
Northumbria Probation Trust works to protect the public, support victims, reduce reoffending and rehabilitate offenders. We supervise adult offenders serving community orders and released from prison on licence. If you are currently supervised by Probation and you have ever served in HM armed forces, then please inform your supervising officer. They will then be able to discuss this with you and advise of the different types of support that may be available to you.
Royal British Legion
If you served in the Regular or Reserve Forces for at least 7 days or are the dependant of someone who has served, the Royal British Legion's range of services is available to help you. This includes:
Drop-in: No
Contact: Phone the local office on 0191 495 9511 or freephone 08457 725 725 between 10am-4pm
Email: northumbria@britishlegion.org.uk
Website: www.britishlegion.org.uk
For Civvy Street services phone: freephone on 0800 169 4073 or visit www.civvystreet.org
Royal Naval Reserve
The Royal Naval Reserve (RNR) is an integral part of the Royal Navy. Personnel are drawn from a wide range of professions and whilst some members of the RNR have previously served full-time in the Royal Navy, many have not. All Reservists have chosen to serve part-time, in the knowledge they will be supporting the Royal Navy with its ongoing tasks worldwide.
There are 13 Reserve units and HMS CALLIOPE is the principal Reserve unit for the north east of England and home base for a large number of Reservists. Being a Reservist is a challenging, worthwhile and stimulating part-time career and can provide an effective means of developing leadership, teamwork skills and enhancing management ability. It can also benefit you physically, mentally and socially, with the chance to meet like-minded individuals, enhance your CV and get paid.
For more information call 0191 478 2680, email calliope-mailbox@mod.uk or visit www.royalnavy.mod.uk/rnr
Your Choice Homes
Your Choice Homes is the name of a choice-based lettings scheme introduced by Newcastle City Council. This is now a partnership between Your Homes Newcastle, Newcastle City Council and Housing Associations who have homes to rent in Newcastle.
How to apply for a home
You first need to register with Your Choice Homes - you can do this online or by calling into our Property Shop. Once your application has been approved you can bid for up to three properties every week. We advertise homes every week, except when there is a Bank Holiday. You can find our adverts in the Evening Chronicle on Tuesday and on posters in our Property Shop, housing offices and Customer Service Centres. Anyone aged 16 or over can apply, and you don’t need to live in Newcastle.
For more information please visit the Finding a home section of the YHN website.
Your Choice Homes
6-8 Saville Row
Newcastle upon Tyne
NE1 8JE
Phone: 0191 277 2020
Web: http://www.yhn.org.uk/
Page last updated: 16 August, 2011
