Seriously injured veterans to get specialist equipment as part of £2.5m funding

A new £2.52m Veterans' Mobility Fund (VMF) has been launched to deliver mobility equipment to veterans in the UK to improve their quality of life.

The fund will provide grants and equipment for veterans with mobility needs linked to their service, covering aids rarely obtainable through the NHS, like specialist wheelchairs, mobility scooters, and different orthotics such as splints and braces.

The Armed Forces Covenant Trust, funded by the Government, has awarded £2.52 million to Help for Heroes in partnership with Blesma to run the scheme and the charities will supply support for those veterans with physical disabilities through grants for five years.

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At the relaunch event, Veterans' Affairs Minister Johnny Mercer said: "I want to make this the best country in the world to be a veteran.

"To do that, it is only right that those who have served our country should have access to high-quality support that allows them to get back to what they love doing. 

"I've met so many inspiring veterans today who have told me how the previous fund helped them to make small steps to regain their independence and zest for life.

"If you have mobility needs linked to your time in service, please get in touch with Help for Heroes to find out more."

The new VMF was secured in the Spring Budget by Mr Mercer, a former member of the UK Commandos, and the newly recreated fund is incorporated into the new physical health pathway in the country under Op RESTORE.

By addressing mobility needs, the equipment can also help with veterans' wider issues such as reducing isolation and loneliness. 

Army veteran Paul Colling said: "I'm delighted the Government has decided to reinstate the VMF and award it to Help for Heroes and Blesma.

"Being able to access the previous fund meant I was able to receive a specialist leg brace – something I couldn't afford on my own – which prevented me from going through a leg amputation.

"That brace, and the efforts of Help for Heroes, has enabled me to walk again."

Applications from veterans will open in 2024 but updates on the process can be found at helpforheroes.org.uk/veteransmobilityfund.