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'We Must Be Clear And Energetic About Forces Charities', Says Cobseo Chairman

The chairman of Cobseo says there is a requirement to be "clear" and "energetic" about how the British public is informed about the importance of military charities.

General Sir John McColl was speaking as British forces charities look ahead to a year without LIBOR money, with government funding set aside during David Cameron’s time as Prime Minister having been exhausted.

Since 2012, hundreds of charities have relied on the LIBOR fund - money generated from fines imposed on the British banks that manipulated interest rates.

It secured £773 million for the charities, but that is now coming to an end. General McColl told Forces News:

"There is a requirement for us to be clear and to be energetic about how we put the importance of service charities...out to the nation."

"We need a mix of charities right across the board to deliver support that our servicemen and women and the veterans and their families need."

The Army Families Federation's Sara Baade says:

"LIBOR for many charities is a key way of income in terms of funding.

"I think a lot of the smaller charities have used it for funding for their everyday work, so I think that could be a real challenge for them."

There are more than 1,000 military charities competing for funds, and Cobseo, the Confederation of Service Charities, acts as an intermediary between the charities and the government.

The Charity Commission has claimed some organisations are not being properly regulated and has demanded change. General McColl said:

"Our focus is on what we can do to provide support to the governance of the sector, and to provide to support to our members.

"[I] particularly [mean] the smaller and medium-sized members, as they deal with the increased complexity of the regulations that are going to be placed upon them."

One of the government’s biggest investments last year was the Veterans' Gateway.

It is a one-stop online service for veterans and their families to access information on a range of welfare issues – including healthcare, housing and employment.