Cornwall Hospice Care is humbled to have been granted Veteran Aware status. We have also achieved a silver standard for the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme, the Armed Forces Covenant Scheme that encourages employers to support those who have served and inspire others to do the same. Find out more on this page.
The Armed Forces and veterans make up around 10% of our population: the Armed Forces Community is far larger; it includes serving Regular Forces and Reservists, veterans and their families.
The Armed Forces Community face two particular challenges relevant to Cornwall Hospice Care:
Cornwall Hospice Care is committed to supporting the Armed Forces Community. We signed the Armed Forces Covenant and have achieved Silver Award status. We’re also proud to share that in October 2024 we’ve been awarded the Veteran Covenant Healthcare Alliance (VCHA)’s Veteran Aware Accreditation.
This page provides some information on our commitment, as well as information to support both colleagues and patients from the Armed Forces Community.
NHS Veteran Aware is an accreditation programme designed to support healthcare organisations in understanding and meeting the needs of the Armed Forces community. Accreditation is administered by the Veterans Covenant Healthcare Alliance (VCHA), and seeks to deliver:
Veteran Aware accreditation supports NHS, and other healthcare organisations, to meet the commitments of Armed Forces Act, 2021. This Act brought the Armed Forces Covenant into law and states that members of the Armed Forces Community should not be disadvantaged when accessing or receiving healthcare.
We’re signed up to the Armed Forces Covenant to affirm our commitment to supporting the armed forces community. It recognises the value serving personnel, both regular and reservists, veterans and military families contribute to our charity and our country.
The Covenant is a promise by the nation ensuring that those who serve or have served in the armed forces, and their families are treated fairly. It gained royal assent in December 2021 and is now passed into law with a legal obligation to pay ‘due regard’ effective from 22 November 2022.
We’re delighted to be able to make this pledge to proudly support them and are delighted to report that Cornwall Hospice Care was bestowed the Employer Recognition Scheme Silver Award in MONTH/YEAR .
If you are a patient, relative or carer please let us know if you have ever served. It will help us to signpost you to services that may be able to add further support to the care that we can provide, so please don’t be surprised if we ask you.
Your service may have been a long time ago or only for a short time, but there may be organisations that can offer help.
If you are an present employee or perhaps a future employee, you may have seen our Silver Employer Recognition Scheme emblem. By telling us you have served, we offer you a guaranteed interview ; we can offer our vacancies on Forces Families Jobs and other armed forces community sites; we also offer flexible working and flexible leave – helpful if forces families need time to prepare for postings etc.
We also offer great volunteering opportunities and link with other organisations such as the Defence Gardens Scheme at the Eden Project.
To find out more about our Veteran Aware status or if you have a question about it, please get in touch with one of our Veteran Aware contacts listed below.
Gina Starnes
Director of Clinical Services
Mount Edgcumbe Hospice
Phone: 01726 65711
Lisa Shephard
Clinical Lead
Mount Edgcumbe Hospice
Phone: 01726 65711
Sara Long
Head of Human Resources
Mount Edgcumbe Hospice
Phone: 01726 65711
Our Community Services team maintain a Useful Links Directory on our website of organisations offering support on a range of topics. It has a whole section dedicated to sharing the support available to those who are serving, or have served in our Armed Forces.
Click the link below to visit the Veterans section of our Useful Links Directory.
Visit the AFVBC website to find out more and join, or click on the links below for each club’s private Facebook group:
Bodmin – meets monthly on the 3rd Saturday for breakfast from 10:00 at The Lanivet Inn
Camborne & Redruth – meets last Saturday of the month at 0930
Falmouth and Penryn – meeting times and locations vary
Hayle/Penwith – meets monthly on the 1st Saturday for breakfast from 09:30
Helston – meets on 3rd Saturday of the month at 0930 at The Inn and Still
Liskeard – meets every Wednesday and on the second Saturday of the month from 09:30 at The Market Cafe
Newquay – meets every Wednesday and the last Sunday of each month from 1000 at Great Western Hotel
Par – meets on the 1st Saturday of the month at 10:00hrs at Snowy’s Diner
Penzance – meets on the second Saturday of the month from 09:00 at Penzance Community Fire Station
Saltash – meets on the 1st and 3rd Friday of every month from 0900 at The Ploughboy
St Austell -meets on the second Saturday of the month from 10:00 at Mount Charles Social Club
Torpoint – meets on the first Friday of the month from 09:00 at the Carbeile Inn
Truro – meeting times and locations vary
Visit the Veterans Regroup website to find out more about their multi-agency hubs, money and debt advice, volunteering and training, health and wellbeing services and social events in Cornwall.
Free monthly hubs in Cornwall currently operating are:
Bodmin – every 2nd Monday of the month from 10.00 to 12.00 at Shire House Suite, Shire Hall
Helston – every 3rd Friday of the month from 10.00 to 12.00 – venues vary
Newquay – every 1st Thursday of the month from 10.00 to 12.00 at Mount Wise Community Centre
Redruth – every last Wednesday of the month from 10.00 to 14.00 at Redruth Town Council, Redruth Civic Centre, Alma Place
Please check latest information on these hubs on the Veterans Regroup Facebook page, before making a special trip.
Veterans Regroup also runs events throughout the year including cycle rides, kayaking, paddle-boarding, walks and workshops including gardening and cooking – find out more on their website events page.
Visit the Black Dog Walking Club Facebook page to find out more about their walks in Cornwall – the Club is organised by The Veterans Charity.
Meeting days/times vary, but meeting venue is usually at The Rockpool Bar and Grill car park at Gwithian beach.
Organised by the Mullion & Constantine Group GP Practice, this Veterans Group meets every 2nd Wednesday of each month between 1400 and 1600 at Mullion Village Hall.
Op Kernow Cornwall ex-military hub takes place on the 2nd Thursday of each month 12.30 to 14.30 at The Berries Cafe, Bude. Check out their Facebook page or visit their website for more information.
We want to reach in to the Armed Forces community to explain what hospice charities do & to encourage collaboration. I’m honoured & privileged to present Cornwall Hospice Care with their Veteran Aware status.
There are 39,000 veterans in Cornwall, the highest concentration in the country. One in five people here have a link to the Armed Forces & initiatives like this are to be welcomed & encouraged.
It’s my job to spread the word about links with charities such as Cornwall Hospice Care, with regard to health support & possible employment opportunities. These partnerships are vital especially with so many veterans having seen frontline action in more recent conflicts.
