News & Policy

Forces in Mind Trust (FiMT) has awarded £99,979 to Northumbria University to examine the prevalence of social isolation and loneliness among UK war widows.

Forces in Mind Trust (FiMT) has awarded £7,500 to X-Forces Enterprise to research and map business membership organisations and trade associations as part of a drive to improve employment opportunities for ex-Service personnel within small and medium sized businesses.

When my friend and former RAF colleague died last year in a flying accident, I put into practice something I’d heard Cariad Lloyd speak about on her ‘Griefcast’. Don’t add to the grieving family’s problems, Cariad advises, by asking them to identify their needs – the classic “if there’s anything I can do, please don’t hesitate to ask”. Think instead what you believe would be helpful, and offer it straight up, so that a simple yes/no response is all that’s needed.

These are challenging times for society, and especially for those within the Armed Forces Community, who we were established to help live fulfilled civilian lives. The nature of what we do, and our strategic approach to how we do it, are such that we enable others to be more effective in the vital work that they carry out.

The Forces in Mind Trust (FiMT) is delighted to announce that it has awarded QinetiQ a grant of £265,744 to produce a longer-term employment outcomes report, which FiMT commissioned in September 2019.

Today, the King’s Centre for Military Health Research is holding its annual Veterans’ Mental Health Conference at King’s College London. Co-supported and sponsored by the Forces in Mind Trust (FiMT), this conference is providing a range of stakeholders including medical practitioners, third sector providers, academics, and government ministers with the opportunity to share knowledge, best practice, and recent research on mental health issues effecting the ex-Service community.

In today’s Budget, the Chancellor announced that employers hiring ex-Service personnel will not pay National Insurance Contributions for the first year. Air Vice-Marshal Ray Lock CBE, Chief Executive at the Forces in Mind Trust (FiMT), says:

Today, Clore Social announced the names of new participants on its 2020 Cobseo Emerging Leader Programme. This is an intensive six-month leadership development journey designed to strengthen networks within the Armed Forces Charity Sector and build agile, resilient, and generous leadership capabilities.

Forces in Mind Trust (FiMT) has issued a request for expressions of interest (REOI) to conduct research on Future Trends – their impact on the Armed Forces Community in 2031 and beyond, with a focus on transition.

Today Johnny Mercer, the Minister for Veterans, has announced additional mental health support for vulnerable veterans.  In response, Air Vice-Marshal Ray Lock CBE, Chief Executive at the Forces in Mind Trust (FiMT), the leading research and policy grant-making charity working in the armed forces community, said: