Press Release: Citizens Advice Rushmoor has been awarded £1 million over three years.
CITIZENS ADVICE RUSHMOOR SECURES £1 MILLION TO STRENGTHEN VETERANS’ SUPPORT IN THE HOME OF THE BRITISH ARMY
Citizens Advice Rushmoor has been awarded £1 million over three years to develop its Aldershot offices as a VALOUR-recognised centre, helping veterans and their families access advice and support more easily.
The investment will strengthen advice services, improve facilities, and bring support closer together at the charity’s premises in High Street, Aldershot. Veterans and their families will be able to get help with housing, benefits, debt, employment and other challenges, alongside connections to wider specialist support.
For someone leaving the Armed Forces, uncertainty about housing, income, and finding work can arrive together. The centre will help people tackle these connected problems earlier, reducing the risk of difficulties escalating into crisis.
Citizens Advice Rushmoor has longstanding relationships with the Armed Forces community, including Gurkha veterans and Nepali-speaking families. Through VALOUR, it will deepen its partnership with the Gurkha Welfare Trust, which shares its Aldershot premises, and forge stronger links with other veterans’ organisations, bringing independent advice and specialist welfare support closer together.
The charity will also bring together expertise from local Citizens Advice charities across the South East, harnessing their community connections and opening up clearer routes to support for veterans and their families closer to home.
Ahead of the announcement, Minister for Veterans and People Calvin Bailey MBE MP and local MP Alex Baker visited on Monday 2 November. They met staff, veterans and local organisations to hear about existing support and how the investment will strengthen it.
Calum Stewart, Chief Executive Officer of Citizens Advice Rushmoor, said:
“Becoming a VALOUR-recognised centre is a huge step for Citizens Advice Rushmoor and for the veterans we support in Aldershot – Home of the British Army – and beyond. No veteran should have to navigate support alone. We know that good advice can make a lasting difference, helping people understand their options, resolve problems, and move forward with confidence.
“Through our network of local Citizens Advice charities across the South East, we bring together trusted advice, local knowledge, and strong community connections. As part of the VALOUR system, we’ll build on those strengths to help more veterans and their families access joined-up advice and support, getting the right help at the right time so they can live independent and stable lives.”
Alex Baker MP said:
“I’m incredibly proud we’ve secured this successful bid for Citizens Advice Rushmoor to become a VALOUR-recognised centre. Backed by £1 million in funding, the new hub will build on their brilliant work, bringing vital support for veterans and their families together under one roof.
“Supporting our Armed Forces community is part of who we are, so it was a privilege to welcome the Minister to Aldershot, the Home of the British Army, to announce this investment in our town and the next wave of veteran support hubs across the country.”
Minister for Veterans and People Calvin Bailey MBE MP said:
“Ahead of Remembrance Sunday, I’m pleased that we can pay tribute to the service and sacrifice of our armed forces community by giving veterans easier access to the support they need, regardless of where they are in the UK.
“I’ve heard wonderful stories of how centres like Citizens Advice here in Rushmoor are making a real difference to people’s lives. Joining the VALOUR system will help them support even more veterans and their families.”
The award forms part of the Government’s £50 million VALOUR system, delivered by the Office for Veterans’ Affairs within the Ministry of Defence. The latest funding expands the network of VALOUR-recognised centres from 14 to 34 organisations.
Citizens Advice Rushmoor will now build its team and develop the expanded service with partners, with a formal launch expected in early 2027. In the meantime, further information about VALOUR and routes to support is available at www.gov.uk/valour.
ENDS
Notes to editors:
- Citizens Advice Rushmoor provides free, independent, confidential and impartial advice, with offices in Aldershot and Farnborough. Registered charity number 1090669.
- The charity has been awarded £1 million over three years to develop its Aldershot premises as a VALOUR-recognised centre.
- The VALOUR-recognised centre development fund is funded by the Office for Veterans’ Affairs within the Ministry of Defence and administered on its behalf by the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust.
- The second funding round allocates £13.2 million to 21 organisations: 20 new lead organisations and one existing VALOUR-recognised centre receiving additional funding.
- VALOUR is a UK-wide support system for veterans and their families and a key commitment of the Veterans Strategy. Alongside local centres, support is available online and through MOD Veterans Services, which provides telephone support and case management across the UK. People do not need to live near a centre to access support.
- VALOUR will continue to develop through 2026 and expand during 2027, with full maturity planned for 2028. In time, it will extend to the wider Armed Forces community.
Media enquiries:
Calum Stewart, Chief Executive Officer
calum.cs@citizensadvicerushmoor.org.uk
01252 894 289