Herefordshire Freemasons recently made a donation to Herefordshire Veterans Support Centre (HVSC) which was match funded by the Masonic Charitable Foundation.

Herefordshire has a large community of former military service personnel. Estimates show that as much as 25% of the county’s population has connections with the military. Being exposed to events and challenges that can make them more vulnerable to loneliness, social isolation is a common issue affecting the Armed Forces community.

The HVSC was set up to provide a one stop shop of support and a friendly listening ear for anyone in the Armed Forces community in Herefordshire that may be experiencing issues or requiring support in other areas of life or work.

Samantha Lewis the Chair of the Trustees wrote.

“As you may be aware, it has been an exciting 12 months for the HVSC. Our new premises was officially opened by His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh in October. Since then, we have seen an increase in individuals accessing the support that we offer, increasing from approximately 44 a month to over 200. This means that funding like that provided by the Masonic Charitable Foundation and the Herefordshire Freemasons is now more important than ever, ensuring that we can provide whatever support is needed to our Armed Forces Community.“ “As well as working closely with community partners and signposting to other support networks across the county, we are also offering more groups and activities, such as a new weekly brunch for spouses of serving personnel, funded trips to veterans and range of other initiatives.” “Many thanks once again for your continued support.”