‘Veterans must get our help’
A LEADING councillor wants to ensure a Kirklees Council-backed scheme to help veterans reaches those it is aimed at.
Kirklees and the other four West Yorkshire authorities have all signed the Armed Forces Covenant to make sure those who have served their country aren’t disadvantaged when accessing services.
The councils have organised a joint online survey to ask veterans and current Armed Forces personnel for their views and experiences.
And Mirfield Tory councillor Martyn Bolt wants to make sure it has an impact.
Clr Bolt, who is also
Mayor of Mirfield, said broad communication was the key to securing a detailed response from the survey.
“Liaising with and looking after our veterans is key,” he said. “We have a very engaged veterans community in Mirfield. We have to understand how best we can serve our veterans and military personnel.
“Veterans are not asking for a hand-out. They’re looking for a hand up.”
Last year, Clr Bolt initiated a move to guarantee military veterans an interview for any local authority job in Kirklees – as long as they met essential criteria.
There was cross-party backing for his motion to assist service personnel, which got unanimous support in a vote in Huddersfield Town Hall.
It reflected growing concern that servicemen and women often struggle to cope with civilian life on leaving the military.
The survey is available online at https://surveys. bradford.gov.uk/ snapwebhost/s. asp?k=156992442031.
For anyone who does not have access to the internet, project officer Gemma
Paine will be in the lending room at Huddersfield Library, from 11am to 1pm on Wednesday, February 12, and at Batley Library and Art Gallery from 11am to
1pm on Monday, February 17.