SMARTT Veterans CIC is delighted to announce the successful award of two new funding bids that will help us expand our support for veterans, military families, and the wider community across Consett and County Durham. Excellenmt news for Veteran Support Consett.
This is fantastic news for SMARTT Veterans and, most importantly, for the veterans and families we support.
We have successfully secured funding through The National Lottery Community Fund – Back on Track 2 and Sport England’s Movement Fund, allowing us to strengthen our programme of activities, drop-in sessions, breakfast club activities, family support and weekly physical activity opportunities.
These awards will help us continue creating a welcoming place where veterans and their families can connect, get active, access support and build stronger futures together.
Veteran support Consett | Two Funding Awards, One Clear Mission
At SMARTT Veterans CIC, our mission is simple: to support veterans and their families when they need it and help them move forward.
For some people, leaving the Armed Forces is an exciting new chapter. For others, the transition into civilian life can bring challenges around employment, finances, family life, social isolation, confidence, wellbeing and finding the right support.
Our role is to provide a safe, welcoming environment where veterans do not have to face those challenges alone.
The new funding will allow SMARTT Veterans CIC to build on the work we are already doing in Consett and provide more regular opportunities for people to meet, participate and access practical support.
Veteran support Consett
The National Lottery Community Fund supports community projects that help people connect, grow and build stronger communities, with a particular focus on people experiencing disadvantage and the pressures of the cost-of-living crisis. Veteran support Consett
Sport England’s Movement Fund, meanwhile, supports projects that encourage people to become more physically active and prioritises opportunities for people who may have fewer chances to participate.
Together, these two awards will help us tackle several of the barriers that veterans and military families can experience.
Veteran Support Consett – What Will the Funding Help SMARTT Veterans Deliver?
The funding will support a range of activities and services designed around the needs of our local veteran community.
This includes:
- Veteran and family drop-in sessions
- Breakfast club activities
- Information, advice and support
- Family activities
- Health and wellbeing activities
- Weekly physical activity
- Social opportunities
- Community engagement
- Support with accessing other services
- Opportunities to meet other veterans and families
The aim is not simply to provide individual activities.
It is about creating a community around veterans and their families.
Veteran support Consett | Free Veteran Drop-In Sessions
Our drop-in sessions provide a relaxed environment where veterans and their families can come along without the pressure of making a formal appointment.
Sometimes people simply need someone to talk to.
Sometimes they need help understanding what support is available.
Sometimes they need help with a practical problem.
And sometimes they just want to get out of the house, have a coffee and spend time with people who understand their experiences.
Our drop-in approach means that people can access support at their own pace.
Veteran support Consett can provide information, guidance and signposting around issues such as:
- Employment and training
- Education and skills
- Financial pressures
- Family support
- Housing
- Health and wellbeing
- Community services
- Veteran support organisations
- Social activities
- Opportunities to volunteer
- Physical activity and fitness
Our website also provides information about the wider support available through SMARTT Veterans CIC.
Veteran Support Consett | Breakfast Club Activities – Starting the Day Together
The new funding will also help support our breakfast club activities, giving veterans and families another opportunity to come together in a friendly and informal setting.
A breakfast club is about much more than food.
It provides an opportunity to:
Meet. Talk. Connect. Eat. Laugh. Share experiences. Find support.
For someone who may be isolated or struggling financially, having somewhere warm, welcoming and affordable to go can make a genuine difference.
It can also be the first step towards accessing other support.
Someone may arrive simply for breakfast but leave having spoken to a member of the SMARTT Veterans team about employment, training, finances, family support or another issue they have been struggling with.
That is why community-based support matters.
Sport England Funding Supports “Active in Consett: The Family Way”
One of the most exciting parts of our new funding is our Sport England-supported programme:
Veteran support Consett – The Family Way
This is a free weekly fitness programme for veterans and their families in Consett, designed particularly with families who may be struggling financially in mind.
The programme is based at Belle View Stadium, Consett, and will run throughout the year.
We want physical activity to be something that families can enjoy together — without worrying about expensive memberships, equipment or activity fees. Veteran support Consett
Sport England’s Movement Fund supports physical activities including fitness, walking and sporting activities, while placing particular emphasis on tackling inequalities and creating opportunities for people who may otherwise have fewer chances to be active.
Veteran support Consett | Free Family Fitness in Consett – 52 Weeks a Year
Active in Consett: The Family Way will provide:
90-minute weekly sessions
The programme will run every week for 52 weeks of the year, providing a consistent opportunity for veterans and their families to stay active and connected.
Veteran support Consett offers outdoor activities in spring and summer
When the weather allows, we will take advantage of the outdoor facilities around Belle View Stadium.
Activities can include:
- Fitness circuits
- Agility games
- Dodgeball
- Tag rugby
- Team games
- Family fitness challenges
- Fun physical activities
The emphasis is on participation rather than competition.
You don’t have to be super-fit.
You don’t need to be an experienced athlete.
You simply need to come along and have a go.
Indoor Family Activities During the Colder Months
When the weather turns, we don’t stop.
The programme will move indoors for activities including:
- Indoor circuits
- Family fitness games
- Team activities
- Movement-based games
- Fun challenges
- Activities suitable for different ages and abilities
This means families can continue participating throughout the entire year, rather than having to wait for the better weather.
Open to Veterans, Partners and Children
A key part of Active in Consett: The Family Way is that it isn’t just for individual veterans.
It is for veterans and their families.
That means veterans can bring their:
Partners. Children. Families.
We know that family participation can make a huge difference.
Last year, SMARTT Veterans successfully ran walking football, which proved popular and demonstrated the appetite for physical activity within our veteran community.
However, we also recognised a problem.
Walking football was not something the whole family could easily participate in together.
Some family members were unable to join in.
That experience helped shape our new approach.
Veteran Support Consett From Walking Football to Family Fitness
We wanted to create something different.
Instead of an activity that primarily appeals to one group, Active in Consett: The Family Way has been designed so that veterans and family members can participate together.
The programme gives families the opportunity to:
- Be active together
- Try new activities
- Build confidence
- Make friends
- Spend quality time together
- Improve fitness
- Enjoy the outdoors
- Develop teamwork
- Reduce social isolation
- Have fun
Most importantly, it creates opportunities for families to share experiences rather than participate separately.
Tackling the Cost of Living Through Free Activities
For many families, the cost of participating in sport and leisure activities can be a significant barrier.
Gym memberships, sports clubs, children’s activities, travel costs and equipment can quickly add up.
That is why keeping Active in Consett: The Family Way completely free is so important.
Families should not have to choose between paying household bills and taking part in healthy, positive activities.
The programme is designed to help remove that financial barrier and give local veterans and families an opportunity to get active together.
More Than Exercise – Building Stronger Veteran Families
Veteran support Consett Physical activity is only one part of what we are trying to achieve.
The wider goal is to build stronger connections between veterans, partners, children and the local community.
Coming along to a weekly session can provide:
Routine
Having something positive in the diary every week can provide structure.
Social connection
Families can meet other people and develop new friendships.
Confidence
Trying a new activity and achieving something together can build confidence.
Wellbeing
Regular physical activity can contribute to overall health and wellbeing.
Community
Veterans and families can become part of a supportive local network.
Access to support
People attending activities can also find out about the wider services and opportunities available through SMARTT Veterans CIC.
Veteran support Consett | Beyond Physical Activity
SMARTT Veterans CIC recognises that veterans may need different types of support at different points in their lives.
Our work therefore goes beyond sport and physical activity.
We aim to provide or connect people with support around areas including:
Employment and Training
Helping veterans explore training, skills development and employment opportunities.
Financial Support
Providing information and signposting for people experiencing financial difficulties or cost-of-living pressures.
Housing
Helping veterans access information and appropriate support where housing is an issue.
Health and Wellbeing
Supporting veterans and families to find appropriate health and wellbeing services.
Community Connection
Creating opportunities to meet other veterans, families and members of the community.
Information, Advice and Signposting
Sometimes finding the right organisation or service can be difficult.
Our role can be to help people understand what support is available and where they can go next.
A Place to Come Back To
One of the things we want SMARTT Veterans CIC to provide is a consistent place where veterans know they can come back to. Veteran support Consett
You might come along for a breakfast.
You might attend a drop-in session.
You might bring your family to the weekly fitness programme.
You might need help with employment.
You might simply want to meet another veteran.
There is no single reason why someone comes through our doors.
And there doesn’t need to be.
Veteran support Consett Supporting Veterans and Families in Consett
SMARTT Veterans CIC is based at Belle View Stadium in Consett, County Durham, providing a community-focused base for our veteran support and activities.
Our location provides an important opportunity to bring together veterans and families from Consett and the surrounding communities.
We want SMARTT Veterans to be recognised as a place where veterans can find:
Support. Friendship. Activity. Opportunity. Community.
Two New Funding Awards – A Major Step Forward
Securing funding from both The National Lottery Community Fund’s Back on Track 2 programme and Sport England’s Movement Fund is a significant milestone for SMARTT Veterans CIC and veteran support Consett
It means we can increase the opportunities available to local veterans and their families and continue developing services around what people actually need.
The two funding awards complement each other.
The National Lottery funding will help us strengthen our wider community and support offer.
The Sport England funding will help us remove barriers to physical activity and provide a year-round family fitness programme.
Together, they allow us to take a more holistic approach.
Supporting the person. Supporting the family. Supporting the community.
Get Involved With SMARTT Veterans CIC
Whether you are a veteran, a partner, a family member or someone who wants to support the local veteran community, we would love to hear from you.
You can get involved by:
- Coming along to a drop-in session
- Joining our breakfast club activities
- Bringing your family to Active in Consett: The Family Way
- Taking part in our physical activities
- Volunteering
- Supporting our community events
- Sharing our services with a veteran who may need support
- Helping us spread the word
You don’t have to wait until you have a major problem before asking for support.
Sometimes the first step is simply coming along and meeting people. Veteran support Consett
Join Us at Belle View Stadium
Active in Consett: The Family Way is a free weekly 90-minute fitness programme for veterans and their families at Belle View Stadium, Consett.
With activities running throughout the year, we want to make it easy for local veterans and their families to stay active, meet others and become part of a supportive community.
From outdoor circuits, agility games, dodgeball and tag rugby in the warmer months to indoor circuits and family games when the weather changes, there will always be something to get involved with.
Veterans. Partners. Children. Families. Everyone is welcome.
And because the programme is funded, there is no cost to take part.
Thank You to Our Funders
SMARTT Veterans CIC would like to say a huge thank you to The National Lottery Community Fund and Sport England for supporting our work.
The National Lottery Community Fund distributes money raised by National Lottery players to support charities and community projects across the UK.
Sport England’s Movement Fund is helping organisations create opportunities for people to become more active, particularly where barriers to participation exist.
Their support will help SMARTT Veterans CIC continue providing meaningful opportunities for veterans and military families in Consett.
Together, we can help veterans and their families get back on track, stay connected and build a stronger future. Veteran support Consett
Ready to Get Involved?
If you are a veteran or part of a military family in Consett or the surrounding area, get in touch with SMARTT Veterans CIC to find out more about our drop-in sessions, breakfast activities, support services and Active in Consett: The Family Way.
SMARTT Veterans CIC
Belle View Stadium
Delves Lane
Consett
County Durham
DH8 7BF
Phone: 01207 588886
Mobile: 07592 628674
Email: info@smarttveterans.org
Visit the SMARTT Veterans website to find out more about our services and current activities.
