We’ve joined other NHS services and community organisations across the region to launch a new partnership on Armistice Day (Wednesday 11 November), helping veterans and their families to connect, access support and use their skills to help others.
Supporting the “Serving Our Community” partnership, the Veteran Peer Support initiative brings together, our trust, Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (DBTH), the People Focused Group (PFG).
The project will provide dedicated peer support workers across the partner organisations, giving veterans the opportunity to access support from someone with lived experience of military life who understands some of the challenges and experiences that can come with serving.
Peer support workers can offer a listening ear, help people navigate health and community services, and connect them with relevant local and national organisations and sources of support.
Together, we aim to provide a more joined-up approach to supporting veterans across, communities, mental and physical health services and hospitals.
We will provide dedicated veteran peer support alongside our services across Rotherham, Doncaster and North Lincolnshire, helping veterans access support from someone who understands military life and the transition to civilian life, with funding provided by the Veterans’ Foundation.
Toby Lewis, Chief Executive, said:
“We know that veterans bring a wealth of skills, experience and resilience to our communities. This partnership is about making sure those strengths are recognised, while ensuring veterans and their families can find the right support when they need it. In part this is about accessing national specialist programmes, but also better aligning community and complex care services locally to make them more effective when they are needed.”
DBTH will extend peer support into its hospitals with Doncaster Royal Infirmary, Bassetlaw Hospital and Montagu Hospital, helping connect veterans in hospital with support in their communities. The role has been funded through Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals Charity.
Denise Smith, Chief Operating Officer and Senior Responsible Officer for the Armed Forces Oversight Group at DBTH, said:
“We are proud to be part of this partnership, which builds on the work we have already introduced across our hospitals to better support veterans throughout their healthcare journey. We recognise that every person has their own experiences, circumstances and needs, and that providing responsive, individualised care means taking the time to understand what matters to them.
“By bringing lived experience into the support available, we can strengthen the connection between those who have served and the services around them. It is an opportunity to make sure people feel listened to, understood and supported, while helping them access the information and wider support that is right for them. We are excited about what this partnership can bring for veterans and their families.”
Jane Gurney, Chief Executive Officer, Veterans’ Foundation, said:
“We are so pleased to be contributing funding to this post, as part of the project which recognises the difference that lived experience and peer support can make to veterans and their families. Bringing NHS services and community organisations together, will help veterans access the right support at the right time, while creating opportunities for those who have served to use their skills and experiences to help others. It’s about making sure no veteran feels alone or has to navigate life after service without any support.”
The People Focused Group’s Serving Our Community, also funded by the Veterans’ Foundation, will focus on the skills and experience veterans can offer, creating opportunities to volunteer, support others and contribute to their communities.
Kelly Hicks, Managing Director for the People Focused Group, said:
“We truly believe in the power of peer support and the difference that shared experiences, understanding and a listening ear can make.
“We are delighted to be part of this fantastic new partnership, helping veterans to get the support they need by drawing on the lived experience of those who have served and who understand the challenges that others may be facing.”
The project will provide veterans with a range of support including one-to-one peer support, help to navigate health or community services, meeting other veterans, volunteering or simply connecting with someone who understands. The Veteran Peer Support Project will recognise the important role of spouses, partners and families.
Published: November 11, 2026
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