A Liverpool-based charity providing crucial support to homeless veterans is facing a serious threat of closure due to lack of funding.
The Block Armed Forces Foundation, established in 2020, has been offering emergency accommodation and mental health services to ex-forces personnel for five years.
Despite its vital work, the charity has been unable to secure local authority funding.
The organisation was founded during the Covid pandemic when veterans' mental health issues and homelessness were particularly acute.
Martin Daubney was left exasperated by the troubling revelations
GB NEWS
It has since developed into a comprehensive support service for former military personnel struggling with civilian life.
The charity provides emergency housing, mental health support, addiction services and financial wellbeing programmes.
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It also offers specialised assistance for veterans with support animals, who often face additional barriers when seeking accommodation.
GB News presenter Martin Daubney has expressed outrage at the charity's funding situation.
"What kind of country is it when things like this aren't getting the money it needs?" he said on the programme.
Daubney highlighted what he sees as a stark contrast in government spending priorities.
Simon Eastaway joined Martin Daubney on GB News
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"£8 million a day going to house asylum seekers and illegal immigrants and we can't afford to keep The Block open to house our veterans," he stated.
Colin Eastaway from The Block Armed Forces Foundation appeared on GB News to explain their predicament.
"We started in 2020, in the Covid pandemic when mental health was on the forefront of everybody's minds. A lot of veterans were finding themselves homeless," Eastaway said.
"We quickly adapted and made a crisis prevention centre and started addressing homelessness and veterans' mental health to give them the vital support they need."
"We thought by now we would be funded by our local authority, but that has not happened five years in," Eastaway added.
The charity's community fundraiser page explains that they recognised "the need for homelessness prevention services for veterans and ex forces in the North West of England" when founding the organisation.
One of their key challenges is supporting veterans with pets or support animals.
"Many Ex Forces people can be hard to reach, including homeless Ex Forces men or women with pets / emotionally support dogs & therapy dogs which can place a barrier in-between housing support," the charity states.
The charity helps homeless veterans
Local councils have "very limited housing options" for veterans, particularly those with support animals.
The Block provides a "unique face to face support" service in a "safe likeminded space" for former military personnel.
Emergency accommodation costs represent one of the charity's biggest expenses, alongside support staff and training.
The charity's financial wellbeing program offers group workshops designed to improve veterans' understanding of personal finances.
These sessions cover budgeting, saving and investing, debt management, financial goal setting, and the use of financial tools and resources.
"The goal is to enhance overall financial health and reduce financial stress, leading to a more secure and confident approach to managing money," the charity explains.
The workshops run alongside addiction and mental health treatment programs.
The Block also provides community engagement services, employment opportunities, education, and addiction support.
Despite offering these comprehensive services for five years, the charity has been unable to secure the local authority funding it had anticipated.
Without financial support, this vital service for veterans who have served their country now faces an uncertain future.
