Telford & Wrekin Council is inviting feedback from residents and the Armed Forces community on its plans to establish a dedicated Armed Forces Community Hub. This initiative, announced in the Council’s recent Armed Forces Covenant Annual Report, aims to provide tailored support for local armed forces community.

To gather input, the Council has launched a public consultation that includes an online survey and a series of face-to-face events. The feedback will help shape the hub’s services and determine its ideal location.

Raj Mehta, Telford & Wrekin Council’s Cabinet Member for Inclusion, Engagement, Equalities and Civic Pride, said:

“Through the Armed Forces Covenant, Telford & Wrekin Council has made a strong commitment to support the armed forces personnel, veterans and their families living in our borough.

“We offer a wide range of support at various locations around Telford and Wrekin, but now want to look at how we can make this a more permanent offer by working with our partners to create an Armed Forces Community Hub, ideally as a Community Interest Company, through grant funding.

“The Hub will be a one-stop-shop for our armed forces community, providing support as well as signposting to and helping to access other services, creating a single location, with less travel, less form filling and help that’s tailored to meet local needs. We hope it will also create a social space where armed forces personnel, veterans and families can meet with other like-minded people in a safe environment.

“The face-to-face consultation sessions, and the online survey, are open to all, so everyone can have a say, but we particularly want to hear from people with an armed forces connection, whether that’s serving personnel, veterans or their families, to help us identify exactly what the new Armed Forces Community Hub should offer, and where it would be best located.”

The consultation opens on Thursday 16 January with an online survey and an information session at Dawley House. Ten additional drop-in sessions will follow at various locations, including:

  • Thursday 16 January, 2pm to 6pm at Dawley House, 22 Burton Street, Dawley
  • Friday 17 January, 9.30am to 1.30pm at Newport Library, 53-55 High Street, Newport
  • Tuesday 21 January, 1.30pm to 3.30pm at Leegomery Community Centre, Leegate Avenue, Leegomery
  • Thursday 23 January, 1pm to 5pm at Tesco, Park Avenue, Madeley
  • Friday 24 January, 8.30am to 12.30pm at Wellington Leisure Centre, Tan Bank, Wellington
  • Saturday 25 January, 8.30am to 1pm at The Wakes, Theatre Square, Oakengates
  • Friday 31 January, 9am to 1pm at the Princess Royal Hospital, Apley Castle
  • Wednesday 5 February, 4pm to 6pm at Turreff Hall, Turreff Avenue, Donnington
  • Thursday 6 February, 10am to 12.30pm at the Sambrook Centre, Stirchley
  • Friday 7 February, 12pm to 4pm at Southwater 1, Southwater Square, Telford
  • Monday 10 February, 2pm to 4pm at Dawley House, 22 Burton Street, Dawley

The online survey can be completed from Thursday 16 January at https://online1.snapsurveys.com/b1850f 

The consultation closes on Tuesday 11 February 2025, after which all feedback will be taken into account to help to develop the new Armed Forces Community Hub.