Established 2005 Registered Charity No. 1110656

Scottish Charity Register No. SC043760

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Compass scheme

May 18 2009
Joint venture praised for its role in reducing ex-service homelessness The number of ex-servicemen and women living on the streets has fallen, a study has revealed, with the most recent research stating the percentage of homeless who are ex-forces has dropped from 25 per cent to 10 per cent in the UK, and projects such as the Compass scheme are part of this improvement. Derek Twigg, Parliamentary Under-Secretary Of State For Defence and minister for veterans, said the decline in the numbers of homeless ex-servicemen was partly the result of ventures such as the Compass Scheme. The scheme, a joint venture between the Ministry of Defence, Business Action on Homelessness (part of the organisation Business in the Community, of which Prince Charles is president) and the Royal British Legion, originally launched in 2004 to offer former service personnel support and training so they can re-enter society and get housed. Mr Twigg said: "There is a significantly greater awareness these days of mental health problems and a greater ability to talk about them. The Department has set up various schemes and initiatives to help service personnel who end up homeless. I have visited the excellent Compass scheme, which does so much excellent work to get people in that situation back into housing". Since the launch, a reported 200 service leavers have embarked on the project's training schemes, which involve confidence building, counselling, and a back-to-work programme.
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