About us
Objects, vision, mission and values

Charitable objects

  • The preservation and protection of the mental health, wellbeing and the relief of need for Armed Forces Veterans (both Regular and Reservist) or former members of the merchant marine and their families, insofar as they have charitable need, by providing assessment, treatment, support, advice, and advocacy.

  • Such other activities that, in the opinion of the trustees, further the Charity's objective of providing support to Armed Forces Veterans (both Regular and Reservist) or former members of the merchant marine and their families.

Vision

To be acknowledged as the exemplar of high quality, holistic and inclusive support to the Armed Forces and Merchant Navy veteran community, ensuring no veteran nor their family is left behind.

Mission

To support veterans and their families through the provision of direct welfare, wellbeing and clinical services, exercised through regional and national collaboration, and rooted in local delivery and strong partnerships.

Values

Our work will be guided by our core values that define who we are and how we act:

  • Compassion: Understanding and responding to the unique needs and experiences of the Armed Forces veteran community, including family members and carers.

  • Integrity: Operating with honesty, transparency, and accountability in all our interactions, with foundations in fairness and inclusivity.

  • Collaboration: Working effectively with partners, volunteers, stakeholders, and within our own team to achieve the best outcomes for those we serve.

  • Excellence: Striving for the highest quality of service delivery and organisational practice, to ensure safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led operations.

  • Empowerment: Supporting service users, staff, and volunteers to achieve their potential, with choice and self-determination the heart of everything we do.

* The term “veterans” encompasses ex-service and Merchant Navy personnel, their families and, where the appropriate eligibility criteria are met, their carers and helpers. Personnel who are still serving, especially those in transition out of the Armed Forces, are not excluded from support.
About Veterans Outreach Support

Veterans Outreach Support (VOS) is an award-winning UK registered charity that provides holistic, person-centred support in the areas of welfare, wellbeing and mental health. VOS supports members of the Armed Forces community and, in recognition of its Falklands War-related origins, members of all three services of the British Armed Forces and Reserves, the Royal Fleet Auxiliary and the Merchant Navy are welcome.

Established in 2008 and formally registered as a UK charity in 2013, VOS used early grant support to expand its services to families, introduce weekly therapy provision, and broaden support to include people facing offending behaviour, alcohol dependency and substance misuse. In 2017, VOS was presented with The Queen's Award for Voluntary Service (QAVS) in recognition of its work supporting veterans in the community.

In 2021, VOS was the first recipient of the Shaping Portsmouth Armed Forces Covenant Award and, as the only double winner so far, won it again in 2026. In 2022, the charity was awarded the Armed Forces Covenant Employer Recognition Scheme Silver Award, followed by an upgrade to Gold in 2025. Quality delivery also resulted in VOS being selected as one of only 10 national portfolio leads in the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust's (AFCFT) programme Veterans Places, Pathways and People (2021-23) to improve the wellbeing and mental health of veterans across the South East of England. Following this successful two-year delivery period, VOS secured a second phase of funding and continues to provide regional leadership through the programme's successor, Thrive Together (2024-27). All VOS support and services are enriched and strengthened through close cooperation and collaboration with local, regional and national delivery partners, including charities, local authorities and statutory services such as the NHS. A significant recent milestone has been accreditation of VOS's clinical services by the Royal College of Psychiatrists through the Quality Network for Veterans Mental Health Services (QNVMHS).

VOS delivers locally, leads regionally and influences nationally. Its operating model has been recognised by the Confederation of Service Charities (Cobseo) as a template of best practice and an exemplar of a collaborative and efficient approach to delivering veteran-specific services at a local level. Its creation and export of ASDIC, together with its regional leadership role within the Thrive Together programme (formerly known as AFCFT's Veterans' Places, Pathways and People programme (VPPP)), demonstrate that the charity's impact extends well beyond its traditional delivery areas of Portsmouth, the Isle of Wight and the Solent region. This influence has been further strengthened by VOS's designation as a VALOUR-recognised centre this year, as part of the programme's first national rollout. VALOUR is the Ministry of Defence's £50 million programme, delivered by the Office for Veterans' Affairs, to improve access to support for veterans and their families.

VOS's selection reflects the strength of its established partnerships, its deep understanding of the Armed Forces community and its proven ability to coordinate support locally. As a trusted local front door, VOS will connect those who have served with coordinated support across housing, health, employment and welfare, helping to ensure that no one falls through the gaps. The designation also provides an important opportunity for VOS to share its learning, strengthen regional collaboration and contribute to the future development of veteran support nationally, while helping to shape policy, practice and system-level collaboration across the sector.

With a strong reputation for innovation, partnership working and evidence-based service delivery, VOS is entering a significant period of growth and influence as it helps shape the future of support for the Armed Forces community locally, regionally and nationally.

About us
About Veterans Outreach Support

VOS delivers locally, leads regionally and influences nationally. Its operating model has been recognised by the Confederation of Service Charities (Cobseo) as a template of best practice and an exemplar of a collaborative and efficient approach to delivering veteran-specific services at a local level. Its creation and export of ASDIC, together with its regional leadership role within the Thrive Together programme (formerly known as AFCFT's Veterans' Places, Pathways and People programme (VPPP)), demonstrate that the charity's impact extends well beyond its traditional delivery areas of Portsmouth, the Isle of Wight and the Solent region. This influence has been further strengthened by VOS's designation as a VALOUR-recognised centre this year, as part of the programme's first national rollout. VALOUR is the Ministry of Defence's £50 million programme, delivered by the Office for Veterans' Affairs, to improve access to support for veterans and their families.

Veterans Outreach Support (VOS) is an award-winning UK registered charity that provides holistic, person-centred support in the areas of welfare, wellbeing and mental health. VOS supports members of the Armed Forces community and, in recognition of its Falklands War-related origins, members of all three services of the British Armed Forces and Reserves, the Royal Fleet Auxiliary and the Merchant Navy are welcome.

Established in 2008 and formally registered as a UK charity in 2013, VOS used early grant support to expand its services to families, introduce weekly therapy provision, and broaden support to include people facing offending behaviour, alcohol dependency and substance misuse. In 2017, VOS was presented with The Queen's Award for Voluntary Service (QAVS) in recognition of its work supporting veterans in the community.

In 2021, VOS was the first recipient of the Shaping Portsmouth Armed Forces Covenant Award and, as the only double winner so far, won it again in 2026. In 2022, the charity was awarded the Armed Forces Covenant Employer Recognition Scheme Silver Award, followed by an upgrade to Gold in 2025. Quality delivery also resulted in VOS being selected as one of only 10 national portfolio leads in the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust's (AFCFT) programme Veterans Places, Pathways and People (2021-23) to improve the wellbeing and mental health of veterans across the South East of England. Following this successful two-year delivery period, VOS secured a second phase of funding and continues to provide regional leadership through the programme's successor, Thrive Together (2024-27). All VOS support and services are enriched and strengthened through close cooperation and collaboration with local, regional and national delivery partners, including charities, local authorities and statutory services such as the NHS. A significant recent milestone has been accreditation of VOS's clinical services by the Royal College of Psychiatrists through the Quality Network for Veterans Mental Health Services (QNVMHS).

VOS's selection reflects the strength of its established partnerships, its deep understanding of the Armed Forces community and its proven ability to coordinate support locally. As a trusted local front door, VOS will connect those who have served with coordinated support across housing, health, employment and welfare, helping to ensure that no one falls through the gaps. The designation also provides an important opportunity for VOS to share its learning, strengthen regional collaboration and contribute to the future development of veteran support nationally, while helping to shape policy, practice and system-level collaboration across the sector.

With a strong reputation for innovation, partnership working and evidence-based service delivery, VOS is entering a significant period of growth and influence as it helps shape the future of support for the Armed Forces community locally, regionally and nationally.

Objects, vision, mission and values

Charitable objects

  • The preservation and protection of the mental health, wellbeing and the relief of need for Armed Forces Veterans (both Regular and Reservist) or former members of the merchant marine and their families, insofar as they have charitable need, by providing assessment, treatment, support, advice, and advocacy.

  • Such other activities that, in the opinion of the trustees, further the Charity's objective of providing support to Armed Forces Veterans (both Regular and Reservist) or former members of the merchant marine and their families.

Vision

To be acknowledged as the exemplar of high quality, holistic and inclusive support to the Armed Forces and Merchant Navy veteran community, ensuring no veteran nor their family is left behind.

Mission

To support veterans and their families through the provision of direct welfare, wellbeing and clinical services, exercised through regional and national collaboration, and rooted in local delivery and strong partnerships.

Values

Our work will be guided by our core values that define who we are and how we act:

  • Compassion: Understanding and responding to the unique needs and experiences of the Armed Forces veteran community, including family members and carers.

  • Integrity: Operating with honesty, transparency, and accountability in all our interactions, with foundations in fairness and inclusivity.

  • Collaboration: Working effectively with partners, volunteers, stakeholders, and within our own team to achieve the best outcomes for those we serve.

  • Excellence: Striving for the highest quality of service delivery and organisational practice, to ensure safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led operations.

  • Empowerment: Supporting service users, staff, and volunteers to achieve their potential, with choice and self-determination the heart of everything we do.

* The term “veterans” encompasses ex-service and Merchant Navy personnel, their families and, where the appropriate eligibility criteria are met, their carers and helpers. Personnel who are still serving, especially those in transition out of the Armed Forces, are not excluded from support.