Bay Veterans Association awarded £2,240 grant from Morecambe Town Council

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A community interest company dedicated to supporting the veterans community around Morecambe Bay has been handed a £2,240 funding boost from Morecambe Town Council, underpinning their service delivery until early 2025.

Despite having only been formed in September 2023, the Bay Veterans Association already caters to one of the largest veterans communities in the north west.

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Bay Veterans Association is a Community Interest Company formed to address the lack of provision for veterans in the Lancaster, Morecambe and Carnforth region.

They provide a hub and drop-in centre in Morecambe Arndale Centre, and also operate from the Carnforth Ex-Servicemen’s Club, where they run a fortnightly breakfast club, as well as running a breakfast club at Dolly’s Diner at Lancaster City Football Club.

Members of Bay Veterans Association are presented with a cheque for £2,240 from Morecambe Town Council.Members of Bay Veterans Association are presented with a cheque for £2,240 from Morecambe Town Council.
Members of Bay Veterans Association are presented with a cheque for £2,240 from Morecambe Town Council.

Each month, the volunteer team welcomes around 600 people through the doors, providing a meeting place designed to help combat issues of social isolation and loneliness for both veterans and those in the wider community.

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Facilities and resources such as a pool table, darts, cards and dominoes are available, with daily wellbeing activities such as boccia, a walking group, ladies group, craft group and modelling group organised, emulating the spirit and services of a NAAFI (Navy, Army and Air Force Institutes) by encouraging conversation and collaboration in a warm and safe space.

On awarding the grant, Jason Slater, chair of Morecambe Town Council’s community grants committee, said: “The Bay Veterans Association’s short existence to date has been very hand-to-mouth as far as funding is concerned.

"With an ever-increasing number of veterans and members of the local community looking to them for support, the town council hopes the grant provided will help create some much-needed breathing space so their tireless volunteers can work further ahead and explore other potential funding avenues without worrying about the immediate day-to-day.”

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Gary Kniveton, founder of Bay Veterans Association, said: “We survive on small pots of funding provided by local businesses and from our continual fundraising efforts so this award will enable us to continue providing our important service until the new year.

"We’ve now reached our first anniversary and with that comes the credibility and opportunity to apply to national veterans’ charities for further funding.”

Local businesses or individuals keen to support Bay Veterans Association should contact Gary Kniveton at [email protected]