Trafford Veterans opens a full-time hub in Sale thanks to a £50k grant

A Trafford organisation that supports armed forces veterans and members of the community has opened a full-time hub thanks to a £50,000 grant from Trafford Housing Trust (THT).

Trafford Veterans is a group of former armed forces personnel, emergency service workers and local volunteers, who all live in Trafford.  The hub, based at Sale United Football Club at Crossford Bridge playing fields, is accessible, close to good transport links and offers peer support activities, courses, events and information, as well as providing advice and guidance.

The funding from THT, part of L&Q, has allowed the group to employ a full-time coordinator for the first time, Royal Navy veteran Claire Wright, who is managing the hub, its activities and development.  Claire founded Trafford Veterans in 2015 alongside British Army veteran Chris Squires after they left the armed forces and faced their own struggle with physical and mental injuries.

Claire said: “It’s fantastic to have the support of Trafford Housing Trust. The grant is making a huge difference and enables us to improve what we are offering to the local uniformed services community. The hub ensures we can provide an accessible space to run courses and activities and have a visible presence.”

Zoe Taylor, Communities Manager at Trafford Housing Trust, said: “THT has worked with Trafford Veterans since they were established seven years ago, supporting them with growth, development and networking across the borough. The work they did during covid lockdowns was integral to the Trafford response to the pandemic. THT communities include many Trafford Veterans and it is important to us that they can access tailored support locally should they need it. We’re looking forward to seeing them grow into their new space and further develop their support services.”

For more information visit www.traffordveterans.org

Photo (L to R): Chris Squires, Zoe Taylor, Claire Wright, and Alex Neil, Capacity Builder at THT.