Shropshire Armed Forces Outreach Project honoured with award

The Shropshire Armed Forces Outreach Project is celebrating a significant achievement after being awarded the prestigious Public Service Champion Award at The Celebrating Forces Families Awards 2025.

This esteemed award recognises an individual or group comprising military family members working within the public sector who leverage their personal lived experience to enhance their organisation's support for the armed forces community.

Established in 2018 by Shropshire Council, a Gold Employer Recognition Award holder, the Shropshire Council Armed Forces Outreach Project provides essential support to serving personnel, veterans, and their families across the county. The project excels at connecting individuals with tailored resources covering vital areas such as employment, housing, mental health, and welfare.

Operated by a veteran, the project works collaboratively with a wide network of charities, businesses, and health services to create Veterans Champions and promote awareness of the needs of the armed forces community. Outreach events held across the region offer safe and supportive spaces, helping to tackle social isolation and provide assistance for conditions like PTSD.

The project's impact is substantial, with more than 150 individuals accessing the outreaches each month, in addition to numerous direct enquiries for support. Last year alone, the project had contact with an impressive 3,156 individuals through outreaches and community groups.

Sean McCarthy, Shropshire Council's Armed Forces Covenant Lead, commented on the win: “To be nominated as a finalist was a real honour but to win the award was something we didn’t expect as it was a strong category."

He added, “We take great pride in supporting our Armed Forces community, we don’t do the work we do to get awards but it’s nice to get some national recognition. Although Shropshire Council are the winners we couldn’t do what we do without the support of our Service Charity colleagues, volunteers and the many other organisations we work with. It’s a real team effort.”

A key strength of the project lies in the lived experience of its team. The Armed Forces Outreach project is led by a veteran who is also the spouse of a veteran, and the dedicated volunteers are themselves veterans, ensuring a deep understanding of the challenges faced by the armed forces community.