GovWire

• The Office for Veterans Affairs has today made 200,000 available to organisations to bid for in support of nuclear test veterans.
• Organisations will be able to bid for up to 70,000 each to run community led programmes that help to recognise and support Nuclear Test Veterans and their families.
• The fund represents a crucial further step in our continued drive to recognise the historic contributions of nuclear test veterans to our nations security.

Charities and Organisations across the UK are set to benefit from 200,000 in funding, as a funding scheme is opened to build community led programmes to recognise and support nuclear test veterans and their families.

The fund which opens today for organisations to apply, comes off the back of the announcement last November of a medal to recognise the service of nuclear test veterans.

The cohort of veterans, known as nuclear test veterans, are ex-service personnel who contributed to Britains nuclear testing programme, including serving in Australia and the south Pacific between 1952 and 1967.

Minister for Veterans Affairs Johnny Mercer said:

To this day the nuclear deterrent remains the cornerstone of our defence and that is substantially due to the service and contribution of the brilliant nuclear test veterans.

It is only right that we support and recognise the experiences of our nuclear test veterans, so future generations can learn from their experiences.

The funding provided today kickstarts that process, and I look forward to seeing the fantastic projects put forward by our third sector partners.

In order to receive funding the projects must satisfy at least one of three criteria, directly support nuclear test veterans and their families, memorialise nuclear test veterans and their experiences, or provide educational activities to raise public awareness of their service. The decisions on funding will be made by a government steering group.

The funding opening for bidding today is a further step in recognising the contributions made by our service personnel during the height of the Cold War, at a key moment in our history as a nation. The funding will allow projects to progress at speed, to honour those who were involved in keeping our country safe.

The Office for Veterans Affairs will also continue their work with academic institutions to create a living history project, further raising awareness of nuclear test veterans and their experiences.

• Organisations can apply for funding 