Veteran Connection Programme | military to civilian transition

Welcome to VCP

a veteran-led programme to aid ex-forces members transition into civilian life.

Leaving the military can be one of the most challenging transitions in a person’s life – VCP is here to help.

Manage identity, reduce isolation & build meaningful connections

VCP (Veteran Connection Programme) is a unique short intervention targeting the specific challenges faced by many military service leavers when transitioning to civilian life: loss of identity, lack of social support, and disconnectedness.

Our group-based workshops give you the tools to thrive, not just survive, after service.

VCP is evidence-based and built on research from the UK and Australia and supported by many partners, such as the REME, the RAFA, the NHS.

Find out more

Our Mission

Supporting Veterans during their military-to-civilian transition

Our mission is to create supportive networks that foster social connection, reduce stigma around mental health, and promote smoother transitions into civilian life.

Based on decades of research on the effect of social groups on our own well-being, VCP helps military personnel leaving the forces by exploring the importance of group memberships to our own health & wellbeing and provide the skills needed to reconnect with old groups and finding new meaningful group membership - no matter where you go after leaving the service.

If you have any more questions, please get in touch with us at info@vetconnectprogram.com

The Veteran Connection Programme is experience-driven, and evidence-led.

VCP is designed to help veterans manage the transition to civilian life and take control of their own well-being.

The programme is group-based and co-delivered by a trained veteran, offering the opportunity to rebuild a sense of identity, purpose, and belonging, discover tools to strengthen your networks, and feel more confident navigating civilian life.

Want to join us?
⭐VCP is open to service leavers from all cap badges and genders who have left the Armed Forces in the last 6 years
⭐VCP is currently free - we offer £100 compensation PLUS travel support
⭐One day workshop in the South West (new locations in the future)
⭐Share your experiences (good and/or bad!)
⭐Use your knowledge and experience to help us improve the transition experience for veterans in the future

Visit our website (link in bio) or get in touch!

#veterans #armedforces #belongingafterservice #mentalhealth #wellbeing

Stefan and Juliet (VCP Leads) had a fantastic day attending the FiMT Research Centre Conference in London yesterday! It was a brilliant opportunity to meet the amazing people working to support the Armed Forces community, and to share our own work on the Veteran Connection Programme.

Following VCP workshops, service leavers report increased thriving, self-efficacy in managing their transition, Military-Civilian Adjustment and Re-Integration, and group gain.

Veterans also told us that after participating in VCP, they felt their transition experiences were more normalised (and less stigmatised!), and they had more ability to be vulnerable with others. They also felt more connected with veterans and perceived fewer barriers towards connections with civilians.

#FiMT #veterans #armedforces #wellbeing #mentalhealth #BelongingAfterService

“We heard the war was over, but we never heard of VE Day, as it was. I remember finally getting the bus home and knocking on the door – I couldn’t tell my mother I was coming as they didn’t have a telephone.”
— RAF pilot Derrick Grubb, 101, recalling his return home after being held as a prisoner of war during WWII.

Today, as we mark 80 years since the end of the Second World War in Europe, we honour the courage and sacrifice of those who served during WWII.

#VEDay #Veterans #BelongingAfterService #UKVeterans #mentalhealth #lestweforget

The Veteran Connection Programme (VCP) is a group-based, peer-facilitated programme co-designed with veterans. It focuses on social connections as a protective factor for mental health, helping veterans to develop the skills needed to manage the transition to civilian life.

Previous workshops have shown improvements in well-being, especially in increasing a sense of purpose and reducing loneliness. Many participants also said that VCP helped normalise their transition and increased the ability to be vulnerable and connected to others.

Our next round of workshops will run in June 2025! If you would like to participate, please complete our participation form on our website (link in bio), or email us at info@vetconnectprogram.com.

#veterans #armedforces #serviceleavers #mentalhealth

Life changes often come with social changes, because they affect who we spend time with. Veterans leaving the Armed Forces are used to being surrounded by others with whom they share experience, understanding, and knowledge specific to life in the service.

It is common for veterans to feel that bonds with others made in service are difficult to find in civilian life, leading to feelings of loneliness, social disconnection, and poor mental health.

VCP is an evidence-led, peer-facilitated, group-based programme designed to help veterans transitioning into civilian life to find connectedness in new groups, and reconnect with old ones.

#veterans #socialsupport #mentalhealth #armedforces

A quarter of veterans say they are often or always lonely, and just over one fifth are experiencing psychological distress.

It is vital that we understand and address the challenges they face and provide help to navigate civilian life, reduce loneliness, and improve mental health.

VCP is designed to provide veterans with the skills and support they need to take control of their wellbeing and thrive going forward.

#veterans #socialsupport #mentalhealth #armedforces

Research:

Royal British Legion (2018). Loneliness and social isolation in the armed forced community.

Stevelink & colleagues (2018). Mental health outcomes at the end of the British involvement In the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts: A cohort study (The British Journal of Psychiatry).

VCP was designed with the input of veterans, who told us about their own difficulties navigating the transition from the Armed Forces to civilian life.

They highlighted the comfort they have gained from making connections with social groups where they feel compatible with and understood by others.

VCP aims to meet the specific needs of veterans to develop skills that will allow to them gain support from groups they feel they belong in.

#veterans #socialsupport #mentalhealth #armedforces

It is common for veterans to feel that while in service, they are sheltered from 'real life', by having many practical parts of life organised for them, and a ready-made group of friends and comrades around them.

While this makes practicalities of life and social support less complicated during service, it often leaves veterans feeling lost when they begin the transition into a less organised and less social civilian life.

The Veteran Connection Programme is designed to provide veterans with the skills they need to manage the transition to civilian life, find new and valued social groups, and thrive.

#veterans #mentalhealth #socialsupport #armedforces

One of the reasons life changes can be incredibly difficult is because they change who we spend time with.

Someone leaving the Armed Forces is also often leaving behind the people they related to and had strong bonds with at work, as well as losing their military identity.

VCP is designed to provide veterans with the resources needed to combat loneliness, disconnection, and poor wellbeing.

#veterans #socialsupport #mentalhealth #armedforces

Currently we are seeking veterans from all cap badges and genders who left the service in the last 6 years willing to share their experiences (good and/or bad) and help us adapt the programme to ensure its fit for purpose.

Participation will involve completion of our programme, some surveys and – if you are interested – an interview in which you can share your experience and provide feedback on the programme. Participation is entirely voluntary, and your answers and feedback will be completely confidential. Possible benefits may include increased well-being and social connection.

Your participation will contribute greatly to our understanding of the needs of veterans in their transition out of the armed forces, and help us to shape and improve the programme for veterans in the future.

If you are interested in participating in this programme, please fill in our Participation Form either at the link to the form or our website (both links in bio), or email info@vetconnectprogram.com if you have any questions.

#veterans #mentalhealth #socialsupport #armedforces

It is common for veterans to feel like fish out of water when they move from being part of a team in the military to less clearly structured roles in civilian employment.

Norms and expectations outside of the Armed Forces can leave veterans feeling disjointed and less valued, negatively impacting their mental health.

The Veteran Connection Programme is a peer-facilitated group-based programme, aiming to provide veterans with the skills they need to build connections in their new civilian life, and thrive going forward.

#veterans #socialsupport #mentalhealth #employment #armedforces

Memberships in groups (both old and new) are an important way in which veterans can cope better with the transition to civilian life in the months and years that follow leaving the Armed Forces.

VCP was designed to help veterans gain the skills needed to connect, and reconnect, with social groups around them. This helps veterans to manage the complex difficulties of transitioning out of the military.

#veterans #socialsupport #mentalhealth #armedforces

Many veterans feel that the support offered during and after their transition out of service is ineffective.

However, the veterans we consulted told us how useful they found it to join new social groups and reconnect with old ones, especially with those who understood what they were going through.

The Veteran Connection Programme works with the idea that groups of people we feel compatible with are beneficial for our wellbeing. Bonding with others who share veteran identity can lead to gaining much-needed social support during and after transitioning to civilian life.

#veterans #mentalhealth #socialsupport #armedforces

Veterans transitioning into civilian life often feel a sense of culture shock, especially when entering civilian jobs.

The sudden move from feeling like a valued team-member in the military to feeling like a faceless individual in a civilian job can be psychologically jarring, especially when veterans are not aware of how to get support outside of the Forces.

The Veteran Connection Programme is designed to help veterans find purpose and valued identities in their civilian lives through gaining new social connections and strengthening old ones.

#veterans #socialsupport #mentalhealth #armedforces

It is common for veterans to feel socially disconnected and lonely following their transition out of the Armed Forces.

Veterans told us that being separated from comrades after leaving service made them feel isolated and like they had lost friends. This in turn negatively affected their mental health.

VCP is built on decades of research on the 'Social Cure', aiming to help veterans to gain new social connections and reconnect with old ones, to create a socially-rich and supported life outside of service.

#veterans #mentalhealth #socialsupport #armedforces

Military personnel often have a strong sense of structure when working in the Armed Forces.

This can mean that when transitioning to civilian life, veterans feel unprepared to face some tasks, like finding somewhere to live, managing finances, or getting access to healthcare – especially if they joined the Forces at a young age.

VCP aims to assist veterans in making social connections with others experiencing the same transition, who can provide meaningful support with these challenges.

#veterans #mentalhealth #socialsupport #armedforces

Group memberships are incredibly important for our health and wellbeing, and losing group memberships can be detrimental – social groups (such as being a member of the Armed Forces), have important benefits for our mental and physical health.

Research has shown that identifying with social groups predicts less loneliness, depression, and sleep problems, and better ability to cope with distress and trauma.

VCP follows an evidence-based, group-membership approach to helping veterans transition into civilian life.

#veterans #mentalhealth #socialsupport #armedforces

The Veteran Connection Programme is based on the principles of the 'Social Cure' for those struggling with their mental health.

This approach argues that life transitions are stressful because they involve losing membership in groups which are meaningful to individuals.

Research has shown that connections with others who we feel understand us are incredibly important for our wellbeing and mental health.

VCP is an evidence-led, peer-facilitated, group-based programme designed to help veterans transitioning into civilian life to find connectedness in new groups, and reconnect with old ones.

#veterans #mentalhealth #socialsupport #armedforces

All life transitions can be difficult for those going through them, but are often even more challenging and complex for veterans.

Veterans are often leaving a highly supportive environment filled with camaraderie and structure, and entering a less socially-supported civilian life. Many veterans are also young and can struggle to adapt to civilian working life.

VCP workshops address the psychological challenges faced by veterans in order to help reduce feelings of loneliness, social disconnection, and mental ill health.

#veterans #mentalhealth #socialsupport #armedforces

Many veterans struggle with their transition out of service, especially in not knowing who to reach out to for support when needed.

Veterans told us that it is common to feel nostalgia for the order and processes of the military.

The Veteran Connection Programme is designed to help veterans develop skills and social connections to manage the transition to civilian life.

#veterans #socialsupport #mentalhealth #armedforces

Military personnel often live in a bubble – separate from 'civvie street', and sometimes worry about military-civilian differences in experiences and outlook.

In effect, this can undermine social connections for veterans transitioning into civilian communities and work situations.

VCP aims to provide skills to help veterans to bridge this gap between their lives in the armed forces, and their lives as civilians.

#veterans #socialsupport #armedforces

"At the going down of the sun and in the morning, we will remember them."

Today, we pause in silence to remember the courage, sacrifice, and resilience of those who served and continue to serve.

#remembranceday #lestweforget #veterans

The Veteran Connection Programme (VCP) has been developed based on decades of research on social connectedness and wellbeing, by a group of veterans and researchers at the University of Exeter, Nottingham Trent University, and the University of Queensland.

This peer-facilitated programme is designed to help you take control of your own health by offering valuable skills to manage the transition from service to civilian life, find connectedness, and thrive going forward.

#veterans #mentalhealth #socialsupport

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Welcome to VCP

a veteran-led programme to aid ex-forces members transition into civilian life.

Manage identity, reduce isolation & build meaningful connections

Our Mission

Follow us on Instagram

Participate in the Study

Email

Follow

Welcome to VCP

a veteran-led programme to aid ex-forces members transition into civilian life.

Manage identity, reduce isolation & build meaningful connections

Our Mission

​

Follow us on Instagram

Participate in the Study

Email

Follow