A DURHAM charity has been given £460,000 to support veterans in the area.

Finchale, which provides a specialist veteran service, has been awarded to funding to run a three-year programme investing in health, training and work.

The charity, based in Pity Me, will provided dedicated case-worker led programmes to more than 60 veterans and their families.

Chief executive Mel Pears said: “We are delighted to have been awarded these funds. An excellent experienced team who knows what it means to leave the military and all the pitfalls to start afresh in civilian life and we are all too aware of the range of issues that veterans and their families face and the assistance that’s needed.

“This new funding will enable us to reach many more veterans and their families living in the community than before.”

As part of the LIBOR-funded project the case-workers will use a holistic approach to achieve individual personal goals.

They will give them one-to-once support in addressing practical problems including finding training and employment, managing finance, breaking cycles of addiction and homelessness and dealing with a wide range of emotional problems.

Andy Wildish, veterans services manager said: “We are delighted to have been awarded this funding which will allow us to expand our current service and deliver a much needed programme of support in Durham. This will be the only, case managed, specialist programme offering end-to-end social care to job readiness in the North of England.”