Saturday 12th April to Friday 25th April 2025
10:00 to 14:00 hrs

Eastgate Shopping Centre
Gloucester town centre
GL1 1PA

(opposite Spec Savers)

Over the two weeks, the Hub will include:

• Drop-ins
• Access to Support Organisations
• Social activities

The Forces Hub's Proposal:

To set up and run a temporary 'Pop-up' Gloucestershire Forces Hub (Glos-FHUB) within an available Gloucester city centre location

Aims

• To carry out a snapshot of the footfall and usage of the Glos-FHUB to aid the future proposal of the need for a Permanent Glos-FHUB support with its location (possibly Eastgate Shopping Centre Indoor Market)
• To provide a networking space between organisations who are or who want to support Armed Forces communities within the Armed Forces Covenant
• To assist with the formation of a multi organisation group (Action Group) for a future, permanent Glos-FHUB and Gloucestershire Integrated Forces Strategy (GIFS)
• To build, strengthen and promote the networking between the 'needs' and the 'resources' with:
• District Councils - The Forest of Dean, Tewkesbury, Cheltenham, Costwalds and Stround. Cheltenham Borough Council, Gloucester city Council
• Gloucestershire County Council (incuding future Unitary Council Structure)
• To build, strengthen and promote the networking between the 'needs' and teh 'resources' with existing Veterans' Groups / Organisations who provide valuable support for Armed Forces Communities in Gloucestershire, including: Veterans' Breakfast Groups, Unit / Service Associations and Miliary Charities etc

click here for a printable version of the GCN's Aims and full overview and proposal of Glos - FHUB

What is GLOS - Forces Hub?

Background

Despite Gloucester being home to six barracks spread across the county, there remains a noticeable gap in support infrastructure for the wider military community. Veterans, serving personnel, reservists, and military families often find themselves navigating various sources for information and assistance without a central Forces Hub to streamline access.

Click here to see the schedule events

Military charities such as Combat Stress, the Royal British Legion, and others offer valuable resources, but without a dedicated location to visit, individuals must seek help across multiple organisations, which can be challenging and time-consuming. A centralised hub would provide a single point of contact where those who have served, or are still serving, could easily find the guidance, support, and advice they need.

Beyond practical assistance, a Forces Hub would also foster a sense of camaraderie and belonging. In addition to offering mental health and stress awareness sessions, IT training, and other support programmes, it could serve as a welcoming space for social interaction. Whether it's enjoying a cup of coffee and a biscuit while sharing experiences or simply having a chat with like-minded individuals, the hub could help combat isolation and strengthen the military community. By creating a space tailored to their needs, Gloucester could offer its armed forces personnel and veterans a vital resource to enhance their well-being and connection to others.

GCN's Involvement

GCN, like most of the community in Gloucester, is acutely aware that more and more shops in the city centre have become vacant since covid. We therefore made contact with Gloucester County County to ask if they would be prepared to donate one of the empty spaces so that it could be turned into a much needed Forces Hub

Gloucester County Council have provided an empty shop, opposite Spec Savers, located in the Eastgate Shopping Centre, in Gloucester city centre.

This space has been donated for a period of two weeks, starting 12th April 2025, to see how successful a Forces Hub would be.

Following a full report, to be produced in June 2025, Gloucester County Council will decide whether or not they are able to contiue to provide the space for the Hub.