5 November 2026
Veterans across East Cleveland and Middlesbrough are set to benefit from over £500,000 in new Government funding, following a successful bid backed by local MP Luke Myer.
East Durham Veterans Trust (EDVT) and its consortium partners have secured £532,343 over the next three years to expand their VALOUR services, including plans to improve support for veterans and their families in Luke’s constituency.
The funding forms part of the Labour Government’s £50 million VALOUR programme, which is bringing together vital services for former Armed Forces personnel under one roof. The programme connects veterans with support for mental health, housing, employment, training, financial difficulties and general welfare. The latest announcement will see the national network expand further, making it easier for veterans to get the help they need without being passed between different organisations.
East Durham Veterans Trust has already supported over 1,300 veterans and family members in recent years, providing counselling, practical assistance and specialist support. Following the Trust’s success in securing first-round VALOUR funding, Luke met Chief Executive Andrew Cammiss in August and backed its application for further funding, pressing for services to be expanded into East Cleveland and Middlesbrough. Luke subsequently wrote to Veterans Minister Calvin Bailey MBE MP supporting the bid, with a particular focus on working alongside established local organisations such as Healthier Heroes Morgan House.
The announcement follows Luke’s wider campaign to improve support for veterans since his election in 2024. He brought the then Veterans Minister to Guisborough following the tragic death of former Royal Marine Sam Morgan, helping drive improvements in mental health support and spur the development of Morgan House in Boosbeck, which now provides specialist veterans’ accommodation delivered by Healthier Heroes. Luke has also worked with Redcar & Cleveland Council to improve veterans’ housing priority, helped constituents who are former service personnel secure homes and financial entitlements through his casework, and repeatedly raised veterans’ mental health, homelessness and employment in Parliament.
Nationally, Luke has also pressed ministers for stronger legal protections for veterans who served during Operation Banner in Northern Ireland, supporting amendments to prevent unnecessary and repeated investigations. He has continued working with veterans’ organisations, ministers and local services to improve the support available to former Armed Forces personnel, with the latest VALOUR investment marking another development in that work.
Luke Myer MP said:
“I’m delighted we’ve secured this extra funding to improve support for veterans in East Cleveland and Middlesbrough. I was proud to support East Durham Veterans Trust over recent months, in their bid to bring more of these vital services into our area.
“Our veterans have served our country, and they deserve proper support when they need it. This has been a priority for me since being elected. This funding is another step forward, and I’ll keep working with local organisations to make sure veterans and their families get the support they deserve.”
UK Veterans Minister Calvin Bailey MBE MP said:
“Ahead of Remembrance Sunday, I’m pleased that we can pay tribute to the service and sacrifice of our armed forces community by giving veterans easier access to the support they need, regardless of where they are in the UK.“
East Durham Veterans Trust said:
“As part of being successful we needed support from MPs to be able to make this possible; we told them our vision for VALOUR, what we we currently do and what we could achieve being part of the VALOUR network. Part of the application process was to have at least one supporting letter from an MP, we are delighted to say we had four! We want to say a huge ‘thank you’ to Grahame Morris MP, Jonathan Brash MP, Chris McDonald MP and Luke Myer MP for taking the time to write us supporting letters for our bid. Thank you!”