Free app supports the Armed Forces Community

The Forces Connect app offers help and support across a wide range of services

Creating a web version of an armed forces app will make it easier to link the community to local and national organisations, says Surrey County Council (SCC) which sponsored the app.

The Forces Connect app offers help and support across a wide range of services tackling issues including employment, housing, and health.

It was launched in May 2018 in partnership with SCC, Kent, East & West Sussex and Hampshire County Councils, with £321,000 from the Armed Forces Covenant Fund.

Recent upgrades to the app were made possible by "additional support" from SCC.

The web version has been developed in response to feedback from the app's growing user base and the increasing number of regions represented.

Call centres have been among those requesting the web version, enabling teams answering the phone to have the resource at their fingertips.

Through Armed Forces Awareness Training, frontline workers are encouraged to ask: "Have you or an immediate family member ever served?"

The Forces Connect app allows them to quickly identify potential sources of support, said an SCC spokesperson.

The council said the app can also be beneficial for families and veterans.