Rutland has a long history of supporting Armed Forces families and personnel who live here.
Currently, we have 1st Military Working Dogs Regiment based at St Georges Barracks in North Luffenham, while 2 Battalion The Royal Anglian Regiment (The Poachers) and 7 Regiment the Royal Logistic Corps are based at nearby Kendrew Barracks in Cottesmore.
Armed Forces Officer
Rutland has a dedicated 'Armed Forces Officer' whose role it is to support our Armed Forces Community.
If you are a serving member of the Armed Forces, a reservist, a veteran or a service family in Rutland, our Armed Forces Officer can help you with:
- access to healthcare
- education and school placements
- employment and training opportunities
- access to housing and accommodation
To contact the Armed Forces Officer, please email: armedforces@rutland.gov.uk or call: 01572 722 577.
Information for Forces families
The following guides are intended to provide information for local Forces families, particularly if you are new to the area:
Kendrew Barracks, Cottesmore
Forces Connect is a free mobile app, designed to help those who serve or have served in the Armed Forces to access public services by directing them to sources of advice and support.
The app was originally launched as part of a project led by Surrey County Council, but has since been expanded to feature more counties, including Rutland. Opening the 'Rutland' tab within the app will display local and national services covering employment, education and training, housing, benefits, family support and care, health and wellbeing, and crisis support.
This is aimed at serving personnel, reservists, veterans, and dependants – including spouses, partners, children and parents – and those that work with the Armed Forces community.
Forces Connect is free to download by searching for it in the App Store (for Apple iPhones or iPads) or the Google Play Store (for Android smartphones and tablets). Details for Rutland already feature on the app and can be accessed immediately.
The app is now used by over 10,000 people across the UK. It is completely free, does not contain advertisements and requires no input of personal details. All the content available through the app, about services in Rutland and beyond, is updated monthly to keep it relevant and accurate. Information that serving personnel, veterans and their loved ones who live in our county might want to look for is available in just a few clicks. That could be searching for an NHS dentist, starting a business, getting advice on housing - or finding out more about the next meeting of the Armed Forces and Veterans Breakfast Club.
Find out more by watching this short film about Forces Connect.
