THE Defence Medical Welfare Service (DMWS), whose headquarters is located just outside Andover, has been awarded nearly £900,000 from the Armed Forces Covenant LIBOR Fund towards its vital work with veterans.

The money comes from fines levied on banks as a result of the LIBOR scandal.

DMWS chief executive Nicky Murdoch said: “This funding will enable us to deliver our Hospital Welfare Service in Scotland, Wales, Shrewsbury and north west England where our Hospital Welfare Service is currently unavailable.

“As well as supporting wounded, injured and sick service personnel and their families, we will also be supporting veterans in these new areas.

“Our service has been providing practical and emotional support to the military community for over 70 years and we are delighted that we will now be able to support more people than ever before.”

Back in 2012, the Chancellor allocated £35 million to the MOD from fines levied on banks for attempting to manipulate the London Inter-bank Offered Rate (Libor) benchmark for interest rates.

The intention of the Libor Fund is to support the two key principles of the Armed Forces Covenant, which are that the Armed Forces community should not face disadvantage in the provision of public and commercial services, and that special consideration is appropriate in some cases, especially for those who have given most such as the injured and the bereaved.

DMWS has been providing practical and emotional support to the Armed Forces, their families and other entitled civilians since 1943.