Friends Reunited has re-launched the Forces section of its website, creating the largest single database for reuniting ex-servicemen and women. There are already over 566,000 member entries, with growth of 43,000 during the soft-launch period under a month ago.
The re-launch follows the successful acquisition of specialist website Comrades and Colleagues. The Armed Forces listings and search functionality have been completely updated, allowing anyone who has served in the British Army, Royal Air Force, Royal Navy and Territorial Army to easily find friends they served with.
The new service will be accessible within the Friends Reunited service, which now has 16.3 million UK members, and also from a dedicated website at www.ForcesFriendsReunited.com.
Jonathan Clark, Head of Friends Reunited, said: "The revamped site has been very well received from members and shows our continued commitment to helping an even broader range of friends get back in touch and share news.
"We're very excited about this new service; most people don't know that there are over 5 million ex-service personnel in the UK, and we hope to bring a lot of friends back together, from the National Service generation to people who have lost touch more recently."
Forces Friends Reunited is delighted to be associated with Veterans-UK, the MOD's new brand for services to veterans.
Tim Taylor at Veterans-UK said: "Our helpline gets a great many enquiries about tracing former comrades. I hope that Forces Friends Reunited will be a useful resource that will help veterans to reunite with their former colleagues."
Friends Reunited was launched in July 2000 as a back bedroom hobby. A combination of word of mouth and immense media attention has propelled the site to phenomenon status, expanding beyond the school friends proposition to include Armed Forces, workplaces, teams/clubs and streets. Friends Reunited has touched many thousands of lives, reuniting friends and family around the globe.
For more information contact Victoria Reed or Carolynne Bull-Edwards on: 01883 717468 or email press@friendsreunited.co.uk