Nuclear veterans will be able to apply for their long-awaited medal within weeks.
Veterans Minister Johnny Mercer revealed that 70 years of fighting for official recognition will come to an end soon, with delivery of the medal that was announced in November after a four-year Mirror campaign.
It will be the first medal of the new reign - and King Charles has told friends he wants an investiture-style ceremony at the palace too.
At the same time, a £200,000 fund to commemorate the Cold War radiation experiments has opened today for projects that would memorialise the tests, educate others, or directly support the veterans and their families.
Mr Mercer said: “To this day, the nuclear deterrent remains the cornerstone of our defence and that is substantially due to the service and contribution of the brilliant nuclear test veterans.
“It is only right that we support and recognise them, so future generations can learn from their experiences.
“In the coming weeks we’ll be publishing information on how veterans and their next-of-kin can apply for the Nuclear Test Medal.”
The funding - which Mr Mercer announces with a personal message for Mirror readers, below - will enable organisations to ask for up to £70,000 each for a variety of projects.
Veterans Minister Johnny Mercer: 'Nuclear test veterans kept Britain safe – now we will commemorate their unique service'
Last year, I had the honour of seeing the joy of veterans of Britain’s nuclear testing programme, when the Prime Minister announced that they will receive a medal for their service, 70 years after the first British test of a nuclear weapon.
On that rainy November day at the National Memorial Arboretum, we shone a light on this previously-unheralded group of former service personnel and staff who made such a significant contribution to this country’s security.
It’s often forgotten that some 22,000 service and civilian personnel served far from home, in Australia and Kiribati in the South Pacific, between 1952 and 1967, along with others from the Commonwealth.
They were involved in Britain’s nuclear testing programme, and subsequent clean-up operations. Their service is unique. They worked behind the scenes on the development of our nuclear deterrent, which remains the cornerstone of our security, and that of our NATO allies, to this day.
In the coming weeks we’ll be publishing information on how veterans and civilians who worked on the tests, and their next-of-kin, can apply for the Nuclear Test Medal.
But our commitment to recognising this unique service does not end there.
Today, the Office for Veterans Affairs is inviting bids to the Nuclear Test Veteran Community Fund. It will provide money to help memorialise, provide educational activity or deliver support for this community, demonstrating our nation's enduring gratitude.
The £200,000 fund will allow charities and organisations across the UK to bid for up to £70,000 each for community-led initiatives.
I encourage anyone who is interested in this area and has ideas to bring, on how we continue to recognise and remember this special cohort, to consider bidding.
More than 70 years on since the first British nuclear test, I'm in no doubt that nuclear test veterans played a critical role in keeping Britain and her allies safe and secure. The reality is that the product of their service protects us every hour of every day, and this fund will help ensure the wider public can learn about and remember their service.
No longer the forgotten veterans, their service should and will be remembered.
Bids expected to be made include a travelling educational exhibition covering the scientific and historic aspects of the weapons tests, which will visit schools and colleges across the country, and bring the subject into the national curriculum.
Alan Owen, founder of the LABRATS campaign group which is preparing the bid, said: “We want to build an informative, historical, educational resource which can be used anywhere in Britain, with videos and interactive displays to bring these events to life. It could be used to raise awareness with younger generations, as well as the general public at military shows.”
Other projects may include funding for a nationwide tour of a successful stage show about the veterans which has already been performed at the Edinburgh Festival.
It is also hoped there will be requests to fund memorial work by indigenous peoples in Australia, whose ancestral lands were heavily contaminated by more than 600 highly-toxic radioactive experiments between 1953 and 1963.
The British Nuclear Test Veterans Association, which is still unable to access its bank account after firing its CEO last month, has said it “does not anticipate” being able to bid for any of the funds.
The money will be distributed by a government steering group, with work already underway on a separate £250,000 ‘living history’ project with academics.