Combat Stress, the UK’s leading charity for veterans’ mental health has been announced as the official 2018 charity partner of the Ayr Running Festival.
The partnership aims to encourage supporters to take part in either the 10k or 5k race on 29 August 2018 to raise vital funds for the charity. Both routes, which start at the Citadel Leisure Centre, pass beautiful scenery and are suitable for all abilities.
Read moreScotland’s Armed Forces Children’s Charity, the Royal Caledonian Education Trust, is among ten organisations with long standing links with London, who have contributed to a new book, with a foreword from HRH The Princess Royal, to commemorate the centenary of the end of the First World War in 2018.
The book titled Scots in Great War London, a Community at Home and on the Frontline 1914-1919 highlights the efforts of these organisations during the First World War and will be published in late June. HRH The Princess Royal is the Patron of the Scots In Great War London Group.
Read moreKeith Brown MSP visited Lady Haig’s Poppy Factory, in Edinburgh, earlier today to help launch a stunning new commemorative poppy, which will be distributed and worn during the 2018 Scottish Poppy Appeal.
As part of the leading Armed Forces charity’s programme of activity to mark the centenary of the end of the First World War, Poppyscotland has commissioned a Centenary Poppy, which has the text “1918-2018” embossed in gold across the traditional and iconic red paper poppy. It will be the first change to the poppy in decades.
Read moreA new tri-service youth participation project which aims to improve support and services for children and young people from armed forces and veteran families living in Scotland has been given the green light today thanks to funding from ABF The Soldiers’ Charity.
The national youth participation project, which will run for 3 years is being launched by Scotland’s Armed Forces Children’s Charity, the Royal Caledonian Education Trust (RCET). The project has been informed by the success of a pilot series of mini-conferences, as well as a number of other ‘listening to the voices of children and young people from Armed Forces families’ initiatives that have been rolled out by the charity in recent years.
Read moreIt was a fun event that captured the imagination of the city in 2017, but organisers of this year’s Aberdeen Poppy Day are already hard at work behind the scenes to make it even bigger and better this time around. And to boost this worthwhile event further, they are sending out a plea in the hope of recruiting more volunteers.
Matt Fyfe, who is the Poppyscotland Area Organiser for Aberdeen, said: “We have a great team of volunteers here in Aberdeen, but we need a few more willing individuals or groups to come forward to lend a hand on the day.
Read moreScotland’s best-known military band, which is in the midst of its first-ever national tour, is all set to perform in Kilmarnock after receiving a warm welcome today from the Provost.
The Band of The Royal Regiment of Scotland is performing at seven venues across the country as part of its “Walking with Heroes” centenary tour which is aiming to raise tens of thousands of pounds for leading Armed Forces charity Poppyscotland.
Scotland’s State Band, as it is also known, will be performing at the Kilmarnock Grand Hall on June 15th, but, earlier today, members of the Band local to the area joined East Ayrshire Provost Jim Todd and the Poppyscotland team to spread the word about the eagerly anticipated concert.
Read moreFollow this link for all the latest news from Veterans Scotland.
Read morePoppyscotland is to host an open day at its Ayrshire Welfare Centre, with the aim of reducing the stigma surrounding mental health, and to promote the mental health support services which are available to the Armed Forces Community in the area.
The event, which is taking place on Thursday, 17th May 2018 from 11am-3pm, will bring people together in an informal setting to meet with specialist providers, and to help them understand what support is available and how to access it. All serving, or former serving personnel in the Ayrshire area, including Reservists and family members, are more than welcome to come along.
Read more
SCOTLAND – In his latest report published today (Wednesday April 24), The Scottish Veterans Commissioner has called for a return to the days of more attention, ambition and innovation in meeting the long-term health and social care needs of Scotland’s veterans’ community.
While Eric Fraser acknowledges that there is much to be proud of in the provision of treatment and support to veterans by statutory and charity bodies, he has concluded that there is a need for rekindled national leadership and for consistent, long-term funding to protect specialist services for the lifetime of veterans.
Read moreA grant from the RNRMC and it’s partner The Greenwich Hospital is being used to support the work of HOS through the successful Military Matters project. Housing advice and information was provided by HOS’s Engagement Manager, Fraser Gilmore, through briefing sessions organised last month at both HM Naval Base Clyde and Rosyth Dockyard. These sessions meant personnel and their families had the opportunity to learn more about their civilian housing options and ask questions about the Scottish housing market.
Read more
Afghanistan support
In light of recent events in Afghanistan, please find information and support resources here
