Poppyscotland – Page 13 – The NEN

Veterans charity urges: turn those lights out!

Scotland urged to turn lights out to honour First World War heroes

Veterans’ charity Poppyscotland is calling for households in Scotland to join the rest of the UK in taking part in LIGHTS OUT, a new initiative to commemorate the centenary of the First World War.

Communities across the country are being invited to switch off their lights between 2200 and 2300hrs on 4th August, the date Britain entered the War 100 years ago, and illuminate their homes with a single candle or light.

LIGHTS OUT is being delivered in Scotland by Poppyscotland and in the rest of the UK by its parent charity The Royal British Legion. It is hoped that candles will be lit at war memorials, community centres and homes in every village, town and city. LIGHTS OUT takes inspiration from the famous words of wartime Foreign Secretary Sir Edward Grey, who remarked on August 3rd 1914: “The lamps are going out all over Europe; we shall not see them lit again in our life-time.”

A host of celebrities including Jeremy Paxman, Twiggy, David Gandy and Louis Smith feature alongside veterans in a video to promote the initiative, which will complement a national candlelight vigil on the evening of Monday 4th August at Westminster Abbey.

Poppyscotland’s Head of Fundraising, Colin Flinn, said: “Scotland made a hugely significant contribution to the First World War and there was not a community left untouched by its devastating impact. LIGHTS OUT is a simple, yet powerful concept that will enable Scots to join the rest of the UK in a collective moment of commemoration to honour those who paid the ultimate sacrifice, while supporting those affected by the consequences of war today.”

To support LIGHTS OUT and as part of a special partnership with Marks & Spencer, limited edition Centenary candles will be available to purchase from Friday 4th July in stores and online. Profits from sales in Scotland will be donated to Poppyscotland to support the charity’s vital work with members of the Armed Forces, past and present, and their families.

Robert Swannell, Chairman of Marks & Spencer said: “The extraordinary work that The Royal British Legion and Poppyscotland do to support serving and ex-Servicemen, women and their families across the UK is really important to M&S’s employees and customers, and we are very proud to be participating in this national moment of commemoration. Lighting a candle is a small but significant gesture to honour those who bravely served, and continue to serve, and we encourage all of our customers to take part. All the profit from the LIGHTS OUT candle will be used for the Legion and Poppyscotland grants initiatives, which assist current and former Service personnel and their families in need of support.”

New service to help local veterans find work

EMPLOY-ABLE:

A NEW SERVICE TO HELP EDINBURGH & LOTHIANS VETERANS FIND WORK

Veterans in Edinburgh and the Lothians can now access a local service that will deliver support to help vulnerable ex-Servicemen and women find work. Veterans’ charity Poppyscotland and mental health charity SAMH (Scottish Association for Mental Health) have created Employ-Able, which provides local support, training and practical advice to assist veterans in their search for jobs.

Employ-Able aims to remove barriers, help develop skills and set goals, taking the form of one-to-one and group work sessions, using the model of SAMH’s successful workshop-based Tools for Living programme. Ongoing support once veterans are in employment is also available.

Bobby Duffy, Director of Operations at SAMH said: “Scotland’s veterans deserve as much support as we can give them when they settle back into the community. We know it can be hard for some veterans to get back into regular employment and that unemployment and financial difficulties are bad for your mental health, so we’re really pleased to be working with Poppyscotland to deliver this service.”

There are around 189,000 veterans of working age in Scotland and Poppyscotland research suggests that the unemployment rate for veterans aged 18-49 is twice that of the general UK population, with around 28,000 veterans in Scotland out of work. The research found a lack of current employability services that specifically target veterans who may be vulnerable or need additional support to get back into work. Employ-Able is intended to address this gap.

Gary Gray, Head of Welfare Services at Poppyscotland, commented: “A small but significant number of veterans face difficulty in adjusting to civilian life with many facing complex and multiple issues. Employment and mental health are areas of great concern as they impact greatly on all aspects of veterans’ lives and those of their families. By combining Poppyscotland’s knowledge of veterans’ issues and SAMH’s expertise we believe Employ-Able will tackle some of these key areas of difficulty and improve veterans’ prospects.”

Army veteran William Burnett (23) served with the Royal Regiment of Scotland for four years and saw service in Afghanistan. After leaving the Armed Forces William struggled to find a secure job but he is now in full-time employment as a warehouse assistant after taking part in Employ-Able. He said: “I was a nervous wreck when it came to interviews and never got the jobs I applied for. Employ-Able really helped me to get my confidence back. It helped me to develop my skills and I received support to prepare for interviews and get my CV up to date.

“I am now in a full-time job, which is going really well, and I am still in contact with my work preparation adviser who is there to offer me ongoing support. I would recommend Employ-Able to anyone who is unsure about how to get back into work after their time in the Forces.”

To find out more about Employ-Able call Poppyscotland’s Employment Services Co-ordinator Dot Pringle on 0131 550 1568 or email d.pringle@poppyscotland.org.uk

Poppy Appeal launched

Susan Boyle launched the 2012 Poppy Appeal in Glasgow today, and people all over the country are being urged to dig deep to support ex-servicemen and their families. The launch is also the culmination of another year of hard work for the locally-based Lady Haig Poppy Factory – staff at Warriston have produced five million poppies for this year’s appeal.

Poppyscotland, the charity which runs the appeal, uses all the money raised to support Scotland’s ex-service members and their families. Last year a record-breaking £2.68m was raised during the Scottish poppy appeal, and the charity hopes to top that total this year – despite the ongoing economic gloom.

Ian McGregor, chief executive of Poppyscotland, said: “These are hard times. We know that the Scottish public has been tremendously supportive of our work in the past. We know we’re asking a lot, but we’re saying please can we increase that sum because the need is still there. It won’t go away. We have to be there for the long haul to support the Armed Forces and veterans community in Scotland.”

Around five million poppies and 8,000 wreaths are hand-assembled by 40 veterans with disabilities every year at Lady Haig’s Poppy Factory, which are then distributed across Scotland by about 10,000 volunteers.

The Lady Haig Poppy Factory has always had an association with North Edinburgh, and is now based in Warriston Road. The organisation’s website explains:

‘The original Lady Haig Poppy Factory was opened in March 1926, employing men who had been disabled during World War 1 to make poppies for Scotland. We moved into the Warriston Road factory in 1965 and currently have a work force of 40 ex-Servicemen, the large majority of whom are registered disabled. While we are a commercial organisation, we are also a charity that provides dignity through work. Many of our workers have been with us for many years and there is a palpable feeling of the military about the place that provides a comfortable and secure atmosphere, for both visitors and workers alike. We work hard to ensure it remains primarily a happy and productive place.

As well as the five million poppies that are handmade each year, we also produce over 8,000 wreaths to order. We process over 25,000 collection tins and make up and dispatch orders to Poppy Appeal Area Organisers all over Scotland. We also make crosses for the Gardens of Remembrance and long stemmed poppies, for sale to the public via the factory.’

Lady Haig’s Poppy Factory also offers a comprehensive picture framing service and factory tours can also be arranged – although they are fully booked for this year. To book a slot for 2013 call Jackie Connolly on 550 1573 or email through the charity’s website at www.ladyhaigspoppyfactory.org.uk