£500,000 for projects across Scotland
Seventeen projects across Scotland have been awarded funds totalling £500,000 to help ex-service personnel access support for physical and mental health, financial, employment and cost of living challenges.
The grant awards for 2023-24 are from the Scottish Veterans Fund, which has now provided more than £2.8 million to nearly 220 projects since 2008.
Veterans Minister Graeme Dey announced the funding awards while visiting Community Veterans Support in Glasgow. The organisation has been awarded £18,536 for its Warmer, Healthier, Safer Veterans project which is providing food, peer support and financial advice to veterans facing challenges as a result of the cost of living crisis.
Mr Dey said: “Scotland has a long and proud military tradition and we must ensure our veterans and their families continue to be supported during this cost of living crisis.
“I am grateful for the close-knit charity sector here in Scotland, and I’m continually impressed by the level, and quality, of support charities are providing. The excellent work of Community Veterans Support is a great example of what can be achieved.
“Each of the seventeen projects awarded funding from the Scottish Veterans Fund this year will make a real difference and will mean our veterans can get the help they need, when they need it.”
The Scottish Veterans Fund (SVF) was set up in 2008-2009 as the Scottish Government’s main means of directly supporting veterans in Scotland.
From 2022-2023 the fund has been increased to £500,000 annually, with organisations able to bid for up to £50,000 per project.
Below is a full list of projects which will receive SVF funding this year:
| Organisation | Project Title | Amount | Project Overview |
| Community Veterans Support | Warmer, Healthier, Safer Veterans | £18,536 | Extend “Warmer Spaces” provision for veterans into evenings and weekends, including food, peer support and financial advice. |
| Erskine | One-Stop-Shop | £13,450 | Extend provision of tailored financial advocacy, guidance and support to veterans through Erskine’s One Stop Shop. |
| Fighting with Pride | The Journey Home Project in Scotland | £49,042 | Fund the introduction and development of the Veterans Standard Manager role in Scotland to build the community of LGBT veterans in Scotland and support developing capacity in services that can support that community. |
| FirstLightTrust | Supporting the support | £25,000 | Introduce a new support worker for the Hawick Hub to help develop support pathways for veterans impaired by physical or psychological trauma. |
| Forces Children Scotland | Future Transitions | Financial Education for Civilian Life | £38,624 | Develop a bespoke financial education service to support children, young people and parents in making the transition from military to civilian life. |
| Forces Employment Charity | Early Service Leavers – Scotland Co-Ordinator | £50,000 | Continue pilot scheme from 2022-23, which introduced an Early Service Leavers co-ordinator for Scotland to provide dedicated employment support for this vulnerable cadre. |
| Lothian Veterans Centre | Warm Welcome for veterans and their families | £22,572 | Provide support in current cost of living crisis by opening warm hub for veterans and their families to provide food, heating and social interaction in a location that can provide onward access to other support. |
| Military Wives Choir | Supporting our Hidden Community | £40,000 | Enhance level of support given to members in Scotland and to reach and recruit more members amongst women whose lives are currently impacted by their connection to the military. |
| On Course Foundation | Golf skills and employment programme | £16,344 | Deliver a sustainable golf skills and employment programme with confidence building events, peer networking and employment experience and opportunities. |
| RAF Association | The Battle Ahead | £23,695 | Provide programme of support to ensure that no member of the RAF veterans community is left cold, hungry or lonely as a result of the cost of living crisis. |
| RAF Benevolent Fund | Scottish Welfare Support Executive | £17,032 | Provide welfare support to RAF veterans and their dependants with complex needs living in Scotland. Assess individual’s circumstances and create tailored support plans. |
| Salute my Job | Career Jumpstart Programme | £41,700 | The Career Jumpstart Project aims to reskill jobseekers from the Armed Forces community for employment in roles in greatest demand in public, private and third sector. |
| Scotland Bravest Manufacturing Company | Enhanced Manufacturing Traineeship | £50,000 | Provide opportunities for early service leavers and other veterans to obtain qualifications and sustainable employment with the support of a qualified trainer. |
| Scottish Veterans Residences | Occupational Therapy to Improve Veterans’ Health and Wellbeing | £43,150 | Employ a full time occupational therapist to support Veterans’ physical and mental health recovery and rehabilitation through the use of a holistic and biophysical approach. |
| SSAFA | Professional Support to Relieve the Cost of Living Crisis | £10,000 | Partly fund the employment of a Regional Casework manager to better manage workload of case workers in Scotland to provide a more agile and individualised response to veterans. |
| Thistle Health and Wellbeing | Meaningful Connections | £20,124 | Support 150 veterans and their families across Scotland who have been severely impacted by long term conditions, particularly early service leavers, medically discharged veterans and those with mental health needs. |
| Veterans Housing Scotland | Tenancy Sustainment Service | £20,000 | Expand pilot project to identify and support tenants at risk of tenancy failure. |
