Tag: tenth anniversary

Veterans’ Foundation launches Britain’s biggest thank you to veterans in Edinburgh

The Armed Forces Pledge will unite people across Britain to stand with millions who have served, as Mark Ormrod warns his generation of veterans is disappearing from public view

The Veterans’ Foundation is calling on people across Britain to show veterans they have not been forgotten, as it launches The Armed Forces Pledge – Britain’s biggest thank you to veterans.

People across Britain can add their name to The Armed Forces Pledge and leave a message of support, creating Britain’s biggest thank you to the more than 1.8 million veterans living in the UK today.

Veterans’ Foundation Ambassador and former Royal Marine Mark Ormrod MBE will formally launch the Pledge at Merchants Hall in Edinburgh on the evening of 30 September, at an event marking the 10th anniversary of the Veterans’ Foundation, which was founded in the city in 2016.

Earlier that day, Mark  Veterans’ Foundation Trustee Guy Cartwright and representatives from Scottish grant recipient organisations including Scottish Veterans Residences, Vector24 and Housing Options Scotland for a media photocall at Whitefoord House, 53 Canongate, Edinburgh, a Scottish Veterans Residences site.

“My generation of veterans is disappearing from view,” Mark said. “When I was injured, Afghanistan was everywhere. You turned on the television and you saw it. You saw young men and women coming home with life-changing injuries.

“You saw families waiting at bedsides, families grieving, families suddenly having to rebuild their lives around someone who had come home completely changed – or who wasn’t coming home at all.

“People knew what was happening. But, nearly 19 years later, Afghanistan isn’t on the news. War isn’t sexy anymore – but we’re still here. I’m still here, and my legs aren’t going to grow back.”

The Armed Forces Pledge is intended to show that, however much time has passed, the service and sacrifice of those who served continue to be recognised and valued.

Today’s veterans span generations. They include those who served during National Service and in Northern Ireland, the Falklands and the Balkans, alongside a generation who served in Iraq and Afghanistan and men and women who have left the Armed Forces much more recently.

They are living and working in communities across the country, raising families, building careers, and running businesses. Most make a successful transition into civilian life and will never need specialist support.

But leaving the Armed Forces does not always mean leaving the consequences of service behind. For some veterans and their families, the need for support is immediate. For others, it can emerge years or even decades later, through physical or mental health problems, difficulties with housing or employment, isolation, financial hardship or pressures on family life.

Don’t forget about us

Mark Ormrod MBE was 24 and serving with 40 Commando Royal Marines in Afghanistan when, on Christmas Eve 2007, he knelt on an improvised explosive device, losing both legs and his right arm. Three weeks later, the previously six-foot-two Royal Marine was told he would never walk again.

With the support of his family, the military community and charities, Mark rebuilt his life and went on to become a multiple-medal-winning Invictus Games competitor and build a successful new career.

“I had my family, the military community and charities that gave me opportunities, and I know how lucky that makes me,” Mark said. “I’ve had an incredible life. I’ve competed at the Invictus Games, won medals, travelled the world and built a career. People know my story, but there are thousands of veterans whose stories we never hear.

“They’re not at the Invictus Games and they’re not being interviewed, but what they gave matters just as much. They still served our nation, they’re still living with whatever their service left them with, and they’re part of my military family.”

This year marks 20 years since British forces deployed to Helmand Province in southern Afghanistan, where Mark would be catastrophically injured. More than 150,000 UK military personnel would serve in Afghanistan during the campaign.

“Some people needed help straight away, while others built careers, raised families and got on with their lives before, ten or twenty years later, something catches up with them,” Mark said. “For some of us, when the uniform comes off, the battle continues.

“That’s what worries me – the veterans you don’t see. The ones who aren’t in the news or at Invictus, whose families might be quietly trying to hold things together. They served this country and then simply disappeared back into everyday life. Don’t forget about them.”

Britain’s biggest thank you to veterans

The Veterans’ Foundation has created the Armed Forces Pledge to give people across Britain a simple way to show that the Armed Forces community has not been forgotten. By adding their name and leaving a message of support for veterans, serving personnel and their families, they will become part of Britain’s biggest thank you to veterans – recognising the service and sacrifice of the Armed Forces community long after a conflict has disappeared from the headlines or someone has taken off their uniform.

Jane Gurney, Chief Executive of the Veterans’ Foundation, said: “The Armed Forces community is enormously diverse. Behind the word ‘veteran’ are people of different ages, backgrounds and experiences, most of whom are simply getting on with their lives and making an enormous contribution to the communities around them.

“But sometimes service can leave a legacy, and when somebody does need support – whether that is during service, immediately after leaving the Armed Forces or many years later – we want to ensure the right help is there.

“For ten years, the Veterans’ Foundation has backed the organisations closest to those people and their families. We have awarded more than £40 million, but we know there is much more to do.

“The Armed Forces Pledge is an opportunity for the whole country to stand alongside our community. It is a thank you for what they have given, but it is also a very simple way of saying: we remember you, we value your service and we are still with you.”

Mark Ormrod OBE; Ambassador Veterans’ Foundation

The Veterans’ Foundation was founded in Edinburgh ten years ago. Since 2016, the Foundation has awarded more than £40 million through more than 1,500 grants to over 600 organisations supporting veterans, serving personnel and their families across the UK, and has set an ambition to invest £200 million in the Armed Forces community by its twentieth anniversary.

To make the Armed Forces Pledge, add your name and leave a message at: veteransfoundation.org.uk/signthepledge.

Walking football club marks decade of transforming lives at Oriam  

One of Scotland’s largest walking football clubs has marked a decade of success playing at a leading sports facility, where it has helped to improve the health and wellbeing of hundreds over the years.

Oriam Walking Football (OWF) has been playing at Heriot-Watt University’s Oriam, where for the last ten years it has welcomed men and women of all abilities to play.

Recently, over 60 of its members gathered to mark this success at its annual summer gathering at Oriam, with players taking part in a round robin and raising £330 on the day for the club’s 2026 charity partner, Care & Repair Edinburgh.

The celebrations also had a wider community impact: in the week leading up to the event, OWF held a food drive, and presented local charity Community for Food with a cheque for £500.

The club has fast become a vital pillar of the local community, helping older men and women build friendships and improve physical and mental wellbeing in a supportive and accessible environment.

Paul Rendall, club Chair, said: “Our club motto is ‘more than a football club’ and it sums up everything we’ve been building here at Oriam.

“We started as a small pilot in 2015 on the outdoor pitches at Balerno High School, where we wanted to bring walking football to this corner of Edinburgh.

“When Oriam opened its doors in 2016, we jumped at the chance to move indoors, and we’ve just continued to grow every single year since.

“We now have over 135 registered players, the oldest of whom is 84. Walking football here is open to women aged 40 and over and men aged 50 and over – some haven’t kicked a ball in years, others have played all their lives. In 2025 alone, over 4,000 player places were taken up, and in the year to date we’ve already seen a 45% uplift on those numbers

“But what’s been most incredible to witness over the past decade is the friendships that have formed and the camaraderie that’s developed, along with the walking groups, social clubs and other activities that have grown up alongside the football.

“Oriam has been a gamechanger for us. Having world-class indoor facilities means we can play whatever the weather, and for a group of players in their 40s, 50s, 60s and beyond, that accessibility makes all the difference. It’s been remarkable to see the impact it has had on people’s lives.”

Over the past decade, the club has grown into a thriving community, with regular sessions and competitive fixtures taking place at Oriam’s world class indoor facilities, as well as providing a growing range of social activities.

Walking football is one of the UK’s fastest growing sports and is a slower-paced version of the game, where players must keep one foot on the ground at all times. 

The ball must be kept below crossbar height, with no heading, no tackling from behind and a three-touch limit per player, rules designed to keep the game safe, fair and enjoyable for all.

OWF currently runs four open social sessions each week at Oriam and fields seven competitive teams across a range of age groups, including over-50s, over-60s, over-65s, over-70s and an over-40s ladies squad, who are currently unbeaten in their first ever league campaign.

Chris Sellar, Director of Delivery at Oriam, said: “When we first supported this pilot back in 2015, we could see the potential for walking football to make a real difference in the local community. What OWF has built over the past decade has surpassed all expectations.

“This is exactly what Oriam is about. Yes, we are home to some of Scotland’s elite athletes, but we are just as committed to ensuring our facilities are open and accessible to people of all ages and abilities.

“OWF embodies that perfectly, proving that sport has no age limit and that staying active, whatever form that takes, can genuinely transform lives.”

Beyond the football, OWF has built a thriving social hub, with a walking group, grub club, golf club, pool club, badminton, all growing organically from the club, ensuring members stay connected year-round regardless of whether they can play.

Charitable giving has also become central to the club’s ethos. Last year, OWF chose Alzheimer Scotland as its charity partner for its tenth anniversary year, raising over £6,200 for the organisation.

It is a milestone that reflects the broader spirit of Oriam itself, which is also celebrating a decade of success since opening in 2016.

Born out of a £33 million national investment, Scotland’s Sports Performance Centre is home to world-class facilities and counts the SFA, Scottish Rugby, and Heart of Midlothian as just some of the large elite organisations that uses its facilities.

Domestic Abuse: Tenth anniversary of Disclosure Scheme launch

POLICE Scotland: Today marks ten years the Disclosure Scheme for Domestic Abuse Scotland (DSDAS) launched.

The scheme provides a formal way of sharing information about a partner’s abusive past, with a potential victim.

The Disclosure Scheme for Domestic Abuse Scotland (DSDAS) is a way to find information about whether a person has an abusive past. This information can be used to prevent someone from experiencing domestic abuse in the future.

You can make a DSDAS application if you:

  • think you might be at risk of domestic abuse
  • are worried someone you know might be at risk of domestic abuse

We’ll only make a disclosure after we’ve considered all factors. We’ll assess the threat carefully, and we’ll decide if we need to share information to prevent a person from experiencing domestic abuse.

We may also speak to other agencies to help us make sure a disclosure is the right option.

If you’re making the application on behalf of someone else, we cannot make the disclosure to you. We can only make a disclosure to the person who is at risk to support and help protect them.

The police will act immediately if they think you or someone else needs to be protected from harm.

How to apply:

There are a few ways to apply for a domestic abuse disclosure. You can:

https://orlo.uk/wwe2C DSDAS form

https://orlo.uk/CPBus

Scottish Book Trust celebrates 10 years of Read Write Count

Scottish Book Trust celebrates 10 years of Read Write Count book gifting with Edinburgh International Book Festival

National charity Scottish Book Trust has partnered with the Edinburgh International Book Festival (EIBF) to host a special free event for 300 school children to celebrate 10 years of Read Write Count, on Wednesday 20 August.

Read Write Count with the First Minister is a universal national book gifting programme for pupils in Primary 2 and 3 all over Scotland. Since 2015 over 2.5 million books have been gifted to children.

The book Shifty McGifty and Slippery Sam by Tracey Corderoy and Steven Lenton was in the very first Read Write Count bag in 2015. The writer and illustrator duo will now host a special event at EIBF tomorrow at 11am. 300 school children will attend the free event with hundreds more watching on live stream across Scotland.

Research by Scottish Book Trust revealed that 85% of parents said that Read Write Count bags helped them to engage better with their children’s learning, while 90% of schools felt that gifting the bags had made a positive impact to their relationship with families.

One parent of brother Ollie, who received the first Read Write Count bag in 2015, and younger sister Elia, who will receive her own bag this year in Primary 2, commented: “We have always loved getting our Bookbug bags so when Ollie got his drawstring Read Write Count bag we were chuffed to have new books and games to use as a family!

“Now Elia will get her own P2 bag this year – we can’t wait!”

First Minister John Swinney said: “Books have the power to open our imagination to new worlds, which makes introducing reading from a young age so vitally important. We also know that nurturing positive relationships with reading supports improved wellbeing and attainment for children.

“Over the past ten years, the Read Write Count programme has played a vital role in supporting more children to access and take joy in reading, and it is more important than ever to recognise and celebrate this incredible milestone.”

Marc Lambert, CEO of Scottish Book Trust, said: “It is wonderful to mark the milestone and legacy of ten years of Read Write Count.

“Gifting books to children to enjoy with their families and carers is vital, helping to give them not only the best start in life but the lasting benefits that comes with having books at home.”

The event will also launch the books and contents of the 2025 Read Write Count bag, which will be distributed through schools during Book Week Scotland in November. Read Write Count with the First Minister is funded by Scottish Government.

DFN celebrates decade of improving disability employment in Edinburgh

The DFN Charitable Foundation (DFN Foundation) is celebrating 10 years of tackling complex societal problems and delivering transformative outcomes for unheard voices in the UK and further afield. 

The DFN Foundation was set up in 2014 by David Forbes-Nixon OBE with a focus on working across four key pillars: education, employability, healthcare and wildlife conservation.  

Over the past decade, DFN Foundation has achieved incredible results in all these areas including setting up a school for pupils with special educational needs at Undershaw and establishing an employability charity, DFN Project SEARCH, which helps get young people with a learning disability and/or autism into jobs. 

Further work across the pillars has seen the UK charity supporting a Myeloma Research Programme improving survival rates in myeloma patients with high-risk myeloma and ensuring the survival of the British butterfly, through its work with the Big Butterfly Count.  

Founder and Chairman, David Forbes-Nixon said: “I was inspired to set up the DFN Foundation, to honour two of my personal heroes: my son Charlie who has learning and physical disabilities; and my mother who died of multiple myeloma. Over the past decade, our work has strived to create a better world in their legacy and for generations to come.”

The DFN Foundation has achieved a milestone of 10 years’ operating as an industry leading Strategic Commissioning Charity, partnering with the best-in-class charities or setting up its own to deliver the best results for some of the most pressing challenges facing society.  

Founded in 2014, the DFN Foundation has strived to make a difference by bringing together the right talent, operating with a business mindset, and staying laser focused on specific goals. 

The DFN Foundation was initially focused on improving Disability Employment, Special Needs Education and Healthcare, with these issues all affecting Founder and Chairman, David Forbes-Nixon on a personal level.  

David said: “At the start, I wanted the DFN Foundation to focus on the two main causes that I was passionate about: supporting education and employment opportunities for young disabled people; and finding a cure for multiple myeloma.  

“However, as we grew, we broadened our scope and we looked to take on some of the most pressing social challenges that often struggle to attract mainstream support because they are viewed as risky, difficult or simply impossible. 

“In order to achieve this, I assembled a high-quality board of trustees for the DFN Foundation and we agreed to focus on education, employment, healthcare and wildlife conservation alongside establishing four main goals for the first 10 years. “ 

Highlights for the DFN Foundation over the past decade include establishing a world class special needs school at Undershaw, and positively influencing best practice around disability employment through a separate employability charity, DFN Project SEARCH. 

DFN Project SEARCH was founded in 2018 by David Forbes-Nixon to ensure that young people with special educational needs and learning disabilities receive high quality work-related learning and improved access to long-term paid employment.  

70% of DFN Project SEARCH graduates achieve jobs, and 60% achieve full-time permanent roles, compared to the national average of 4.8% of people with a learning disability who are known to local authorities. Moreover, DFN Project SEARCH has got 2,200 young adults with a learning disability and/or autism into jobs so far. 

DFN Foundation’s work in healthcare has looked to improve survival rates of myeloma and advance cures through strategic funding of high-quality research which will benefit patients to live longer lives.  

As part of this funding, clinical trials of Optimum MUK9 saw 75% of the sample group in the trials still in remission 36 months after starting treatment: this makes it the most successful privately funded UK myeloma clinical trials ever. 

The DFN Foundation’s effort to improve wildlife conservation have seen it look to ensure the survival of the British butterfly, through increasing awareness and sponsoring the Big Butterfly Count, a UK-wide citizen science survey. 

David said: “On our tenth anniversary year, I think it is important that we take stock and look back on all the incredible achievements that we have had as a Foundation but also look forward to the next stage in our growth.  

“As part of this, we want to continue to support Undershaw so it becomes a world class special needs school rated ‘Outstanding’ by Ofsted across all categories and commit additional financial support to DFN Project SEARCH to help get 20,000 young disabled people into jobs by 2034.  

“We also want to support securing a route to market for OPTIMUM (MUKnine) clinical trials so that as many myeloma patients as possible can benefit from this pioneering set of drug therapies and share results globally through publications and presentations by Dr Kaiser.  

“The DFN Foundation will continue our work in partnership with The Pangolin Project to ensure survival of the Giant Ground Pangolin in the Nyekweri Ecosystem in Kenya.   

“Finally, we want to make sure that the DFN Foundation has a lasting impact and as part of our policy work we will launch the DFN Scholars programme and continue to work with Disability Employment Charter and the Centre of Social Justice and lobby policymakers in Parliament with a goal of reducing the disability employment gap.” 

Scottish Flood Forecasting Service marks 10th Anniversary

The Scottish Flood Forecasting Service (SFFS) is today marking a decade of supporting the nation’s preparedness and response to flooding.

Staffed around the clock 365 days a year, the service has been combining hydrological and meteorological data to provide strengthened flood forecasting for Scotland over the last 10 years, and is a close partnership between The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) and the Met Office.

Its team of experts across Scotland has delivered more than 3800 national flood guidance statements. These five day forecasts are issued daily to a range of 230 organisations including emergency services and local authorities, helping emergency responders prepare in advance for the impacts of flooding.

Climate change is likely to bring increased risk of coastal, river and surface water flooding. With sea level rise and more extreme weather, including wetter winters, more intense rainfall and thundery weather in summer, the increasing importance of the service to help Scotland prepare and adapt is clear.

The service has played a critical role in forecasting impacts from some of the most significant weather events of the decade, including storms Desmond and Frank in 2015. These saw SEPA issue its first severe Flood Warning since the formation of the SFFS, and its highest number of Flood Warnings in one day (101 warnings) respectively.  

Terry A’Hearn, SEPA CEO, said: “Over the last ten years, the SFFS has proved a vital service to help Scotland prepare in advance for the worst impacts of flooding. Preparation is crucial, as we saw in the last fortnight when towns from Aberdeenshire to the Scottish Borders flooded. 

“The threat from flooding is real and growing. As well as posing a risk to properties, infrastructure and our environment, it can pose a serious threat to life. We and our partners at the Met Office, together with flood management authorities, community responders and communities themselves all have key roles to play as Scotland learns to live safely with flooding.”

Over the last 10 years, the Met Office has made continual improvements to the radar network and other weather technology. This enables the SFFS to issue more detailed daily flood guidance, with ever increasing lead-time and confidence.

Met Office Chief Executive Professor Penny Endersby said: “Climate change is not only resulting in a warming climate but also more intense rainfall which has a crucial bearing on the SFFS’s operations. The risk and impacts of flooding are likely to increase over the coming years, meaning we will need to continue to adapt our services. 

“Forecasting skills are constantly evolving and developing thanks to world leading, cutting-edge science and technology and as we look to the future it is clear that we will need to continue to work together if we are to ensure that Scotland will continue to stay safe and thrive.”

The service was also recognised by the Royal Meteorological Society for its pioneering work to provide the UK’s first operational 24-hour surface water flood risk forecast during the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

Showing street-level surface water predictions for the first time, the project was the result of joint research with Scotland’s Centre of Expertise for Waters, CREW, and has helped improve understand of flooding that doesn’t arise from rivers or the sea.

The launch of the SFFS in March 2011 was supported by the Scottish Government.

Kenny Wratten, Chair of the Local Authorities Resilience Group Scotland, said: “Getting that five day forecast of flooding every morning from SFFS helps councils plan and deliver flood mitigation and response. 

“The earlier we get an indication of what’s expected and where, the better we and other responders can gear up to make best use of available resource in areas we know are most likely to be affected. 

“For councils this might include extra maintenance in trouble spots, considering road closures, the deployment of flood protection measures, and making arrangements to assist people. More than anything it’s about working together using best knowledge to support our communities.”

Paul Laidlaw, Resilience Manager for the Scottish Flood Forum said: “Services from the SFFS are invaluable to the Scottish Flood Forum (SFF), as they help us to work with communities to build actions that help them prepare for flooding.

“The Flood Guidance Statement in particular helps us and other recognised community responders get enough of a heads-up to prepare where flood recovery resources may need to be deployed, to help those impacted.

“It also provides an excellent learning tool for us to help communities develop flood plans and response exercises, which alongside SEPA Flood Warning messages helps them better avoid, reduce or prevent damages that all too often can leave physical and psychological scars.”

In addition to the five-day flood forecast shared with emergency responders and those with flood-risk management duties, plans are also in progress for a public-facing three-day flood forecasting product, being developed in consultation with the public.

SEPA is Scotland’s national flood forecasting, flood warning and strategic flood risk management authority. As well as working in partnership with the Met Office to forecast for flooding, it operates Floodline in Scotland to warn the public and emergency responders when flooding is likely.

It issues regional Flood Alerts – early advice that flooding is possible – across wide geographical areas covering the length and breadth of Scotland. It also issues local Flood Warnings in areas where it has developed river system monitoring and flood risk impact knowledge. These warnings are issued at shorter notice when it is more certain that a specific area will be affected.

Vincent Fitzsimons, SEPA’s Head of Flooding, added: “There are some simple steps you can take to help prepare for flooding, including signing up to Floodline, preparing a flood plan, familiarising yourself with how to shut off energy and water supplies, having key contact numbers to hand and considering the use of flood protection products.

“And when flooding does strike, remember these five important tips;

  1. Do not walk, drive or swim through flood water.
  2. Do avoid any form of direct contact with flood water as it could be contaminated.
  3. Do not use any electrical appliances.
  4. Do move to higher ground and wait for the emergency services to find you.
  5. Do co-operate with emergency services and your local authority who are responsible for co-ordinating relief measures.”

Further advice can be found at floodlinescotland.org.uk.

SEPA’s river level data webpages restored

Members of the public can access river level data from the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) for the first time since the cyber-attack on 24 December.

The data has remained available to SEPA staff ensuring delivery of nationally important flood forecasting, including Flood Alerts and Warnings, continued throughout. What was not possible was displaying the same information on public web pages.

SEPA’s river gauging network consists of over 350 sites. While between 10 and 15 percent of stations are not displaying data at present, work to bring these back online is progressing and new sites are being added every day. The page is available at sepa.org.uk/waterlevels.

Vincent Fitzsimons, SEPA’s Head of Hydrology, said: “We appreciate how valuable our river level data is, from those planning leisure activities to people looking for additional information during flooding.

“Flood Alerts and Warnings are always the most up-to-date information, but when river levels are very high and warnings are out we know residents use the site to see whether levels upstream are continuing to rise or have started to fall.

“Since the cyber-attack on Christmas Eve our staff have worked as quickly as possible to restore public access, and this is an important step in the restoration of information that we know people use.”

The river level service will still be subject to intermittent interruptions as additional work continues in the background but these will be kept to a minimum as much as possible.

The data download facility, rainfall web pages and historical river and rainfall data are not yet available.

SEPA is working to restore these services as quickly as possible and will continue to provide updates through its weekly service status updates published every Friday at at sepa.org.uk/servicestatus.