Poppyscotland's Inverness Welfare Centre will hold a special event this week

Older people are being invited to see behind the scenes at a charity.

To mark the UN International Day of Older Persons (Sunday 1 October), Poppyscotland’s Inverness Welfare Centre will host an Older People’s Open Day on Friday 29 September.

The event from 12pm to 4pm will be held to raise awareness of the services on offer at the centre along with the millions of pounds that has been set aside to support older veterans and their families in Scotland.

Earlier this year, a consortium of organisations, led by Poppyscotland, was awarded £4 million from the Aged Veterans Fund to undertake a three-year programme of support for older veterans.

Out of that, the Unforgotten Forces collaboration was born. Now, this consortium of 15 organisations is working to deliver a range of services and enhancements in areas such as advice, access to healthcare, social isolation and respite, along with creative activities and events for those in care settings.

Mark Bibbey, chief executive of Poppyscotland, said the event is aiming to raise awareness of the initiatives in the north of Scotland.

He said: “Poppyscotland’s strategy has been to build a wide portfolio of complementary activity and to work in partnership with like-minded organisations to provide enhanced and well-defined services.

“If a veteran is engaged with one organisation, for example, they can immediately be referred to another – or multiple consortium members if required.

“The essence is strength in numbers and we want the identity of our consortium to reflect this. And that is what the Older People’s Open Day is about as we work to roll out these services and to let those in the area know that we are here and that funding is in place.”