Her Royal Highness Princess Anne visited PoppyScotland's newest premises in Glasgow
PoppyScotland was officially handed the keys to its newest premises today by Her Royal Highness Princess Anne
The Princess Royal visited Cameronian House in Holyrood Crescent, Glasgow, to mark the official handover of the premises from former British Army infantry regiment The Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) to the charity.
The Cameronians, whose Regimental Club occupied the premises from 1982, gifted the property to PoppyScotland in 2011 to enable it to become a base for the charity’s work and a hub for activity by the wider veterans’ charity sector in Scotland.
After extensive refurbishment, the building reopened in 2014, renamed Cameronian House, as a memorial to the regiment and its proud history.
It is now PoppyScotland’s operating base for its work in Glasgow and the West of Scotland.
Once it was clear we no longer needed the property, we gave it a great deal of thought and decided to gift the building to a very good cause
During the visit, Her Royal Highness met trustees and former Cameronians, as well as representatives of The Cameronians Regimental Museum.
She spent time talking to Lieutenant colonel Helen Homewood, whose uncle, John Erskine, served in The Cameronians and was awarded the Victoria Cross during the First World War.
PoppyScotland chairman, lieutenant commander Graeme Alexander, introduced Her Royal Highness to staff and volunteers from PoppyScotland as well as representatives of other organisations who operate from the building, including Combat Stress and the Regular Forces Employment Association.
Chief executive Ian McGregor said: “PoppyScotland is both honoured and proud to be able to preserve the memory of The Cameronians and their distinguished history in what is a very practical way, using Cameronian House as a base for our and others’ work to support the armed forces and veterans community.
“We have been delighted too, that Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal has marked the building’s handover by visiting Cameronian House, meeting the building’s users, volunteers and those from the charity and the Cameronians who have been involved in this exciting project.
“It has been the culmination of a lot of work and represents an exciting new chapter for our work in Glasgow.”
Her Royal Highness was received by the deputy lieutenant of the City of Glasgow, Sir Kenneth Calman, and was joined by the chairman of the Regimental Trustees of The Cameronians, Major Brian Leishman, in laying a wreath to the memory of the regiment at a memorial at the front of the building.
Before departing from Cameronian House, she unveiled a plaque to commemorate the occasion.
Major Leishman added: “Once it was clear to the regimental trustees that, given the ever-decreasing number of members, we no longer needed the property, we gave it a great deal of thought and decided to gift the building to a very good cause, namely PoppyScotland.”
