More cash needed to help fund vital veterans' services
A new fundraising push is being made to support more Scots veterans.
Give A Little For Veterans campaign, which runs throughout April, aims to raise cash that will to support the work of Legion Scotland.
Legion Scotland runs 165 branches, 65 clubs and more than 31,000 members and provides wellbeing and befriending services for all veterans.
But as the largest ex-service membership organisation north of the border the organisation is finding it increasingly difficult to fund the services it runs hence the need for a new fundraising drive.
Charlie Brown, the acting national chairman of Legion Scotland, said: “We hope everyone will get behind our Give A Little For Veterans campaign. As a nation we are very good at remembering those who fell in conflicts but sometimes we forget those who survived, or are unaware of the difficulties some may face after leaving the armed forces.
“Some veterans struggle at different points in their lives and Legion Scotland is there to provide the support they need when they need it. It’s also important to recognise that many veterans are young people, something that is not always appreciated.”
When you serve in the armed forces it becomes your home, your life and your family - John Thompson
John Thompson, a member of Legion Scotland for more than 40 years and president of the Livingston branch, said: “When you serve in the armed forces it becomes your home, your life and your family. When you leave you lose all that. I’ve seen veterans literally transform after they’ve joined the branch; feelings of isolation and loneliness begin to lift because they’re surrounded by folk who understand them.”
As the guardian of remembrance in Scotland, it also organises many of the remembrance events that take place each year including the Remembrance Sunday event in Edinburgh’s Royal Mile.
Debbie Whittaker added: “After I left the Royal Navy it took me a long time to find a place where I felt I belonged. When I moved to Edinburgh I met other Wrens who were members of Legion Scotland. They encouraged me to come to social events at their branch, and the people I meet there made me feel welcomed and understood.
“Their friendship spurred me to move to Livingston and now I feel as if I have found a place I can call home. There is no reason for any veteran to feel alone with Legion Scotland around.”
