Major General David Shaw, flats under construction and the Veteran’s Badge.
By Lizzie Healey
The Veterans’ Foundation has awarded Erskine a generous grant of £20,000 towards the cost of constructing 24 independent living apartments on the Erskine Estate in Bishopton.
The award will enable Erskine to support younger Veterans through the provision of affordable, secure, purpose-built accommodation within a supportive community, where they can continue to engage with others who have shared experiences and backgrounds.
Erskine Chief Executive Ian Cumming MBE., said: “We are hugely grateful to the Trustees of the Veterans’ Foundation for this substantial grant towards the development of further Veterans’ accommodation on our Veterans Village in Bishopton.
“Erskine is renowned for sector-leading nursing and dementia care and support to older, more frail, or more vulnerable Veterans.
“However, with the support of friends like the Veterans’ Foundation, we are increasing the breadth and depth of charitable services available at Erskine, to help Veterans face and overcome any number of challenges at any stage in their lives, post-Service.
“The award of £20,000 will enable us to support younger Veterans of working age who need a safe base from which to recuperate, reflect and retrain before starting the next chapter of their lives.”
Major General David Shaw, Chief Executive and Founder of the Veterans’ Foundation, commented: “I am delighted that the Veterans’ Foundation has been able to provide some funds to enable Erskine to build the new Veterans’ accommodation on the Erskine Estate.
“This development will help many deserving Veterans and we thank the public for raising this money, mostly by playing the Veterans’ Lottery.”
The Veterans’ Foundation was established in 2016 to create a new and nationwide source of funding to help Armed Forces charities who support serving and former members of the British Armed Forces, and their dependants, who are in need.
Ian Cumming said: “The Foundation supports a wide range of projects including those that reduce homelessness, increase employability and increase confidence and social integration.
“To date the Foundation has given over £1 million in grants to over 100 organisations, mainly charities, delivering such projects; income comes predominantly through the Veterans’ Lottery.
“In this regard, we are delighted to be working with Erskine on the development of further accommodation for Veterans on the Erskine Estate. http://www.veteransfoundation.org.uk
“Construction of the apartments is proceeding well and we envisage welcoming the first residents to their new homes during Autumn 2019.
“To find out more about the project please visit: http://www.erskine.org.uk/getsupport/accommodation/single-living-accommodation/ or contact Tracy Higgins on 0141 814 4578/ accommodation@erskine.org.uk.
And in Argyll and Bute meanwhile, closer to Civvy Street, community groups wanting to build affordable homes in Argyll and Bute will now be able to benefit from the council’s Strategic Housing Fund.
At a recent meeting of Argyll and Bute Council, members agreed to extend the funding criteria to include community groups, as well as registered social landlords, providing they secure a Rural Housing Fund and/or Islands Housing Fund grant from the Scottish Government.
Those who qualify will then be awarded £12,000 per affordable house delivered, for new build properties which meet the criteria.
The council’s Policy Lead for Housing, Councillor Robin Currie, said: “We have projected delivery of more than 790 affordable homes between now and 2021.
“This is on top of the 336 affordable homes that have already been delivered in the current Argyll and Bute Local Housing Strategy for 2016 to 2021. This makes a potential total of over 1,100 affordable homes – far exceeding the target of 550 that we set back in 2016.
“The extension of this fund is a great opportunity for community groups across Argyll and Bute to help meet the needs of their local area and build affordable housing in remote and rural communities.”