Funding allocated for Angus veterans and families projects
Two Angus projects which help local veterans are among 30 Scottish groups to receive funding from the Scottish Veterans Fund.
The Scottish Government has made £600,000 available through the Scottish Veterans Fund to support a variety of initiatives across Scotland, the successful applicants being announced recently by Veterans Minisiter Graeme Dey.
The fund, which the Scottish Government had committed to maintain for the rest of the parliament, was boosted with a further £100,000 in the 26-27 budget.
Localy, the Royal Marines Association in Arbroath has been granted £27,000 over the next three years to fund a Transition Support Officer, to be based at 45 Commando in the town.
Reading Force, which operates across several areas including Angus, has received just over £30,000 over three years for its free story-sharing initiative.
The project will continue and expand its free story-sharing initiative for the Veteran community across Scotland, supporting Service leavers, their spouses, partners and children, and bereaved families with resources to help look after their own wellbeing and stay well within their communities.
Nationally, other recipients of the 2026-27 funding round include:-
Scottish Veterans Residences, which is awarded £40,000 for employability and mental health work with homeless ex-servicemen and women
Shared Parenting Scotland, which will receive £16,500 to work with veterans and their families who are going through family break-up
Erskine, which receives £9631 to support veterans experiencing hearing loss.
Since its launch in 2008, the fund has provided more than £3.8 million to nearly 220 individual projects. Veterans Minister Graeme Dey announced the successful applicants during a visit to the On Course Foundation at Drumoig Golf Hotel in Fife. The scheme helps wounded or sick veterans recover their confidence through golf.
He said : “The Scottish Veterans Fund has supported thousands of veterans and their families with services such as financial support, employability and by helping them cope with mental and physical health challenges.
“This year’s funding allocations will continue to provide targeted support, and prioritise projects that address recommendations made by the Scottish Veterans Commissioner Susie Hamilton. The Scottish Government is committed to supporting service personnel and their families – past or present, living or based in Scotland – and to ensuring they have access to all the help, support and public services they require.”
Ms Hamilton added: “It was greatly encouraging to see such a strong field of high-quality applications from organisations across Scotland. I warmly welcome the increase in funding to £600,000 this year, enabling support for a greater number of impactful projects.
"I was particularly pleased to note proposals that align closely with recommendations made by my predecessors and me, including in the areas of justice and financi al well-being, and those reaching the less heard from parts of the veteran community.”