WAR veterans from the bloody battlefields of Afghanistan and Iraq are being helped back to a normal life on Civvy Street.
Thursday 16/10/2014
A lifeline is being offered in Glasgow's East End with the launch of a multi-million pound housing complex for ex-servicemen and women.
The £6.7million develop-ment in Cranhill was given the royal seal of approval when it was officially opened by the Queen's cousin, the Duke of Gloucester.
The Duke is patron of the Scottish Veterans Residences (SVR), a charity which has been the driving force behind the Bellrock Crescent complex which offers 30 supported flats and 21 family homes for rent.
The Duke was joined at the opening ceremony yesterday by senior politicians and representatives from the Armed Forces as well as several charities.
The East End facility is for veterans up to the age of 60 who have returned from war zones, including Iraq and Afghanistan but are struggling to get a home and adapt to life civilian life.
The Cranhill development will offer real hope with a programme of training, education, employment and recreation and the help of partner organisations.
The launch comes at a time when statistics from the Scottish Government reveal that almost 1100 ex-service personnel made homeless applications with councils across the country last year. Most - nearly 800 - were assessed as priority homeless.
SVR chairman Major General Mark Strudwick said: "This facility is an important step forward in helping us address the very specific problems of veterans who are in need of dedicated support especially here in the west of Scotland where we have not previously had a presence."
He pointed out that 20,000 servicemen and women leave the Armed Forces every year in the UK and that almost all make a successful transition.
But the major told how it can be a traumatic time for others. He said: "A number will sadly struggle with poor mental health, unemploy-ment, family breakdown and homelessness."
The charity's chief executive Phil Cox said: "The Scottish Government figures showing nearly 800 veterans are without a home only tells part of the story.
"We know from the work we do in other parts of Scotland that many more fall below the radar and never appear on an official register.
"As well as offering affordable housing for ex-service people and their families, the develop-ment in Glasgow is focused on providing supported tempor-ary accommodation for those veterans who have nowhere else to turn and giving them the crucial support they need to get back on their feet."
Several agencies and charities helped towards the cost of the development with Holyrood ministers agreeing to contribute £2.3m.
Scotland's Veterans Minister Keith Brown said: "I'd like to congratulate Scottish Veterans Residences who have done an outstand-ing job in delivering this fantastic housing complex."
gordon.thomson@ eveningtimes.co.uk
