Cooking with gas thanks to £2K grant FlightPath donation means veterans enjoy healthy lunches

A veterans project that meets in a former garden centre is blooming, thanks to a £2,000 cash injection from Glasgow Airport’s FlightPath Fund.

Glen Art has received the grant to help fund the recruitment of an armed services veteran in the role of caretaker and cook at the charity’s Bishopton centre.

Trained former Army cook Jimmy Church opens the charity’s base in the old garden centre three days a week and provides a healthy lunch for visiting veterans.

The centre is based in the grounds of Erskine Home and houses the charity’s popular Bravehound Project, which pairs suitable dogs and pups with veterans – particularly those living with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) – who are in need of companionship.

Veterans who are paired with dogs are given help to train their new companions, and receive financial support for costs including dog food, leads, collars, insurance costs and microchipping.

They also attend doggy coffee mornings and bring along their companions to socialise with other veterans and take part in regular training sessions.

Given the environment of the base, the group also take part in various horticultural activities.

Glen Art’s founder Fiona MacDonald said: “We’re incredibly grateful to the FlightPath Fund for this support.

“Jimmy is an amazing man, a wonderful gardener, a great cook and a brilliant teacher.

“He is teaching all of the veterans to cook so that our community of friends are able to grow and cook their food as well as to eat together.

“We’re now also working on a veterans cook book.

“Thanks to the FlightPath Fund, we’re able to pay for some of the many hours Jimmy puts in.”

Peter Carroll, who sits on the FlightPath Fund committee, said the project has many benefits.

He said: “I had the pleasure of meeting the group earlier this month and really enjoyed spending time with the attending veterans.

“It was great to see them meeting up and socialising.

“Jimmy is a terrific host and a very good cook, so I’m in no doubt the guys attending will be well fed.

“Glen Art is a great charity doing some fantastic work in supporting former members of our armed forces.

“The Bravehound project came to our attention last year and what a brilliant initiative it is.

“Fiona deserves huge credit for the work she does.”

The Glasgow Airport FlightPath Fund announced the introduction of a special one-off £25,000 support grant earlier this month.

The lump sum will provide a lasting benefit to one community group, charity or organisation in one of the four local authority areas service by the FlightPath Fund.  To apply for FlightPath Fund support, or the one- off £ 25,000 windfall, visit www.glasgowairport. com/community