SAS man to open centre for veterans
New initiative for charity
28.02.2018 An SAS veteran will officially open a new facility at the Erskine home today.
The ribbon at the Erskine Reid Macewen Activity Centre will be cut by Colin MacLachlan, star of TV programme SAS – Who Dares Wins.
Erskine says the centre is a completely new initiative for the veterans’ charity.
It has been set up to enhance the quality of life and wellbeing of veterans in the community, and was developed as part of the Unforgotten Forces Project.
It will be open every weekday, offering veterans the opportunity to socialise, learn and develop new skills, enjoy a variety of activities, and access support services.
Activity centre manager Debs Dickson said: “We are creating something very special here on the Erskine estate.
“I have watched veterans progress immensely in the short period of time we have had with them. I strongly believe the secret is ensuring the activities centre is developed by participants for participants, to ensure we are creating a hub with veterans at its heart.”
Former Army chef Steven Wyllie has been a regular at the centre since it opened recently.
He suffers from post traumatic stress disorder, and finds it impossible to use public transport and for several years was confined to the house.
He said: “I am no longer socially isolated. I feel comfortable in the centre amongst the ex- military family. Being picked up at my front door and dropped off really helps. Otherwise, I would be unable to attend. I have enjoyed having access to a computer and researching my family tree.”
The doors of the centre opened for the first time in January, with 35 veterans using the facility to date.
The varied programme of activities changes on a weekly basis and are put together based on suggestions from the veterans. Popular activities include IT, genealogy, woodwork and model making and art. A number of the veterans are extremely talented artists who are relishing spending time with sessional workers in the art class, bosses say.
Visiting groups offering veterans’ support so far have included mentoring group Erskine Shoulder to Shoulder, Action on Hearing Loss, and there have been drop-in sessions with the Veterans’ Welfare Service and Armed Forces Advice Project.