Local MSP Brian Whittle has been highlighting the work of Poppyscotland in the Scottish Parliament following a visit to the charity’s new Ayrshire Welfare Centre. The MacRobert Centre on Kilmarnock’s King Street offers a wide range of support to members of the local Armed Forces community and their families.
One of only two such Centres in Scotland, the Ayrshire Welfare Centre allows visitors to access support from a number of organisations which support veterans, including the Regular Forces Employment Association, Veterans First Point Ayrshire and Combat Stress. The Centre also plays host to Unforgotten Forces; a collaboration of 15 organisations, working together under the leadership of Poppyscotland to improve the support available for veterans over the age of 65, and their families, in Scotland.
Brian Whittle MSP said:
“It was a pleasure to visit the Centre and see how the staff are making such a difference to the lives of veterans and their families. There’s a real advantage to having a range of different organisations working under one roof, working closely together and making it easy to refer people between services.
Poppyscotland and all these other groups are doing amazing work to support people who have served in the Armed Forces. I hope to be able to visit again and spend some more time speaking to some of the people already using the Centre.”
Poppyscotland Welfare Services Manager David Cooke said:
“Ayrshire has enjoyed close links with the Armed Forces for many years. Around 37,000 individuals who have served or are still serving, and their families live in the area, and now, thanks to generous funding from both The MacRobert Trust and LIBOR, Poppyscotland has opened this specialist support and advice Centre in Kilmarnock to provide one-to-one local contact.
“In the run-up to the opening of the Centre in October, we worked to establish pathways in the local community and have engaged with partners in the statutory and third sector to develop processes and procedures that we can operate within. We were delighted that Mr Whittle took time out of his busy schedule to visit the Centre so that we could showcase to him the work of Poppyscotland welfare staff and their partners.”