Unforgotten Forces, the ground-breaking service that is providing life-changing support to thousands of older veterans in Scotland, has acquired a 16th member to add to its burgeoning ranks…
Led by Poppyscotland, the Unforgotten Forces consortium has now been joined by the Royal Air Forces Association – a charity which prides itself on “supporting the RAF family” via a network of volunteer welfare officers and volunteer caseworkers which last year dealt with more than 100,000 calls and visits.
The Unforgotten Forces consortium delivers a range of new and enhanced services for older veterans. The project, which has delivered 6,000 instances of support for older veterans in the first 18 months of operation, offers assistance in areas including advice, access to healthcare, countering social isolation, respite and transport, along with creative activities and events for those in care settings.
Rory O’Connor, Director of Welfare and Policy at the Royal Air Forces Association, said: “The Royal Air Forces Association is extremely pleased to be working as part of the Unforgotten Forces consortium to provide support to older members of the RAF family living in Scotland. We have already seen first-hand the benefits of partnership working as part of this consortium and look forward to helping many more people.”
Speaking on behalf of the Unforgotten Forces consortium, Gary Gray, Head of Welfare Services at Poppyscotland, said: “We are delighted to welcome the Royal Air Forces Association into the fold as the 16th member of the Unforgotten Forces consortium which supports older veterans across Scotland of 65 years and above.
“The addition of the RAF Association’s welfare support services adds even more strength in depth to the capability of the consortium. Working closely with Association branches, members, volunteer caseworkers and befrienders will undoubtedly mean that we will in future be able to refer even more older RAF veterans for the variety of welfare support services that we currently provide.”
The project received praise recently from the Minister for Parliamentary Business and Veterans, Graeme Dey MSP, who said: “This is an excellent project and I congratulate Unforgotten Forces for the support they are providing our older veterans. We must ensure they are able to access the best possible care, support and opportunities.”
Unforgotten Forces was launched in October 2017 after receiving £4 million worth of funding by HM Treasury via the Aged Veterans Fund. The project has been shortlisted for the ‘Forces in Mind Trust Working Together Award’ at the 2019 Soldiering On Awards.
