Listen
Homes for war veterans
30/04/2008
An evening reception in support of the Houses for Heroes Campaign will be held tonight at Edinburgh Castle. The campaign, run by the SVGCA, aims to raise £6 million to provide accommodation for disabled veterans.
The Association currently rents 594 high-quality, low-cost homes to ex-servicemen and women across Scotland. The Association hopes to build a further 60 wheelchair-friendly houses over the next six years.
First Minister Alex Salmond said:
"While Scotland lacks responsibility for its own foreign policy, it can still define itself on a global stage by the way it treats those returning from frontline duties. Our service men and women do an outstanding job and it is only right that that they should return home confident of comfort and refuge.
"The work of the Scottish Veterans' Garden City Association is a credit to our continuing effort to make Scotland a sanctuary to come back to. We recognise our responsibilities to those who defend us, and the hard work of the Association brings us closer to being the modern, compassionate and just society we can be proud of.
"The Scottish Government is determined to do all it can to care and provide for the men and women who protect us. That is why, in November, we extended NHS priority treatment to include those who have served in the Armed Forces. We have established a £500,000 pilot to spearhead improved mental healthcare for veterans. And earlier this month, in the interests of all our people, Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced a £25 million incentive package for Council build as part of our drive towards the construction of 35,000 new houses each year in Scotland.
"We will continue to work with veterans charities to promote our shared objective of creating a Scotland that is fairer, safer and remembers the courage, valour and sacrifice of Scottish service men and women."
SVGCA provides and maintains houses for disabled British ex-Service, Merchant Navy, Police and Fire Brigade personnel. The qualifying disability need not have been incurred in Service and includes chronic illness. The estate currently consists of 594 houses, of varying sizes and types, of which the majority are three or more bedrooms on two floors. The houses are located on 74 sites covering Scotland from the English Border north to the line of the Great Glen.
It was announced in November that NHS priority treatment would be extended to all armed service personnel who have developed health problems as a result of service to their country.
The reception will be held in the Great Hall of Edinburgh Castle, bringing together over 100 members of the Scottish Veterans' Garden City Association and associated charities from across Scotland.