Help for veterans and families

4 Mar 2026 04:09 PM

Projects to benefit from £600,000 fund to support ex-Service personnel.

A scheme to help wounded or sick veterans recover their confidence through golf is among 30 projects to receive backing from the Scottish Veterans Fund.

Veterans Minister Graeme Dey announced successful applicants to the £600,000 Scottish Veterans Fund on a visit to the On Course Foundation at Drumoig Golf Hotel in Fife.

The fund, which the Scottish Government had committed to maintaining for the rest of the parliament was in fact boosted with a further £100,000 in the 26-27 budget, a 20% increase.

The On Course Foundation has been awarded £39,008 over three years to run golf activities across Scotland aimed at improving confidence, reintegration to civilian life and improving employment opportunities.

Other recipients of the 2026-27 funding round include:

Scottish Veterans Residences, which is awarded £40,000 for employability and mental health work with homeless ex-servicemen and women
Shared Parenting Scotland, which will receive £16,500 to work with veterans and their families who are going through family break-up
Erskine which receives £9631 to support veterans experiencing hearing loss.

Since being launched in 2008, the Scottish Veterans Fund has provided more than £3.8 million to nearly 220 individual projects supporting ex-service personnel and their families.

Mr Dey said:

“It is hugely encouraging to see the work being done to help veterans recovering from illness or injury by the On Course Foundation here in Fife.

“The Scottish Veterans Fund has supported thousands of veterans and their families with services such as financial support, employability and by helping them cope with mental and physical health challenges.

“This year’s funding allocations will continue to provide targeted support for our Armed Forces and veterans community across Scotland, and prioritise projects that address recommendations made by the Scottish Veterans Commissioner Susie Hamilton.

“The Scottish Government is committed to supporting service personnel and their families – past or present, living or based in Scotland – and to ensuring they have access to all the help, support and public services they require.”

Scottish Veterans Commissioner Susie Hamilton said:

“It was greatly encouraging to see such a strong field of high-quality applications from organisations across the length and breadth of Scotland.

“I warmly welcome the increase in funding to £600,000 this year, enabling support for a greater number of impactful projects. I was particularly pleased to note proposals that align closely with recommendations made by my predecessors and me, including in the areas of justice and financial wellbeing, and those reaching the less heard from parts of the veteran community.”

Background:

MAIN FUND

Organisation

Project Title

26/27

27/28

28/29

Project Overview

Venture Trust

Greater Glasgow

Outdoor Therapy Programme

£24,433

£25,655

N/A

The project will support veterans through a two year Outdoor Therapy programme designed to improve veterans’ health and wellbeing, reduce inequalities in access to support, strengthen families and support successful transition into civilian life.

Reading Force

Scotland‑Wide (Multi‑Region – Moray, Fife, Angus, Argyll and Bute, Perth and Kinross, and the Highlands)

Free story-sharing initiative

£9,914

£9,999

£10,088

The project will continue and expand their free story-sharing initiative for the Veteran community across Scotland, supporting Service leavers, their spouses, partners and children, and bereaved families with resources to help look after their own wellbeing and stay well within their communities.

Scottish Veterans Residencies

Edinburgh

FO(OT)HOLD

£40,000

This project will use occupational therapy to improve the mental health and employment prospects of homeless Veterans in supported housing.

Housing Options Scotland

Edinburgh

Military Matters Programme

£50,000

This project will provide 1-1 housing information, advice and support to members of the Armed Forces community, supporting veterans and serving personnel with expert housing brokerage at the point of transition to navigate the complex processes involved in securing appropriate housing.

Lothians Veterans Centre

Lothians (Dalkeith)

Drop-in Centre

£31,781

£33,846

£35,930

Project will fund the drop-in centre in Dalkeith, offering a range of holistic, person-centred advice and support to veterans and families primarily in the Lothians.

Royal Marines Association

Angus (Arbroath)

Transition Support Officer North

£9,000

This project will fund a Transition Support Officer , based at 45 Commando in Arbroath.

Shared Parenting Scotland

Edinburgh

Separation and family breakdown support

£16,500

This project will expand activity underway to strengthen support for veterans and their family’s experiencing separation, family breakdown and loss of contact with children.

On Course Foundation

Scotland‑Wide

Confidence building golf activities

£7,872

£15,568

To deliver a programme of confidence building golf activities throughout Scotland, supporting the recovery of wounded, injured and sick veterans and Service personnel on recovery duty.

Thistle

Edinburgh

Meaningful Connections

£40,000

£42,000

£44,000

The project will refine and build on the successes of the Meaningful Connections programme, which has improved the health, wellbeing and social participation of over 120 veterans and their families across Scotland to date.

Sacro

Edinburgh

Veterans Mentoring Service (VMS)

£25,000

N/A

This project is available for military veterans who are currently in or are at risk of becoming involved in Scotland’s Justice System. The service works closely with each veteran to build an intensive support plan, providing practical and emotional support throughout their journey.

Combat Stress

Highlands & Rural North

The Veterans and Family Recovery Network.

£32,000

£16,000

N/A

The service will provide veterans and their families’ access to a mental health education programme.

Forces Employment Charity

Scotland‑Wide

NOVA Scotland programme

£50,000

This project supports veterans in contact with the Scottish Justice System, with the overarching aim of reducing reoffending, facilitating reintegration into the community, and encouraging a successful transition into a sustainable, law abiding lifestyle.

Royal Caledonian Education Trust

Edinburgh

Support to Service leavers’ and veterans’ children.

£37,500

Funding to support children and young people to achieve a successful transition to civilian life when their parent leaves the forces.

Defence Gardens Scheme

Highlands & Rural North

Strong Roots

£24,000

This project is for all members of the Armed Forces across the Highlands and will deliver bespoke evidenced horticultural therapy and train practical growing skills to enable veterans and their families to become Veteran Volunteers.

Organisation

Location

Project Title

26/27

27/28

28/29

Project Overview

ACVC Hub

Greater Glasgow

Creative Well-Being Enterprise Programme

£15,000

This project will deliver arts and crafts tutored sessions to veterans and their families, 3 days weekly over 3 years. Using arts and crafts as a non-clinical support tool to improve mental health, build routine, reduce isolation and support transition to civilian life.

Fresh Start Scotland

Edinburgh

Support for veterans working through addiction

£15,001

£15,450

£15,913

This project will be delivered through a partnership between Fresh Start, LEAP (Lothians & Edinburgh Abstinence Programme), and Recovery Through Activity, to provide a tailored pathway to support veterans who are in, or emerging from, addiction recovery.

Money Advice Scotland

Lanarkshire (East Kilbride)

Money Advice for Veterans

£15,000

A specialist training programme delivered to the sector on supporting veterans with financial advice and challenges.

Roxburgh and Berwickshire CAB

Scottish Borders

Supporting rural veterans

£28,065

N/A

A project advisor to reach out and provide additional physical outreach to support for veterans within the rural community.

Royal British Veterans Enterprises

Greater Glasgow

Empowering Scotland’s Bravest

£31,297

£35,980.46

£37,409.91

A pilot which will restructure RBVE’s Accredited Training Centre, in partnership with West College Scotland (WCS) and provide a dedicated training programme for disabled, disadvantaged, vulnerable and underemployed veterans and military families in Scotland.

SMALL FUND

Organisation

Project Title

26/27

Project Overview

Archaeology Scotland

Lothians (Dalkeith)

Wellbeing Through Archaeology

£10,000

This project offers a unique, archaeology-based approach to improving health and wellbeing for female veterans, female serving personnel, and their families.

Clyde Coast Radio

Inverclyde (Port Glasgow)

Veterans Radio Show

£9,000

A volunteer group of Army veterans providing support to veterans through radio.

Cyrenians

Lothians (Wilkieston)

Sanctuary for veterans and families.

£10,000

To provide support for veterans and focus on under-represented groups such as the LGBTQI+ community and families through wellbeing activities at the Linburn Walled Garden.

Erskine

Renfrewshire (Bishopton)

EARS 2 Hear

£9,631

The project will provide a hearing support initiative for veterans.

Larkhall and District Volunteer Group

Lanarkshire

Veterans Group