Military charity receives £650k to support mental health of veterans

A military charity has received more than £650,000 from the Scottish Government to support the welfare and mental health of veterans.

Veterans First Point Scotland will receive £658,000 to deliver in-person and online support to veterans across its network of six regional centres. This is through peer-led support.

Scottish mental health minister Clare Haughey said: “Veterans First Point Scotland has done an excellent job during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, adapting service delivery to continue to support veterans remotely as well as face-to-face.

“Not only does the charity provide an essential support service, it also actively aims to reduce the stigma associated with seeking help, by encouraging veterans to socialise with their local community and engage with their local centre.”

Mental Health Minister @haughey_clare has announced that @scotgov is providing Veterans First Point Scotland with over £658,000 to continue to deliver welfare and psychological support to veterans in 2021-22:

➡️https://t.co/uGMo8F2Mac #V1P #ScottishVeterans #SupportForVeterans pic.twitter.com/bEsfTNWkkv
— Scot Gov Health (@scotgovhealth) November 17, 2020

The move comes as funders increasingly focus on supporting the mental health of particularly vulnerable groups amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

It also coincides with increasing calls in England to support military charities amid income losses during the pandemic.

Earlier this month Labour Party leader Keir Starmer used Prime Ministers questions to highlight the financial plight of Help for Heroes, which has announced redundancy plans and significant income losses.