Erskine Veterans Charity receives £17,000 donation

Erskine Veterans Charity <i>(Image: Supplied)</i>
Erskine Veterans Charity (Image: Supplied)
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Erskine Veterans Charity has received a £17,000 donation to help continue providing care and support for veterans and their families across Scotland.

The funding was awarded by Memoria Group, the parent company of Paisley Woodside Cemetery and Crematorium, through the Institute of Cemetery and Crematorium Management's National Recycling of Metals Scheme.

Erskine Veterans Charity (Image: Supplied)

The donation will support Erskine's work with almost 1,300 veterans each year.

The scheme raises funds by recycling metals and orthopaedic implants recovered after cremation, with the consent of bereaved families.

The donation also coincided with the refurbishment of the Erskine Garden of Reflection at Paisley Woodside Cemetery and Crematorium.

Erskine volunteer Ida Robertson said spending time maintaining the garden helps her remember her late husband and other veterans.

The Erskine Veterans Charity is Scotland's leading provider of care for veterans and their spouses.

It operates two care homes and provides transitional supported accommodation, assisted living, veterans' activity centres and home support services.

Since 1916, the charity has provided nursing, residential and dementia care while continuing to expand its support for veterans living independently.

Its Veterans Village in Bishopton includes family cottages, assisted living apartments and supported accommodation, while activity centres in Bishopton and Forres provide social opportunities and support services.

The charity relies heavily on donations to continue delivering its services.



Stewart Walker, manager of Memoria Paisley Woodside, said: "Memoria Paisley Woodside Memorial Park and Crematorium has been proudly serving the families of Paisley since 1845.

"In a year that marks the 110th anniversary of Erskine Veterans Charity, we see it as only fitting that we show our support to those who have served at the highest level.

"We are proud and honoured to make this donation and to help make sure Erskine is there when those who served us all may need it most."

Ida Robertson, an Erskine volunteer, said: "I love spending time in the Garden of Reflection, keeping the garden looking lovely, and, as I work, memories of my late husband are always with me.

"After my husband’s passing, the team from Paisley Woodside Cemetery and Crematorium took care of everything, and I can’t thank them enough.

"This is my way of saying thank you to them and of remembering my husband and all the Erskine veterans who have gone before."

Sara Bannerman, Erskine’s head of fundraising and communications, said: "We are delighted with the wonderful support we have once again received from Memoria Paisley Woodside Cemetery and Crematorium and thank everyone involved in the initiative who made the donation possible.

"The generous £17,000 donation will help us continue delivering vital care and support to veterans and their families across Scotland.

"We are honoured to welcome veterans and families to the dedicated Erskine Garden of Reflection, where they can visit and remember in such a beautifully peaceful place."

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