Case studies

Ian Shiells

Dec 5, 2024: “As someone who had a smooth transition to civilian life, I wanted to support veterans who hadn’t been as fortunate."

Kent

Jun 20, 2024: “I’m glad that people are no longer having to go through what I went through and hide who they truly are. No one should have to live a lie.”

Sophia

Apr 15, 2024: "When my dad left the Army two years ago, it was really confusing and stressful for everyone. I was sad to leave the military community and move into an ordinary house where I didn’t know the neighbours."

Richard Barker

Sep 14, 2022: “I feel that having a GP who is better informed about veterans and their backgrounds would have been really beneficial. My GP was in an area with a sizeable military and veteran population, yet he was unable to offer me any specialised advice or refer me to more suitable support.”

Sam McGeachie

Aug 14, 2022: “It was really important that I found somewhere I felt safe and secure. But it was my first home outside the Army and I didn’t know where to start.”

Sally – The Story of a Wee Scottish Veteran in 2020

Jul 14, 2022: 28-year-old Sally* served in the Army for five years, including a tour in Afghanistan. Since leaving the Army, she had struggled with her physical and mental health and had little stability in life. When she finally reached out for help, she found an amazing team of support workers and volunteers working tirelessly together to help her get back on her feet.

Red Bruce

Apr 14, 2022: “It got to the point where I only had a couple of months to find something, or I was going to be leaving without a job on the other side”

Dominic Pitts

Mar 14, 2022: “When I was asked by my Resettlement Officer what I wanted to do on leaving the Army, it was the first time in eleven years that I’d had to make a decision for myself.”

Craig Powers

Feb 14, 2022: “We’re bad at selling ourselves and we underestimate our skills because we can’t see how they fit in the civilian world.”

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New Scottish Government, same message from me: progress needs to speed up.
 
Today I've published my 2026 Progress Report, checking on how well the Scottish Government is delivering for veterans and their families. Some encouraging steps forward on housing and gambling harm support - but a slowdown overall, and continued concerns on veteran employment, healthcare access and mental health support.
 
More progress at a faster pace is going to be required to make Scotland the destination of choice for Service leavers, veterans and their families.
 
Full news release can be found in the bio.
 
Veterans | Scottish Veterans | Armed Forces | Veterans Commissioner | Support Our Veterans
New Scottish Government, same message from me: progress needs to speed up. Today I've published my 2026 Progress Report, checking on how well the Scottish Government is delivering for veterans and their families. Some encouraging steps forward on housing and gambling harm support - but a slowdown overall, and continued concerns on veteran employment, healthcare access and mental health support. More progress at a faster pace is going to be required to make Scotland the destination of choice for Service leavers, veterans and their families. Full news release can be found in the bio. Veterans | Scottish Veterans | Armed Forces | Veterans Commissioner | Support Our Veterans
12 hours ago
Great to catch up with Peter Gibson, CEO of @fightingwithpride to hear about the charity's plans to further support the LGBT veteran community in Scotland.

Reminder: the Financial Recognition Scheme for LGBT veterans affected by the historical ban closes on 12 December.

Find out more via the link in our bio. 

Veterans | LGBT Veterans | Veterans Commissioner
Great to catch up with Peter Gibson, CEO of @fightingwithpride to hear about the charity's plans to further support the LGBT veteran community in Scotland. Reminder: the Financial Recognition Scheme for LGBT veterans affected by the historical ban closes on 12 December. Find out more via the link in our bio. Veterans | LGBT Veterans | Veterans Commissioner
1 day ago
I spent the day at the RAND Europe Stakeholder Workshop on Future Views of Mental Health. 

Funders, service providers and stakeholders in one room, thinking through what mental health need and provision could look like over the next 20 years. Really valuable conversations - grateful to have been part of it.

Mental Health | RANDEurope | Future Of Healthcare | Armed Forces | Veterans
I spent the day at the RAND Europe Stakeholder Workshop on Future Views of Mental Health. Funders, service providers and stakeholders in one room, thinking through what mental health need and provision could look like over the next 20 years. Really valuable conversations - grateful to have been part of it. Mental Health | RANDEurope | Future Of Healthcare | Armed Forces | Veterans
3 days ago
I attended a fascinating event this week.

We heard about Forces in Mind Trust's new 'FiMT Challenges' initiative - a fresh approach to accelerating positive change for the Armed Forces Community.

It was also a pleasure to meet Matt Bazeley OBE, new CEO of Forces Employment Charity, and hear his vision for supporting veterans as they transition into and progress through civilian employment.

Some really insightful and encouraging conversations about collaboration and innovation across the sector.

Veterans | Armed Forces Community | Veterans Commissioner | Scotland
I attended a fascinating event this week. We heard about Forces in Mind Trust's new 'FiMT Challenges' initiative - a fresh approach to accelerating positive change for the Armed Forces Community. It was also a pleasure to meet Matt Bazeley OBE, new CEO of Forces Employment Charity, and hear his vision for supporting veterans as they transition into and progress through civilian employment. Some really insightful and encouraging conversations about collaboration and innovation across the sector. Veterans | Armed Forces Community | Veterans Commissioner | Scotland
6 days ago
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