News

February round-up

Networking in the women veterans community

February kicked off with a women veterans networking event, organised by Lothians Veterans Centre (LVC). It was a wonderful afternoon in the company of many remarkable women who have served our country with pride, including Pauline Cherrington, CEO of LVC and members of the Association of Wrens and WRAC Association. I also caught up with Liza Jarvis of the Female Veterans Transformation Programme which has recently published a useful checklist for service providers.

Veteran support and opportunities in Dundee

I spent a day in Dundee, meeting with a range of services and organisations involved in supporting veterans both locally and nationally.

At Abertay University,  I learned about the Pathways Programme – a partnership between Abertay University, SaluteMyJob and IBM, with Scottish Veterans Fund funding. This initiative enables Service Leavers to develop skills and gain qualifications and experience in cybersecurity.

I also met with Bill Campbell, Lord Provost of Dundee and the Council’s Armed Forces and Veterans Champion, and Susan Paterson, NHS Tayside Executive Armed Forces Champion. They shared insights into the support available for veterans and their families, both as members of the workforce and as individuals accessing services.

Finally, I had a productive discussion with David Wallace, CEO of Social Security Scotland, gaining valuable insight into how the organisation meets the needs of veterans applying for devolved benefits – an area that will form part of my upcoming thematic report on veterans and finance.

You can read more about my visit to Dundee in my blog entry.

Giving evidence to the Defence Committee

I had the opportunity to give evidence to the Defence Committee on the Armed Forces Covenant, alongside the Commissioners for Wales and Northern Ireland. I was glad to highlight key issues, and I look forward to seeing how the Committee’s considerations shape future support for our Armed Forces community.

You can watch the session in full here.

International learning and collaboration

I had the pleasure of meeting Alex Zhminko from the Army of Ukraine and Emin Jabbarov a veteran from Kazakhstan, who are participating in the John Smith Trust’s Fellowship Programme. The Programme gives young professionals from Eastern Europe, the Caucasus, and Central Asia the opportunity to spend six months in the UK, learning about issues of governance, justice, sustainability, and equality, diversity, and inclusion. It’s good to share experiences and knowledge with other countries and learn from each other. We discussed Scotland’s approach to supporting veterans and how this compares with their own countries.

Celebrating veterans in business

I enjoyed another inspiring evening at the Scottish Forces in Business Awards, which celebrate the immense talent and value that veterans bring to businesses across the country. It was great to chat with the finalists, judges and employers represented, and to hear about the incredible successes of veterans in the business world.

Upcoming thematic report: Veterans, Finance and Debt

In addition to these engagements, I have been taking forward investigation and engagement for my next thematic report which will explore veterans’ experiences with finance and debt. This will examine the advice, guidance, and support available to veterans as they transition to civilian life and beyond, considering whether they are equipped with sufficient financial education, awareness, and skills to be financially resilient.

Key areas of focus include access to finance and debt advice, income maximisation, the design and delivery of benefits administered by Social Security Scotland and the Department for Work and Pensions, and gambling harms in the veteran community.

The report will also highlight veterans who take up careers in associated sectors - whether in veteran-specific welfare support roles or within financial institutions - and the unique perspective they bring to help improve awareness of veteran-specific needs and influence service delivery.