News

July Round-up

Women Veterans Networking Event

At the beginning of the month, I attended a women veterans networking event organised by Lothians Veterans Centre. It was a brilliant opportunity to meet lots of inspiring women who have served, including Army veteran Virginia who featured in my Anything But Uniform report and Pauline Cherrington, CEO of Lothian Veterans Centre. I also caught up with Liza and Hannah, the team behind the Female Veteran Transformation Programme, to get an update on the work they have been doing recently.

The Royal Scots at Tynecastle Park

I had a fascinating morning at The Royal Scots exhibition at Tynecastle Park, home of Heart of Midlothian Football Club. The exhibition highlighted the links between the Royal Scots, Hearts FC and the City of Edinburgh, explaining the contribution of the Royal Scots to our nation's defence through individual stories and showcasing the importance of sport in the Army. Among others I had the honour of meeting Hearts legend John Robertson and Fijian Rugby international and Army veteran Apolosi Vanowale, who served in the Royal Signals for 13 years.

Cobseo 2024 AGM

The SVC office was represented at the Cobseo AGM where some of the team enjoyed an interesting and informative day. We heard how dedicated Cobseo member organisations are exploring collaborative ways of working to improve access and strengthen the support available to our Armed Forces and veteran community.

Protecting the rights of Forces children

On 16 July 2024, Scotland incorporated the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) into Scots Law, meaning the human rights of all children in Scotland are now legally protected. In addition, Forces Children Scotland published its latest report aimed at protecting and promoting the rights of Forces children. Exploring how children and young people from armed forces families can have some of their rights impacted due to their parent's service, it makes a series of recommendations to help policy makers and decision takers address these issues. You can read more about the report’s findings and recommendations here: https://forceschildrenscotland.org.uk/projects/its-not-just-their-job-its-our-whole-lives/