Major Jim Panton, Chief Executive of Erskine welcomed Katharine to The Erskine Home where she learned more about the vital services provided by Erskine in order to support veterans of all ages.

Katharine Brown said: “Having been Miss Scotland and currently being Miss UK, the title of ‘young ambassador’ for Erskine is one crown I will truly cherish and it is a real honour to be representing the veterans’ charity. “Having met the veterans and many of the dedicated care and volunteering staff at Erskine, I’m really looking forward to getting involved with the charity and helping to support and promote the fantastic work that is carried out.”

Major Jim Panton said: “Katharine recently hosted one of our large fundraising events and it was apparent that she would be an ideal ‘young ambassador’ for our charity. “I was very impressed with Katharine’s energy and enthusiasm and was delighted when she accepted our invitation. The veterans were thrilled to meet Katharine today and they are very grateful for her support.”

Veterans Alex Heron and Joe Parker meet Miss UK, Katharine Brown and seal the deal with a quick kiss.

Euan McLaren, aged 11, wrote a special letter from Dubai to The Erskine Home in Bishopton asking if he could put some questions to the veterans in our care about their involvement in the six-year conflict - and Erskine duly assisted!

The veterans’ charity provided the Primary Seven pupil with pictures and answers to his questions after sending through stories about some of the many ex-Service men and women currently in its care. Euan then collated all the information and put together a comprehensive report on his findings.

At the end of the school term his fellow classmates all got into the swing of the 1940s by hosting their own VE Day party and dressing up in replica uniforms. The school also sent a £50 donation as a token of its appreciation for Erskine and who better to deliver their fundraising efforts than Euan himself.

Last week Euan – originally from Paisley - accompanied by his mum Dawn, older brother Billy, Nanny Barbara and Papa John on a visit to Erskine to pass on their thanks and also presented the school’s donation to Peter Macfarlane, Erskine Fundraiser.

Euan, who is originally from Paisley, said: “I really enjoyed researching my project. My Uncle Archie was a resident in Erskine and as I am from Paisley originally my mum thought of Erskine when we started finding more about WWII. I learned a lot about the veterans here and I really enjoyed reading their stories.”

Peter Macfarlane, Erskine fundraiser, added: “Everyone at Erskine is delighted that Euan was able to learn more about the Second World War for his project - a subject he clearly enjoyed. To also present a donation to Erskine from his school in Dubai is a very kind gesture and veterans are thrilled that they have helped a younger generation to understand such an important period in world history.”

Euan now hopes to continue to support Erskine by fundraising when he returns home to Dubai after his summer holidays.

Euan passes his donation to Pete Macfarlane, Erskine fundraiser.

The website is part of the Remembering Scotland at War online museum containing over 200 exhibitions. The exhibitions featuring interviews, photographs and footage span from WWII to more recent conflicts. The culmination of a 3 year, £580,000 pioneering project lead by Museums Galleries Scotland ensures that Scotland’s memories and emotive images of its involvement in worldwide conflicts are never forgotten. The wonderful memories collected by the Argylls can be found by visiting www.rememberingscotlandatwar.org.uk

Attending the event was a host of Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders past and present including Cruachan III, the Regimental Pony, who attended with Pony Major, Corporal William Perrie from Tillicoultrie, Clackmannanshire. Delighted to see Cruachan was Erskine veteran, Alan Hodgart (AS&) aged 64. Alan formerly from Paisley was Pony Major for Cruachan II. Alan said: “ I enjoyed looking after the Regimental pony and even stayed overnight with him in the stables when he was unwell. He used to love his mints and beer”

As the Pipes and Drums of the five Battalions in The Royal Regiment of Scotland still wear their antecedent Regiment’s uniform, Lance Corporal Keith Dalton, 5 SCOTS, piped in guests in full Argyll and Sutherland Highlander piper regalia.

Attending were representatives from both Remembering Scotland and the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders Museum who enjoyed the event as well as chatting to Erskine veterans.

Joyce Steel Curator & Manager of The Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders Museum said: “This has been a wonderful project with lots of people helping and the best thing is, it doesn’t stop here! We will continue to collect these wonderful memories!

Major Jim Panton, Erskine Chief Executive, said: "An online museum is a fantastic way to educate our young people on the sacrifices that have been made on their behalf. Erskine is a living, breathing monument to our country’s war heroes and now the Argyll’s have their very own online version available to everyone. "

Erskine veteran Alan Hodgart with Cruachan III, the Regimental Pony, who attended with Pony Major, Corporal William Perrie from Tillicoultrie, Clackmannanshire.

The popular refreshment and shopping stop for travellers hiking and driving the west coast route.

Mary (90) and her sister Margaret shared many happy memories of stops together at the Green Welly en route to Glasgow from their native Arisaig on the west coast of Scotland.

Daniel Macrae of the Glasgow Highlanders Association was on a visit to the Erskine Glasgow Home when he met Mary and was determined to help make her dream a reality. He contacted driver Jim McGovern of the Community Relations Office at his employer Wylie & Lochhead who was happy to supply his services together with a limousine for the day.

Mary was delighted with her trip and said: “It was a nostalgic trip for us. We’ve made many stops there over the decades. I never imagined it would be possible to make the trip again - and it was all the more special because Margaret was there too. It was lovely just to browse in the shops and have lunch like the good old days.”

Clockwise: Community Relation Officer Jim McGovern and Daniel Macrae of Wylie and Lochhead with resident Mary MacKenzie, her sister Margret and fellow resident Betty McCarthy (L); Mary and her sister Margret head off in style to the Green Welly Stop (T-R); Mary enjoys a laugh in the Green Welly Shop (B-R).

The Second World War is now taught as part of the curriculum and Chris MacKay, principal teacher of History, thought it would be an excellent opportunity for the kids to hear first hand experiences from some of the brave ex-Service personnel who fought for their country so long ago, bringing their history lessons to life!

The kids then compiled what they had learned from their interview sessions into reports and presented them to classmates. The Erskine residents enjoyed meeting with the children and having a bit of a blether too.

Those who didn’t make it to Erskine for the interviews were treated to a presentation at the school by 91 year old Erskine volunteer Isobel Kirkwood who was a primary school teacher during the Blitz in London.

Peter Macfarlane, Erskine fundraiser, said: "The children enjoyed ‘living history’ and understanding more about what it must have been like to like through WW2. It was equally rwarding for the residents who love chatting and talking about their experiences. All the children left Erskine chattering about what they had learned."

Cleveden Secondary held a dress in purple day for Erskine and had an Erskine stand at their annual school fete. These raised £200 for Erskine. Big thank you to the school and pupils, hope it will continue next year.

Residents were taken back in time to their heady days at the Plaza by award winning ballroom couple George and Janet MacDonald. The couple performed polished versions of the tango, cha cha cha, foxtrot, waltz and quickstep before inviting residents to take to the floor like old times.

To complete the festivities, residents were treated to a farewell song and dance show by their young friends from Primary 7 of Broomhill Primary School. The youngsters have been entertaining the residents throughout the year but are now moving on to High school.

Resident Hugh Logan, (RAF) aged 90 who was delighted with the afternoon’s entertainment said: "That show was better than the London Palladium - out of this world! It was beautiful to watch. The children and dancers should get a medal"

"The dancers were simply wonderful - a truly exquisite afternoon" :agreed resident Hilary Samuels (RAF), aged 85.

Award winning ballroom couple George and Janet MacDonald

The local politician enjoyed an extensive tour of the Erskine Home accompanied by Chief Executive Major Jim Panton and Chairman Jim Scott. She visited Erskine Furniture and its showroom, as well as the accommodation provided for ex-Service men and women. Ms Goldie also took the opportunity to chat with residents about their lives at Erskine.

Following the visit, she said: “I have visited Erskine many times before and it never fails to inspire. This time I was struck by the clear vision and enthusiasm of Chief Executive Jim Panton and Chairman Jim Scott. They are passionate about Erskine and the work it does.

“I got to see the very impressive factory operation and the high quality furniture produced there. The furniture factory isn’t just important for Erskine’s fundraising but also for providing veterans, many of whom have skills outside their Services training, with a welcome opportunity to continue working.

“Erskine is a testament to what can be achieved by talented and compassionate people, working to improve lives and communities, and supported by the generosity of the general public. Erskine is a credit not only to its management and staff, but to the entire voluntary sector.”

Annabel Goldie visit The Erskine Home and tours with Chairman Jim Scott

Erskine brought along its ‘roadshow bus’, emblazoned with our trademark purple and logo, to inform veterans and serving personnel about the work of our charity and to give them the opportunity to sign up to services they will be entitled to in the future.

It is estimated that there are currently over 10,000 serving personnel in Scotland, all of whom would be entitled to Erskine care should the need arise.

Our Admissions team were joined by Mrs Lorraine Ross, Director of Care, and other staff members to help sign up eligible persons to our inactive list.

Ross Higgins puts his name down on the Erskine list

Amongst those who joined the list was Ross Higgins, a Sergeant Aircraft Technician with the Royal Electrical & Mechanical Engineers, who was helped through the application process by his wife Tracy who works at The Erskine Home, Bishopton (pictured above left).

The form acknowledges the applicant’s wishes to receive Erskine care in the future should they require it.

Mrs Ross was delighted with the response that Erskine received on the day. She said: “It was a memorable event because so many people were delighted to see the Erskine staff presence and praised the high standard of care that we give. It was another occasion which reinforced the belief in what we do and made us proud to be part of the Erskine team.”

As well as a presence in Glasgow, Erskine veterans also attended events throughout the country. Residents from The Erskine Home, Bishopton, and The Erskine Mains Home attended the local event being held in Paisley.

Edinburgh veteran Douglas Mure presented prizes to the winners of a drill competition being held in Stirling to mark Armed Forces Day. Veterans from the Erskine Edinburgh Home also attended celebrations being held in Princes Street Gardens.

Erskine Edinburgh Home veteran Douglas Mure presents trophy at Stirling Armed Forces Day

Their work focused on the heritage of Busby village and also the the McDuff family.

The group toured the Home with Erskine Fundraiser, Catriona Connelly, followed by a talk by one of their members to the residents in recreation.

They also took time to enjoy a coffee and a chat with Carol McPhail. They also left gifts of flowers, sweets, books and home-made cards, and hope to carry on the relationship with Erskine.

Many thanks to all concerned who came to visit the home and brought the lovely gifts.

Busby Library visit the veterans of The Erskine Home, Bishopton

Chairman Jim Scott and Chief Executive Jim Panton were delighted to hand out awards for not only academic achievements but also for long service within the charity.

Long service awards ranging from 10 years to 36 years were presented to proud staff members, from all departments including Care, Hotel Services and Support Services, from all the charity’s five homes and Social Firms. And, the strong ethos Erskine has towards training staff was reflected as Erskine Park carers Karen Hughes and Julie Clark received awards for attaining SVQ qualifications at various levels.

Chief Executive Jim Panton said: "Without our loyal staff we would not be able to offer the high standard of care Erskine is known for. We felt it was right that their dedication to the charity is recognised and I hope everyone enjoyed award ceremony as much as I did"

Our long serving staff receive their awards from Jim Scott and Major Jim Panton

Residents, families and friends gathered in the patriotically decorated Recreation Hall of the Bishopton Home.

Amidst Union Jack Flags and bunting the Erskine Home Recreation Manager Colin McPhail and his wife Carol entertained the veterans with a melody of wartime songs including; “We'll meet again”, “Its long way to Tipperary”, “White Cliffs of Dover”, and “I'll be seeing you”.

With all members of staff and volunteers dressed up in wartime uniforms the party was a real trip down memory lane. Veterans, enjoyed refreshments and snacks whilst being entertained and there was also dancing for those who had brought their dancing shoes!

Recreation Manager Colin McPhail said: “It was a very emotional day for many of the veterans, the songs and the uniforms brought back memories both happy and sad.”

Peter Wilson (82) a RAF veteran said: “We had a great afternoon; the entertainment was really good as usual”. Irene Adam (88), who was a WAAF said: “It was good fun singing all the old songs”.

The VE Day party in full swing!

The Boot Camp-style event, run by Scotty Robertson of the British Army Physical Training Corps, had our runners dressed up in camouflage gear and paint as they were put through their paces.

Activities on the day included rigorous exercises and team events as well as a class in arrest and restraint moves, finishing with the tug of war!

Team Erskine member who took part included: Steven Johnstone, Mark Craske, Ross Wilson, Adam Earl, Fiona Greig, Rebecca Dunsmuir, Alice Jones, Sam Kemp, Gregor Megson, Phil Hendry and Louis Claes.

Peter Macfarlane, Erskine fundraiser who also took part in the day, said: “It was three hours of physical activity – a lot of pain for everyone in the days that followed, but it was worth it. Everyone had a great time. Erskine hopes to run a similar event later in the year so watch out!”

For further information about how you can join Team Erskine visit www.erskine.org.uk/events/team-erskine/.

Alternatively contact Peter Macfarlane on 0141 814 4555 or email fundraising@erskine.org.uk.

After Prime Minister Winston Churchill announced the end of the war in Europe, more than one million people took to the streets of Britain to celebrate the surrender of Hitler’s Army on the 8th May 1944.

Many communities, despite strict rationing still being in force, organised street parties which are now regarded as one of the most iconic scenes of WWII.

The Erskine Edinburgh Home, run by the veterans’ charity Erskine, threw homage to the momentous occasion by re-living VE Day, 65 years on with a celebration party.

Veterans and their families were taken back in time thanks to decorations which included bunting, British flags, war time posters, as well as 1940s-inspired food that included treacle tart, clootie dumpling and boiled sweeties.

Staff also took part in the celebrations, dressing up in replica uniforms from WWII and arranged an afternoon of VE Day entertainment.

Lynn Suttie, Erskine Edinburgh Home manager, said: “We were delighted that our residents were able to re-live such a historical moment at our care home. They all thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to reminisce the end of the war in Europe, as many of them can remember exactly where they were when the announcement was made. The Erskine Edinburgh Home prides itself on organising activities which are residents can relate to and nothing was more fitting than our VE Day celebration.”

Staff member Janet Ross with veteran Dorothy Baxter, RSigs


Staff members Janet Ross and Jennifer Forrest dress up for the occasion

RAF veterans Victor Silvestor and George Murdoch mark the anniversary of VE Day

Nick Nairn has teamed up with Erskine for their new ‘Vanishing Willows’ Café overseeing the management of kitchen and designing the exciting new menu. The chef has been a supporter of Erskine for many years through his work with apprentice chefs at The Erskine Home, but this is the first time he has put his name to such a venture.

Erskine’s purpose-built Garden Centre and Café replace the charity’s smaller centre and are two of the charity’s five social firms that provide employment for veterans and disabled workers, as part of Erskine’s supported employment project.

All proceeds from the venture will go back into the high standard of care and quality of life provided for ex-Service men and women at Erskine’s five care homes across Scotland.

Major Jim Panton, Chief Executive of Erskine said: “The opening day of our new Garden Centre and Vanishing Willows Café has been a great success and we have been delighted with the interest received so far from the public. We are particularly excited about our partnership with Nick Nairn whose support has been fundamental in the design of the new menu as well as overseeing the management of the kitchen and staff.

“Being able to offer top quality food as well as a full range of gardening produce is fantastic and offers consumers a relaxed and friendly shopping experience whilst allowing us to develop and secure jobs for disabled veterans. This new centre is a fantastic expansion of our existing social firms and we hope that the public embrace this as we continue to make a positive impact on the lives of those who have served their country.”

The name of the café, The ‘Vanishing Willows’ with Nick Nairn was inspired by the rich historical links to the area when the charity’s founder, Sir William Macewen requested to use willow trees, spotted in the grounds of the University of Glasgow, to create artificial limbs for soldiers returning from the First World War.

Nick Nairn said: “Of all the projects I have done, it's the one I feel best about. It is such a worthwhile cause when we're all thinking of our troops overseas. Erskine is a very poignant place - they care for our troops when active duty is finished. The Vanishing Willows is not just about delivering nice food, it's knowing the money generated will make a difference. We've had really good feedback already from the people I met at today's launch and I hope this support continues.”

Erskine’s new Garden Centre and Vanishing Willows Café with Nick Nairn is open Monday to Wednesday 9.30am – 5pm, Thursday 9.30am – 7pm and Friday to Sunday 9.30am – 5pm.

Nick Nairn opens the new Erskine Garden Centre and Vanishing Willows Cafe with Alex Heron, Erskine veteran


Children get into the swing of things and enjoy the new Erskine Garden Centre

The all-female NC Photography students from Reid Kerr College took on the pivotal role as paparazzi capturing all the Ladies as they walked the red carpet at the themed lunch Get Your Rox On, organised by the veterans’ charity Erskine.

Donna McGowan, 20, from Linwood; Emma McDaid, 21, from Greenock; Nicola Leitch, 30, from Paisley; Carmel Keegan, 17, from Govan; and Carolann Elliott, 30, from Beith in Ayrshire; were all on hand to capture the day’s proceedings as they unfolded.

The girls were specifically chosen to be event photographers for the day to tie in with the Ladies Lunch theme and also to demonstrate that the photography industry is not male-dominated. Their work will be used for Erskine PR purposes, Erskine publications and at www.erskine.org.uk. Scottish actress and comedianne Elaine C. Smith hosted the event, which raised over £24,000 on the day.

Robert Tabor, Head of Centre Photography, Film and Media at Reid Kerr College, said: “When we were invited to photograph this Ladies Lunch we thought it would be a great opportunity to particularly promote the talent and technical skills of our excellent female photography students here at Reid Kerr College. Often the impression is that professional photography is a male career, however at the college over 60% of our photography students are female."

Lesley Miller, Erskine’s Community Fundraising manager, said: “It’s wonderful when talented people, like these ladies from Reid Kerr College, give their time and skills to help Erskine support our country’s veterans. As our official photographers and members of the paparazzi, they added even more pizzazz and excitement to our dazzling event. In return, I hope the experience of photographing our glamorous lunch guests will help to further their own careers.”

Nicola Leitch, NC Student, added: “We all enjoyed the Ladies Lunch event immensely and I gained a lot of experience in social skills and confidence for working at live events, such as this Ladies Lunch. It was great hands-on experience and it will certainly prepare me for any future work that I may do.”

For more information about the NC, HNC and HND Photography courses at Reid Kerr College visit www.reidkerr.ac.uk or call the Student Service Unit on 0800 052 7343.

Reid Kerr College students with Elaine C Smith


The girls captured all the events

Long time supporter of Erskine, Eddie McKenna and Store Manager Iain McLean turned up at Erskine on Sunday laden with over 180 Easter Eggs for every single resident.

Recreation Manager Colin McPhail said: "A trip down Memory Lane! The veterans loved the eggs, big thanks to Morrisons in Hamilton and Iain and Eddie for making the 'Eggstravaganza possible' for the veterans".

Resident Ann MacDonald, LACW, (84) said: "What a lovely surprise. I thoroughly enjoyed my Easter egg; there was even a wee one inside! What a treat!"

Eddie McKenna and Iain McLean with over 180 Easter Eggs

Maya had travelled half way round the world to meet her Great Grandfather for the first time and spend her 2nd birthday with him.

Maya was born on Angus on the same day as her Great Grandfather celebrated his 101st birthday.

Family and friends gathered at The Erskine Home in Bishopton, where Angus is a resident, to help celebrate this wonderful birthday with a buffet lunch and a glass of bubbly.

Angus’s son Angus (66) and daughter in law Elspeth had travelled from Chile whilst his grandson Patrick (29) had made the journey with Maya from the Dominican Republic. They were also joined by family members Helen and Ian Thomson.

Angus, a former journalist of the Herald and Evening Times said: "I am having a wonderful day; it is great my family have travelled from so far to celebrate with me, especially little Maya"

Four generations of the Shaw family

He was accompanied by Dr Neil Hudson, Parliamentary candidate for Edinburgh South, as they toured the extensive facilities available for former members of the Armed Forces at the Gilmerton care home which recently opened a new 48-bed expansion.

Dr Fox MP, welcomed by Erskine’s Chief Executive, Major Jim Panton, visited one of the 88 bedrooms which are suitable for both men and women and have full disabled access with en-suite facilities.

He then took the time to speak to Erskine veterans including George Murdoch, RAF, aged 88. Before the end of his visit Dr Fox MP spent time in the home’s dedicated activities area where a weekly exercise class took place, run by the Physiotherapy team at the Erskine Edinburgh Home.

Dr Fox MP ended his tour with a visit to the Personnel Recovery Centre, run in partnership with Erskine and the Army.

It is the second time the Shadow Defence Secretary has visited Erskine’s Edinburgh home, previously he toured in 2008 when work had started on the new expansion.

Dr Fox MP said:"It was great to get a chance to come back to the Erskine Edinburgh Home. I was immensely impressed the last time I visited with Neil Hudson. Erskine Edinburgh and now the new Personnel Recovery Centre here are going from strength to strength in supporting our veterans and Service personnel to whom we owe so much."

Conservative candidate for Edinburgh South, Neil Hudson added: "I was delighted to be able to bring the Shadow Defence Secretary Liam Fox back to the Erskine Edinburgh Home. It was great to see the new expansion to the Home and meet staff and residents here including in the new Personnel Recovery Centre. Everyone here does a fantastic job supporting our Armed Forces to such a high level."

Dr Fox MP speaks to resident George Murdoch, RAF


The Erskine veterans invite the Shadow Defence Secretary to take part in one of their exercise classes

Housing and Communities Minister, Alex Neil MSP, announced the funding along with cash boosts for 10 other new projects during a visit to the Erskine Edinburgh Home this week.

The projects benefiting from the cash will deliver new or innovative approaches to veterans’ issues or activities not funded by the Scottish Government or MoD.

Erskine’s Supported Transition Project will aim to provide soldiers who are leaving the Forces with housing, employment and training.

During his time at the Erskine Edinburgh Home Mr Neil MSP talked to veterans, including James Scully, RMP, aged 94. He then toured the Personnel Recovery Centre which is part of the Edinburgh home.

Jim Panton, Chief Executive of Erskine, said: “I am pleased that Alex Neil paid a visit to the Erskine Edinburgh Home and Personnel Recovery Centre. I would also like to thank him for the £10,000 grant Erskine has received from the Scottish Veterans Fund which we will use for our Supported Transition Project. This project will see Erskine providing wounded or injured soldiers who are leaving the Forces with housing, employment and training to help ease the transition back into civvy street. This could not come at a more important time due to the ongoing operations our Armed Forces are involved in throughout the world. I hope this will encourage the public to donate to our cause in order that we can continue to provide the highest standard of care to veterans for many years to come.”

Mr Neil MSP added: “The Scottish Government is determined to increase support for Scotland’s armed forces veterans. We will never forget the bravery of our heroes or the debt of gratitude we owe them. These projects will allow veterans to use the skills, experience and confidence gained through their service careers as well as helping them adjust to civilian life.”

Alex Neil MSP, talks to Erskine Edinburgh veteran James Scully, RMP, aged 94



Alex Neil MSP with Erskine’s Chief Executive Jim Panton

The Glasgow Memory Clinic

Hosted by Jim Scott, Erskine Chairman, our volunteers of all ages came together to honour the care home’s Volunteer and Young Volunteer of the Year, voted for by their peers.

Joyce Smith and Helen Aitken were awarded with the Volunteer of the Year for their commitment to the Erskine cause.

Joyce regularly spends three days a week lending a hand at the Erskine Edinburgh Home, taking part in various tasks including helping out with activities and music classes. Helen, the home’s Flower co-ordinator, brings colour to the Edinburgh home with her floral arrangements. As one of our longest volunteers she has arranged flowers and plants for events including the opening of the Army Recovery Centre and HRH The Princess Royal visit in November.

Scott Gorman, one of our youngest volunteers, picked up the Young Volunteer of the Year prize for his astonishing commitment to Erskine since he began volunteering in August last year.

Debbie McCorvey, Volunteer Co-ordinator at the Erskine Edinburgh Home, said: “The Erskine Edinburgh Home has around 100 volunteers who helps with various tasks across our the home including helping out at meal times, activities, fundraising, flower arranging and driving our mini-bus. Their contribution to the cause is invaluable and it was only right that we mark their commitment to our veterans.”

Erskine Chairman Jim Scott with joint Volunteer of the Year winners Joyce Smith and Helen Aitken


Volunteers celebrated with the Volunteers Afternoon

Her visit to The Erskine Home was made extra special by the presentation of a beautiful painting which was painted by veteran William Wylie, (RN) aged 89.

The Princess thanked William for his painting, a crystal vase filled with blossoming red roses, and asked him how long he had been painting for.

For William, who will be 90 in May, to have painted such a lovely picture was a feat in itself as he has extremely poor sight.

The Princess, who is no stranger to Erskine, chatted to veterans in The Erskine Home, the Princess then visited the Erskine Park Home taking time to talk to veterans and their families.

Her trip was finished with a trip to the Erskine Mains Home where she was presented with a beautiful flower arrangement by May Hoggit aged 9 and Katja Louise Jones aged 4.

William meets the HRH The Princess Royal to hand over his specially designed painting


May Hoggit and Katja Louise Jones present HRH with a flower bouquet

Pictured are Grant, Dennis, Steph, Eddie & William with their donation.

The Pipers' Trail is a celebration of the Army's links with Scotland through music, culture and tradition.  

It set off from Shetland on 17 June and has formed a major part of the centenary celebrations for the Territorial Army as it travels through Scotland. Pipers and drummers will make a journey of more than 470 miles (756 kilometres) with each mile piped by an individual soldier until the end of the route in Edinburgh.

Colonel Martin Gibson, Erskine’s Chief Executive said “It is fitting that the Pipers Trail have included Erskine in their tour of Scotland, playing in front of so many veterans who served their country in WWII, the vast majority of which were conscripts or part of the reserves. This is reflected today, where the professionalism and courage of our reservists allow our country to go on operations.”

Lieutenant Mark O’Rourke from the Pipers Trail said “it is a great honour to play here at Erskine for the veterans, those who have gone before us and have done so much for their country. It reminds us what has been done in the past and provides us with inspiration for the future.”

Robert, from Kirkintilloch, drove to the Erskine Veterans Home in Bishopton today to show veterans the purple taxi.

After attending an Erskine presentation in Glasgow City Chambers four weeks ago, Robert knew he was going to help Erskine. Then he had the idea of donating valuable advertising space. He said “after hearing a talk from a Falklands veteran I knew I wanted to help the charity that had saved his life. I contacted Erskine to see if they would be happy and we took it from there. It costs £28k per day to keep the five homes across Scotland open and hopefully my taxi will help spread the word.”

A few weeks later and the brilliant purple taxi drove through the same gates that have seen 75,000 veterans enter since 1916. Residents and staff came out to see the taxi and WWII RAF veteran Joe Parker climbed inside to have a look from the customer’s point of view.

Joe, who was personal flight engineer to Archie McKellar, said “Robert is a very generous man and I think the taxi looks great. We are always very grateful for the support we get from the public and with the ongoing conflicts our younger veterans will need this support for many years to come.”

Not just content with decking out the garden centre with the most fantastic range of Christmas decorations and gifts to be found locally but Iain had to make sure his outside patio had the “authentic” look and feel of winter.

Erskine Garden Centre is one of the four businesses run by the charity Erskine, offering employment to disabled people and veterans, as well as providing care for over 1300 veterans every year throughout Scotland, within its five care homes.

Garden Centre is open 7 days of the week, Monday to Friday 9.30 am to 5.00 pm and Saturday and Sunday 9.00 am to 5.00 pm.

The Coffee Shop located within the Garden Centre, famous for its sticky buns, is great place to meet up for a coffee and a chat in between doing some Christmas Shopping.

Surprised youngsters Zak Own aged 12 from Dumbarton and David Brooks aged 12 from Clydebank were delighted when the snow started to fall! They weren’t too happy, however to find out that there wouldn’t be enough to start building a snowman!

Iain said: “Christmas isn’t Christmas without snow” He continued with a laugh “and here at Erskine we aim to please but I am not making any promises about snowmen seriously though our range of Christmas products is vast, we have everything from garden decorations to table decorations! You will definitely need a cup of coffee by the time you have finished looking at it all.”

Zak Owen & David Brooks

So when the Primary 7 pupils of Thorn Primary, Johnstone called in last week that is exactly what happened.

Old favourites such as “White Cliffs of Dover” to the haunting melody of “We’ll meet Again” echoed around the Recreation Hall.

The pupils had practiced long and hard for the day and Class Teacher Margaret Holmes said: “It’s been very enjoyable practising the songs; the children are studying WWII at the moment. We come along every year to sing to and with the veterans and we enjoy every single minute, we hope they do to”.

Soloist Lauren Dougan (aged 11) who sang “A Long Way to Tipperary” to resounding applause said: “I like coming to Erskine it’s so pretty here”.

Finishing with “Run Rabbit Run Rabbit” the children took their bows and joined the veterans for well earned juice and snack.

Veteran Ronnie Lindsay , RAPC, aged 86, said: “I went to Thorn Primary when I was 5 years old – a long time ago, the singers are definitely better now a days!”

Colin McPhail, Erskine’s Recreation manager said: “Erskine provides care for over 1300 veterans every year and we are always try to ensure the entertainment we have is varied and enjoyable; Thorn Primary were a big hit today!”

The visit led by Stephen Gilbride and Chris Hannah of the Glasgow City Council Land and Environmental Services based at Queens Park Nursery proved to be a big success.

Many of the veterans gathered to welcome a posse of the cold-blooded visitor and a testament to the success of the afternoon was that not one resident shouted ‘Get me out of here!’

The visiting party included blue tongue skinks, leopard geckos, Chilean rose tarantulas and grey rat snakes.

The veterans enjoyed a stimulating and informative afternoon handling the creatures and learning about their habits. Thankfully none of the visitors wanted a tour of the building!

Jimmy O’Donnell, REME, aged 82 said: ‘I’ve only been at Erskine Glasgow a short time but I’ve already settled in. There are lots of things to do here but I never expected to be handling snakes and lizards. I’ve never touched one before but I met much worse whilst serving in the REME!’

Kaye Ramage, Recreation Assistant said: “‘Erskine looks after over 1300 veterans a year and we aim to make life as stimulating and interesting as possible. Our residents are a feisty bunch, having been through a number of conflicts in their time and are usually up for anything. Our work is greatly supported within the community and we extend our thanks to Robert Booth, Executive Director, Land and Environmental Services, Glasgow City Council for providing this valuable service to our veterans.’

Jimmy O'Donnell with Leopard Gecko

Travelling from Faslane for the charity’s annual Tree of Honour ceremony the Marines were guests along with the evenings main sponsors Central Car Auctions.

RSM Michael Davidson, who himself hails from Arbroath, has been to Erskine before along with Marine Stewart Fisher, Marine Rob McMurrich, Lance Corporal Craig Hume and Marine Steven Buckley.

He said: “We always like visiting Erskine and chatting to the veterans, especially at this time of the year. This is just a flying visit but we are due a bigger and more official visit within the next couple of months which will see at least a dozen Marines and senior officers coming to Erskine.”

The Tree of Honour holds a special place in the hearts of the Marines as they know only too well what it is like to be away from loved ones at Christmas and sadly what is it like to remember those we have lost at Christmas too.

RSM Michael Davidson and his fellow Marines from the Royal Fleet Protection Force

A retired soldier and tireless volunteer, Brigadier Alstead is a former chairman of Mercy Corps Europe, which named him a “Humanitarian Hero” for his work with the organisation, and a former chief executive of sportscotland. Brigadier Alstead was made an Honorary Doctor of the University during a ceremony on November 25th.

He joined politician Neil Kinnock who was awarded an honorary Doctorate of Letters in recognition of his outstanding contribution to politics and the promotion of international understanding and Glasgow-born entrepreneur Azeem Ibrahim, Professor Ian Deary and Chief Executive of Howden Bob Cleland.

Principal and Vice-Chancellor Professor Pamela Gillies said: “Glasgow Caledonian University is delighted to welcome these civic-minded, global citizens into our distinguished family of honorary graduates. Each has a remarkable record of achievement in business and public life, and they are an inspiration for our students and graduates.”

Brigadier Allan Alstead of Erskine’s Executive Committee (right)

At The Erskine Home in Bishopton, a Lantern Procession by the children of Rashielea Primary School followed by carol singing set the scene for Pastor Arthur O’Malley carrying out the tree dedication ceremony. Joe Parker, RAF, aged 89 and a veteran of WWII did the honour of switching on the tree lights.

The Erskine Tree of Honour allows people the opportunity to sponsor a light in memory of loved ones who have passed away or those who cannot be with us this Christmas, as they serve their country on operations throughout the world. All of the proceeds from the tree go towards providing the highest standard of care to our veterans.

At the Erskine Edinburgh Home, Shona Mathews whose husband Sergeant Jonathan Mathews of Highlanders, 4th Battalion, Royal Regiment of Scotland was joined by her daughter Meghan to switch on the lights. Children from Gilmerton Primary School sang a selection of Christmas carols for the home’s veterans, their families and staff. Reverend David Dixon followed by dedicating the Tree.

And at the Erskine Glasgow Home Partick Thistle legend and now Director of Community Development Denis McQuade and striker Chris Erskine switched on the Tree of Honour lights.

The evening started with Erskine Glasgow Home manager Gordon welcoming everyone and there was then carol singing from the choir of St Johns Renfield Church. The Reverend David Keddie then said a prayer of Dedication and the lights were switched on.

To sponsor a dedication on the Tree of Honour visit www.justgiving.com/erskine-hospital or contact the Erskine Fundraising Department on 0141 814 4555

Shona and Meghan Mathews


Meghan Mathews places a dedication to her father Jon on the Tree of Honour


Children from Gilmerton PS place dedications on the tree


Joe Parker Turning on Christmas lights


Tree Of Honour and Guests

When Colin realised, however, that the “dram ” was in fact thousands of pounds worth of malt and blended whiskies with a gallon of whisky thrown in he asked Eddies permission to use some of the whisky for a “St Andrew’s Day Celebration”. Eddie was really pleased that his whisky, collected over many years, would be used in this way, bringing so much pleasure to the veterans and had no hesitation in saying yes.

So on the afternoon of St Andrews Day veterans were greeted on arrival to a patriotically decorated hall with Scottish music playing and all of the staff in traditional Scottish dress, which of course all added to the very convivial atmosphere. Then it was down to the serious business of the whisky tasting. Over 50 bottles of old favourites such as Glenfiddoch, Glenmorangie, Cardhu and Balvenie to the more elusive Glenfardas, Provence and from the oldest distillery in Crieff, Perthshire the famous Glenturret malt ensured there was something for everyone.

Colin McPhail said: “The veterans have had a Ball; we can’t thank Eddie enough for his kindness and generosity in donating this fantastic amount of whisky. With Christmas coming up the bottles left over from today will be distributed amongst all the houses within The Erskine Home and the some will be raffled to raise much needed fund; indeed, within Eddies’ collection there is a very special bottle of malt which has been donated by Forbes Robertson, the record holder of the largest selection of whisky, together with certificate of authentication which we hope will help raise lots of cash.”

Willie Miller, RASC, aged 71 from High Earnock said: “I have had a great afternoon, what a tremendous donation. My favourite malt, Glenmorangie from Tain was here so that made my day” and fellow veteran George Blair, RE, aged 90 from Blantyre said: “What a generous donation we are all very grateful to Eddie for giving us such a lovely afternoon".

Eddie, who joined in the fun said: “If my donation puts a smile on one veterans face then it has been worth it”.

COLIN MCPHAIL, ERSKINE RECREATION MANAGER, EDDIE MCKENNA, GEORGE BLAIR, RE & WILLIE MILLER, RASC

Dozens of beautifully handmade Christmas Cards have been donated for sale by Paisley buddy Janet Gribben.

The cards, of all shapes and sizes, are selling like hot cakes to veterans, families, staff and visitors alike.

Janet, from Paisley, has been crafting for nearly eight years and has spent hours crafting cards suitable for children, general use or special friends.

Using a combination of decoupage and the latest crafting techniques Janet has created an exceptionally special selection of cards which have a very personal touch.

David Paterson, Volunteers Manager, who manages The Royal Scots Shop in the Bishopton care home said: “When we received the cards we were simply delighted. There has obviously been so much time and work put into making them. Our veterans enjoy shopping and it is always good to have something different on sale.”

He continued: “The shop is always busy and the cards have been flying off the shelf, they are very popular!”

All proceeds from the sale of Janet’s cards will be put towards maintaining the highest standard of care given to veterans at Erskine’s care homes throughout Scotland.

Bill Thomson, Jim McKay and Billy Menzies from the Erskine Glasgow Home and Peter Wilson and Joe Parker from The Erskine Home, Bishopton, attended with some of the Anniesland staff.

The table was donated by Mr David McCutcheon of Bullet Express and David met everyone on arrival and along with Jo Hood who ensured that every one was well looked after.

As the Erskine guests arrived they were treated to a glass of champagne and 2 bottles of wine were placed on the table.

The residents were also delighted to receive a lovely 3 course meal and topped this off with Tea and Coffee and tablet.

A wonderful time was had by all.

Erskine staff and residents enjoy the hospitality at the Tartan Ball

The Princess Royal was welcomed by Mr James Scott, Chairman, and Major Jim Panton, Chief Executive, to the original home which she also officially opened on the 1st March 2002.

After meeting many of the staff and residents, from both WWII and recent conflicts, The Princess Royal then toured the new 48-bed building, which benefits from private en-suite rooms, wide-ranging social activities and enhanced medical care.

Starting in Linburn House, named in recognition of a significant contribution made by the Scottish National Institution for the War Blinded, The Princess Royal was then welcomed by staff and residents of Trenchard House, built thanks to a £750,000 RAF Benevolent Fund donation, and Mair House, named in recognition of a legacy left by the late Miss Sheila Mair from Peterhead.

For the final stop of her extensive tour, The Princess Royal visited Mark Wright House, the UK’s first Army Recovery Centre, which is a partnership between the Army and veterans charities Erskine and Help for Heroes.

The Princess Royal officially unveiled the plaque and commented on the ‘evolution’ of Erskine over recent years and the generous backing that the veterans’ charity receives from its many supporters.

Major Panton said: “We are delighted that The Princess Royal has taken time out of her busy schedule to meet so many of our veterans and their families today and acknowledge the work of our dedicated staff and volunteers. This expansion will allow us to provide our high standard of care to even more veterans in the Capital and we hope that the incredible support from the nation will continue.”

The Princess Royal meets residents Jim Blyth and Mary Whitfield


Veteran Margaret Bain meets HRH The Princess Royal


The Princess Royal tours the new expanded home with Jim Scott, Chairman, and Major Jim Panton, Chief Executive


The Princess Royal tours the new expanded home with Jim Scott, Chairman, and Major Jim Panton, Chief Executive


The Princess Royal unveils the plaque to officially open the Erskine Edinburgh Home expansion


Lorna and Amy Panton present the Princess Royal with flowers


The Princess Royal meets veteran Victor Silvester

The all-day event took place at Strathclyde Park and saw over 20 teams of 10 participating in the former BBC hit gameshow ‘It’s a Knockout’, with contestants running the gauntlet, scaling fences and dodging water cannons during a series of challenges.

Two devoted care staff members of Erskine, Stephen Gallagher and Paul McVicar, organised the large event as part of their fundraising efforts for Erskine, which will see them take on the greatest challenge of their lives when they climb Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania next month.

Katharine Brown said: “The event was a lot of fun and it was a real honour to be involved in such a large fundraiser for Erskine. I wish the team well in their impending expedition which will be a great achievement and a fantastic way to raise money for the charity. I have heard a lot about Erskine and the great work that is carried out so I hope this event goes a long way in raising much needed funds for those veterans who rely on Erskine’s support.”

At 19,298ft, Mount Kilimanjaro is the highest free-standing mountain in Africa. The team of 16, including Stephen and Paul and led by Erskine Ambassador Chris Moon, have set themselves the arduous challenge of completing the expedition in five days.

Stephen, a team leader at Yarrow House, Bishopton joined Erskine when he left the Army in 1987, and has cared for veterans for 17 years.

Stephen said: “We hope to raise £10,000 for the Kilimanjaro fund and today’s tournament has been a great success towards us achieving this goal. The event was highly enjoyable for all taking part as well as those spectators who came out to support our efforts. There was very much a carnival atmosphere created throughout the day with family fun for all adding to the day’s excitement.

“Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro is something I’ve always wanted to do and I am always up for a challenge. I have always liked worked at Erskine and have confidence that that the charity will put the money raised to very good use.”

Paul is a Senior Care assistant in Red Cross House having worked for Erskine for 23 years and is used to gruelling challenges having taken part in a 200 mile sponsored cycle and a charity abseil in the past.

Paul said: “I have been hillwalking since I was a young boy and like Stephen, climbing Mount Kilimanjaro is always something I’ve wanted to do. I am slightly apprehensive about the climb as I’m not sure how I will cope with the altitude sickness but I am very much looking forward to it.”

To support Stephen and Paul in their Kilimanjaro challenge visit http://www.justgiving.com/Stephen-Gallagher-Mount-Kilamanjaro

Stephen and Paul with former Miss Scotland Katharine Brown

The event will start from the Flodden Memorial at Branxton at 9.30am on Friday, August 27, and the walkers hope to arrive in Selkirk between 1-2pm on Saturday, August 28, after covering approximately 35 miles.

On the first day the walkers will travel from the memorial to Wark Common, Sprouston and Kelso before following the River Tweed and the Borders Abbeys Way to Dryburgh.

On the Saturday they will head for Newtown St Boswells and join the St Cuthberts Way to Bowden and then on to Selkirk.

Doing the trek from Flodden to Selkirk on Friday 27th and Saturday 28th are James Bolton, John and Tamsin Ruthven, Pete Kinghorn, Derrick Middlemiss, Frank Strachan, Roger and Sharon West, Brian Mclingtoch, Kenny Hall, Nadine McGreggor, Michelle Bothwick, Ian Sparrie Burnet, Dave Pearson. They are hoping to raise between £2000 - £3000.

THE BATTLE OF FLODDEN 1513
In 1513, over seventy men from the Selkirk marched to Flodden Field with their king, James IV. Legend has it that only one survived, his name was Fletcher. On his return he cast a captured English standard around his head to describe that all others had perished in battle. The figure of Fletcher with the English standard is captured in a memorial by the Galashiels sculptor, Thomas Clapperton outside the largest meeting place in Selkirk, the Victoria Halls.

Eddie McGuire, aged 71, from Barrhead, ran the Glasgow course in just 75 minutes to raise a fantastic £300 – the second time he has completed the race in aid of Erskine.

Eddie, who has four children, 12 grandchildren and one great grandson, had never been interested in running until he entered his first 10k in 2009 as a way of getting fit. Then, he ran the 10k in 72 minutes and raised over £300 for Erskine.

He was inspired to raise funds for the cause due to the high profile of the current military operations abroad. The veterans’ charity has made a commitment to providing medical care and support to veterans, young and old, and Eddie thought Erskine would be the perfect organisation to benefit from his efforts.

Eddie said: “I done the 10k last year mostly because I wanted to get fit. I was getting fed up of sitting in the house doing nothing. I am a member of the United Services Club in Barrhead and there were a lot of stories in the paper about young men in Afghanistan, many of whom are injured so I thought I would do it for Erskine.

“I got a lot of great support from a lot of different people in Barrhead – it is amazing how people rally round. I’m quite chuffed that I have managed to complete the course twice and will keep doing it as long as I can.”

Catriona Connelly, Erskine fundraiser, said: “Eddie is a shining example of the length our supporters go to raise funds for the Erskine cause. He has proved that age is no barrier to getting fit and with the tremendous support of the Barrhead community he has raised a lot of money which will help us to provide the highest standard of care to veterans in Scotland.”

Eddie would like to thank the United Services Club, Bad Boys Club, and Afley Inns in Barrhead; the Wellington Bar in Paisley; staff and customers of the Brigg Inn and Claire’s Takeaway on Neilston Road for their generous support in his fundraising activities.

Eddie presents his cheque to fundraiser Catriona Connelly

The neighbours from Mains Drive in Erskine - Morven Donald, 13; Kaitlyn Millar, 14; Tiree Gallacher, 14; Rachael Millar, 12; Bethany Robertson, 11; and Mairi Donald, 11 – all sold toys, games, home baking as well as a Tombola and Guess the Teddies in the Jar to raise £102.60.

This is the third in a row that the girls have raised money for Erskine with their efforts in 2008 and 2009 raising money for Erskine Mains Home, Erskine. This year, their fundraising efforts were donated to Ramsey House, where Morven and Mairi’s mum Liz Donald cares for veterans.

The girls planned their event in the lead up to the Summer holidays and were assisted by the charity’s Fundraising Department who provided Erskine t-shirts, posters, balloons and buckets.

Morven, who received a Community award from Park Mains High School along with Rachael and Kaitlyn for their efforts last summer, was delighted to raise the money for a good cause.

She said: “We made over 40 posters which we stuck up around Erskine and we even ripped up mum’s old bed sheet to make a banner. We got lots of customers including our local postman James and our friend in the street Aidan, who bought lots of our cakes and he kindly helped. Any left over toys we donated them to Carly’s Kindergarten which is the local nursery up the street.

“We went down to the Erskine Home in Bishopton to hand over the money. They counted and announced that we raised £102.60 which we were all so happy about. We are looking forward to next year’s sale.”

Lesley Miller, Fundraising Manager at Erskine, said: “All the girls put a lot of hard work and dedication into making their Jumble Sale a huge success. Erskine is delighted that they have supported our care of veterans three years in a row and we are looking forward to the five girls repeating their success next Summer.”

To find out ways in which you can raise money for Erskine visit www.erskine.org.uk.

Picture: (L-R) Kaitlyn Millar, Mairi Donald, Rachael Millar, Tiree Gallagher, Morven Donald and Bethany Robertson wear their Erskine t-shirts with pride.

The Thistle Quilters paid visit to the Gilmerton care home to present their wonderful creations to the ex-Service men and women in its care.

The donation was made in memory of their member Mrs Ruth Jellinek, who sadly passed away last year. Fabric from her personal collection was donated by her family and was part of the material used to create the impressive wall quilts. At the handover of the donation, the group was joined by Mrs Jellinek’s husband Ernest and daughter Diana.

Alison Murray, Chairperson of the Thistle Quilters, said: “The committee felt the fabric should be enjoyed by our members, but also we should look for a charitable outlet for our creativity. Our reason for choosing Erskine stemmed primarily the fact that at the funeral of Mrs Jellinek, the family has suggested donations be given to Combat Stress. We realised how closely the military charities work together and Erskine had a new building with plenty of blank walls that could be livened up.”

The group’s donation was also helped along by the Tryst Patchwork and Quilting group which has donated tartan wall quilts for the walls at the Erskine Edinburgh Home.

Lynn Suttie, Home manager, said: “This is an extremely thoughtful donation by the Thistle Quilters group in memory of their much-loved member Ruth Jellinek. We are delighted to receive these wonderful and creative wall quilts, which will be enjoyed by our veterans for many years to come.”

The Thistle Quilters, which has been running since 1981 and boasts 50 members from across Midlothian, East Lothian and Fife, will also display some of their creations in the Portobello Library from 9 - 22 August.

The Thistle Quilters accompanied by Mr Ernest Jellinek and his daughter Diana present the wall quilts to veterans at our Edinburgh home.

Ex Merchant Seaman, Fraser, 69, and has known about Erskine, who cares for ex-Servicemen and women of all ages throughout Scotland, all his life.

He first ran for Erskine in the Glasgow Marathon in 1984 and 26 years later he has again helped raise vital funds by taking on the Men’s Health Glasgow 10k at Bellahouston Park.

Raising nearly £800 Fraser said: “I was prompted to take part in this event because of current events in the news”. Visiting The Erskine Home in Bishopton with his wife Leonora and granddaughter Holly, Fraser handed over his hard earned cheque to a delighted veteran, former Cameronian, Alex Heron aged (91).

Fraser hands over his hard earned cheque to a delighted veteran, former Cameronian, Alex Heron aged (91)

Not only did he bring his lovely daughter Kirsten with him but also a donation for the amazing amount of £1,615.

Ian told how the money had been raised at a golf day at the Machrihanish Golf Club in Campbeltown, Argyll on the course which is set in wonderful dunes in the small village of Machrihanish, on the western side of the remote Kintyre Peninsula.

Ian, who is the club steward said: “I chose Erskine to receive the money which was raised on the as my mum, May, is a resident of Erskine”.

Ian and Kirsten handed over this generous donation to Erskine veteran Bennie Gilchrist (RA), aged 74. Bennie said: “It must have been some golf day to raise all this money!”

Ian and Kirsten McLean hand over the cheque

Catherine Cowie, our North of Scotland fundraiser, was presented with £250 by Major Gordon during the celebrations. Armed Forces Day events were held all over the country to celebrate the contribution of our veterans and service personnel in Scotland.

Atholl Regiment performs for the crowds in Dundee

The Pigs on Bikes will return to the route of their first ever sponsored ride in September 4th to raise vital funds for our charity.

They will head off from Coulport cycling around the Rosneath Peninsula before heading past Faslane Naval Base, Helensburgh and Dumbarton, finally ending in Glasgow City Centre. The team will also take a quick detour into the new Erskine Garden Centre in Bishopton on the way for a much needed comfort break!

Last September, the group cycled 65 miles raising over £3,000 for Erskine and The Moira Fund. Since 1999, the team has also raised thousands of pounds for various charities including the Special Care Unit of Bellshill Maternity Hospital, Scottish Spina Bifida Association, Lanarkshire Cancer Care Trust and the Craighalbert Centre.

This is the first time the Pigs on Bikes have chosen to raise funds twice for a charity.

For their 2010 challenge the group will be made up officers from the Courts Branch in Glasgow; the Force Training Centre; Lanarkshire Division and Ayrshire Division. Retired officer John Houlihan who took part in the first ever Pigs on Bikes charity cycle will also take part.

Sergeant David Callander, who is organising the event, said: "I'm delighted that Pigs on Bikes are once again supporting Erskine. We were really impressed with The Erskine Home after our visit to hand over our cheque last year. Erskine does a fantastic job and we hope to raise even more this year to help them continue their great work."

Catriona Connelly, Erskine fundraiser, said: "We are delighted that the Pigs on Bikes have once again chosen to raise vital funds for Erskine. They went above and beyond the call of duty last year to raise a brilliant £3,000 and I’m sure they will go the full hog to repeat this success in September. Without the support of individuals and teams such as the Pigs on Bikes we would not be able to provide the highest standard of care to veterans in need."

To support the Pigs on Bikes visit www.justgiving.com/pigsonbikes2010.

The Pigs on Bikes get ready for their next fundraising challenge in aid of Erskine

Our veteran Mary Cathcart and Care Assistant Rita Worthington accepted a cheque for £320 last week in store.

As part of a team building exercise, the group volunteered to help clear out our old garden centre which was left vacant by the opening of our new Erskine Garden Centre in May.

They cleared all the leftover furniture and rubbish from the site in record time before lending a hand at clearing some weeds and bushes in our gardens.

Linda O’Malley, Erskine fundraiser, said: "We are delighted with the work that the BAA Senior Management Team carried out, we would have them back any time after clearing all the rubbish out of our old Garden Centre in record time. They did a great job!"

The team have a rest after clearing out our old garden centre site

The team hard at work clearning the bushes

Over two days at the beginning of July, the Association amassed £1,850, by collecting at Tesco Danestone in Aberdeen.

The proceeds from their collection on Saturday July 3rd are being donated to our partnership home in Fairview House, Aberdeen with the remainder of the collection going to the Aberdeen PRA fund.

The Association hopes to continue to support Erskine in future fundraising activites.

For further information about their organisation visit www.aberdeenpra.co.uk.

Aberdeen PRA collecting at Tesco Danestone

Steve chose to run for Erskine, which provides care for ex-servicemen and women who have been injured in conflict. The charity, based in Bishopton, is dependent on volunteers and now, more than ever relies heavily on donations.

Steve, who completed the course in 4 hours 26 minutes, has worked for CR Smith for over 7 years but prior to this, he was a diver in the Navy.

Steve said: "I was in the armed forces for 13 years, serving in the Falklands, so I know the suffering that can be caused during times of conflict. Erskine is helping hundreds of injured Scots returning from Afghanistan and Iraq and I hope to raise quite a bit of money for them."

Steve finishing his marathon challenge for Erskine in Edinburgh

The proceeds from the sale of this cask will be donated to the charity. Over 200 bottles have been signed by Lord Robertson of Port Ellen and will go on sale at the Ardbeg Distillery Visitor Centre and website – www.ardbeg.com – from 7 July priced at £220 per bottle.

Born in Port Ellen on Islay, Lord Robertson, then Secretary General of NATO, visited the Distillery 10 years ago and a special cask, cask number 1217, was laid down to commemorate his visit.

Lord Robertson is joined by Erskine Chief Executive Major Jim Panton for the launch of the Ardbeg sale

Erskine – Lord Robertson’s chosen charity – was founded in 1916 and has provided nursing and medical care for former members of the Armed Forces through two world wars and the more recent conflicts and peace keeping initiatives of the twentieth and twenty first centuries.

Paul Neep, The Glenmorangie Company’s chief executive, said: “We are delighted to welcome Lord Robertson back to the Ardbeg Distillery and are extremely pleased to support such a worthwhile charity as Erskine, as it makes such a difference to the lives of ex-Service men and women.

“As the bottles are in honour of a famous son of Islay and the proceeds are being donated to such a charitable cause, we anticipate that interest will be high.” Lord Robertson added: “I visited the Distillery 10 years ago to receive this cask and I am proud and delighted that this special Ardbeg bottling will be sold in aid of Erskine”.

This particular Ardbeg bottling has a taste of superb complexity and balance, where Ardbeg’s hallmark peatiness is offset with the sweetness of chocolate and toffee.

Erskine’s chief executive Major Jim Panton said: “On behalf of all our veterans I thank Lord Robertson and Ardbeg for this unique and very generous donation. As a charity we rely heavily on voluntary donations, without them we would not be able to offer the high standard of care for which we are renowned. I hope that people will enjoy this fabulous Islay whisky in the knowledge they have supported a valuable cause.”

Ardbeg prides itself on being the ‘Ultimate Islay Malt Whisky’. The Distillery was established in 1815. Today, Ardbeg is revered by connoisseurs around the world as the peatiest, smokiest and most complex of all the Islay malts. Despite its smokiness, Ardbeg is also renowned for its delicious sweetness, a phenomenon that has affectionately become known as ‘the peaty paradox’.

The Inverness man asked for donations to Erskine in lieu of any gifts for his important milestone and raised a wonderful total of £1,100.

Recently, Alan accompanied with his wife Liz made the trip down to The Erskine Home, Bishopton, to present his cheque to fellow veteran Alex Heron.

The couple enjoyed a tour of the facilities at Erskine as well as spending time chatting to Alex who served with at Fort George barracks in Inverness during WWII.

Veteran Alex Heron receives the cheque from Alan and Liz Ewen

Charles Gordon, will attempt two marathons, a 10k, a half-marathon and a gruelling 54k Ultra Marathon throughout the summer. Charles completed his first challenge, the Edinburgh Marathon, in May, finishing in 4 hours and 32 minutes. With temperatures reaching twenty five degrees it was a real challenge on the day.

In a bid to smash his target of £1,120 for Erskine, which provides care at five care homes across Scotland, Charles' next race will be the biggest challenge of the five – the Clyde Stride Ultra marathon on July 17th.

So far Charles has received the invaluable support of his employers J&D Pierce Contracts Ltd in Glengarnock, Ayrshire, who have pledged a donation to Erskine.

Charles, who works as a Commercial Manager for the company, said: "Inspired by the work and support offered by Erskine I have set some personal goals to raise awareness and funds for this wonderful charity. In five months I plan five races in less than 21 hours. Support, encouragement and donations will keep me going and help Erskine support men and women; long after my challenge is over."

Peter Macfarlane, Erskine fundraiser, said: "Charles' effort to complete five races in five months is testament to the lengths that loyal supporters of Erskine will go to raise vital funds to care for veterans across Scotland. We are delighted that he has chosen Erskine as his nominated charity. Every donation, from supporters such as Charles, makes a huge difference to the quality of life for our ex-Service men and women across the country."

To support Charles in his fundraising visit www.justgiving.com/Charles-Gordon.

Charles after completing the Edinburgh Marathon in May

On Wednesday 16th June, 22 teams took to the course in a shotgun start. The teams were blessed with superb weather on the day which made the championship course even more picturesque.

Participants, including members of Erskine staff, also enjoyed a quiz as they went around the 18-hole course. Each time a golf ball was sunk in the hole the player was asked an automated question by a device.

By the end of the day on Wednesday, £17,220 had been raised which is testament to our strong links with companies and supporters across Scotland.

Peter Macfarlane, Erskine fundraiser, said: "Thank you to everyone who attended and who took part in the various competitions on the day, as well as the sponsors of the course holes and those companies who donated prizes. I think everyone was a bit put shocked by the talking golf holes and the camouflage golf balls made the event very interesting!"

Our sponsors for the event were McLays Master Butcher and Greengrocer and Bunzl Cleaning and Hygiene Solutions.

RGB Ltd were crowned winners for the day

'The Erskine Bogey Men' took part in the competition to raise funds for the charity

'The Trustees' made up of Erskine Chairman Jim Scott, Robin Crawford, David Scott and Hamish McLaren

The all out winners of the competition were the team from RGB Ltd – a very well done to them. "Thank you to our official sponsors McLays Master Butcher and Greengrocer and Bunzl Cleaning and Hygiene Supplies who made the day very worthwhile.

Thank you to our hole sponsors Robertson Facilities Management, Allied Mobility, Glengoyne Distillery, and Erskine Print. Thank you to Scotshield, PlayQuizGolf, NVT Group, Prudential and Whyte and MacKay. Special thanks to John Sinclair, Ronnie MacKay, Ronnie Black, Ian Campbell, Willie Marr, Steve Robertson, Sandy McGhie, and Bryce Ritchie.

Thanks to all the staff at The Carrick Golf Course.
Thanks to all the teams who took part:
McLays Ltd, Bunzl Plc, RBG Ltd, Allied mobility, Northern Marine, Scotshield, Johnson Diversey, Royal Bank of Scotland, Corum Property, CBC Ltd, McTaggart and Mickel Homes, Hacking and Paterson, Barclays Wealth, The Erskine Bogey Men, Kwik Fit Insurance Ltd, Robertson Facilities Management, Cambuslang Golf Club, Cool Blue (JPM Design), MediaVision, SPD Print Solutions, Archial Architects and The Erskine Trustees."

Over the past 12 months, the members from Mount Vernon in Glasgow have been holding a series of events to raise £2,500 towards the care of our veterans.

Activities to raise the fantastic amount have included a bag pack and VE Day party and dinner where all the guests dressed up in 1940s clothes and uniforms.

The money has been specifically raised for the purchase of pressure reliving mattresses for our veterans. Erskine is expected to purchase around eight mattresses thanks to the donation.

Last week, Anne MacDonald, Dora Smith, Janette Donald and Maureen Langford visited The Erskine Home, Bishopton for an extensive tour of the facilities on offer to Erskine residents.

Pete Macfarlane, Erskine fundraiser, received the cheque on behalf of the veterans’ charity. He said: "The dedication of Beta Sigma Phi to raise this incredible amount throughout the year has been immense. Their donation has so far bought eight pressure reliving mattresses which make our residents' lives much more comfortable. Erskine is privileged to receive such support from the members of this group and we were delighted to welcome them our home to show them how their money is spent."

Beta Sigma Phi visit The Erskine Home, Bishopton to present their donation

On the 9th May she joined thousands of over runners to complete the Glasgow course in 1hour 19minutes, raising the fantastic total in the process!

Caroline was encouraged to run aid of the veterans’ charity by her husband who serves as a Sergeant with 1 SCOTS. Last year he was attached to the Black Watch in Afghanistan completing a seven and a half months tour of duty.

Caroline, from Galashiels, said: “There were so, so many people badly injured {whilst he served in Afghanistan], those that were badly injured stayed in my mind and for that I wanted to raise some money to help out; albeit on a small scale! They inspired me to get out and do a run – my first and definitely not my last. I hope to run for Erskine in the future.”

Caroline with her son Harrison after completing the Women’s 10K in Glasgow

Seven members Alan Gebbie, Phil Hendry, Karen Gordon, Sam Kemp, Sarah Graham, Gregor Megson and Alice Jones all completed the course earlier this year with times ranging from 58 minutes to 1 hour and seven minutes.

Their fantastic team effort secured over £200 for Erskine.

(L-R) Alan, Sarah, Phil, Karen, Alice and Gregor

Joined by her partner Alan Duff, Andrea McRoberts, who is a member of the cadet force, took on the Scottish Two Day Marches at Garlochhead to raise the fantastic total.

The event on the 1st and 2nd of May seen the pair march 80km over two days around the scenic area of Garlochhead.

Andrea and Alan presented their fantastic donation to East of Scotland fundraiser, John Fyfe, and Royal Navy veteran Robert Carmichael at the Erskine Edinburgh Home Summer Fete on May 29th.

John Fyfe said: “This is a brilliant donation from Andrea and Alan which will goes towards providing care for veterans across Scotland. Their dedication to march 80km over two days is outstanding and is a true testament to how far our supporters will go to raise much needed funds for such an important cause.”

Andrea and Alan present their cheque to John Fyfe and Royal Navy veterans Robert Carmichael

More than 200 veterans, their relatives and members of the local community in Gilmerton passed through the doors of the care home, run by the veterans’ charity Erskine, on May 29th to raise over £2,300 – the highest amount ever raised at the annual event.

Visitors enjoyed a series of stalls including home baking, tombola and plants, as well as a large selection of music from the St David’s Brass Band from Dalkeith.

Children also had the pick of games included Hook-a-Duck; Treasure Map and could pay a visit to vehicles brought by the Scottish Ex-Military Land Rovers Association.

On the day the event was supported by cadets from 12 Platoon Dalkeith and also the East of Scotland Universities Air Squadron, based at RAF Leuchars, who helped out on stalls.

Lynn Suttie, Erskine Edinburgh Home manager, said: “This is most money we have raised through our Summer Fete at Erskine Edinburgh, breaking last year’s total by nearly £400. We wouldn’t have managed to make the day such a success without the support of our veterans and their families, volunteers and the cadets who gave up their time to lend a hand on the day. We are delighted that the day was so popular and everyone is looking forward to our Christmas Fayre in December when we hope to raise even more money!”

12 Platoon Dalkeith helped out on the day to make it a success


East of Scotland Universities Air Squadron volunteered

Billy has been training hard for the event under the watchful eye of his two son-in-laws Gordon Mason and Tim Doherty, but helping him along the way on the day will be his granddaughter Erin (14) and his daughter Lily (52).

Billy and his family will be cycling along the canal path between the Erskine Glasgow Home in Anniesland to Bowling, and for the more adventurous taking part in the event, they may continue on to Loch Lomond. The event starts at 11.00 am and finishes back at the Erskine Glasgow Home with a Family Day with a Barbeque, refreshments and music, giving everyone the chance to relax and recover after their sterling efforts in aid of the charity.

Lily Mason, Billy's daughter, said: "I am delighted to be taking part in this event and even more delighted that my Dad and niece are doing it too. Hopefully we will raise lots of money for Erskine".

Billy's granddaughter Erin agreed: "Raising money for the veterans is good, I just hope my Grandpa doesn't beat me over the finish line!".

Erskine Glasgow Home Manager, Gordon Johnston said: "We are delighted that Billy and his family are taking part in the cycle. His determination to remain as independent as possible is an inspiration to us all".

If you would like to support the Erskine Glasgow Sponsored/Cycle Event please contact Suzann Pollock for more information on 0414 338 6307 or email suzann.pollock@erskine.org.uk.

Home Manager Gordon Johnston, Lily Mason, Erin Doherty, and Veteran Billy Menzies, 79, RN and Home Administrator Suzann Pollock

He completed the race in 1 hour and 10 minutes on the 10th May.

On June 6th he will join the Castletown Cadets as they complete a sponsored walk, also in aid of Erskine.

They will trek 23km from Thurso to Dunnet Head to mark the anniversary of D-Day.

To support them in their challenge visit www.justgiving.com/castletown-cadets.

Get Your Rox On welcomed 250 guests to the beautiful surroundings of Mar Hall in Bishopton to enjoy a luxury three-course lunch, charity auction and afternoon of entertainment on April 23rd.

The Ladies were met on the red carpet by five talented photography students from Reid Kerr College in Paisley who played the role of paparazzi on the day, as well as being official event photographers.

Elaine C. Smith, who hosted the event, entertained and delighted the guests with her witty banter as well as a host of songs. In total, £24,300 was raised on the day by the guests to help continue the high standard of unrivalled care for which Erskine is renowned.

Elaine said: “I am absolutely delighted to have been invited along to host the Ladies Lunch in aid of the veterans’ charity Erskine at Mar Hall. This great charity has been providing a the highest standard of care for Scottish veterans over the past 94 years and this fantastic event today demonstrates why it is so important for people to continue to support its cause. “My father served in the RAF in WWII and I know only too well the bravery, courage and sacrifices that the country’s veterans made then and continue to make in current operations across the world. It is extremely important that Erskine is able to keep up its great work and this can only be done through the generosity of its supporters. That’s why I would encourage everyone to back this fantastic cause to ensure that veterans of all ages can continue to receive the care they need and deserve for the next 94 years .”

Mrs Lorraine Ross, Erskine’s Director of Care, added: “We are delighted Elaine C. Smith agreed to host our Ladies Lunch at Mar Hall. We are very proud of the high standard of care and quality of life that Erskine is able to give to our veterans. However, this would not be possible without the support given at events such as the Ladies Lunch to be held in Mar Hall. Money raised will benefit our residents directly and enable us to continue and uphold Erskine’s vision to provide quality care to ex-service men and women across Scotland.”

Get Your Rox On was sponsored by Rox Diamond and Watch Specialists in Braehead and WH Smith (Glasgow Airport).

To view photographs from the day click here.

Cara Neeson and Rachael Goodwin of sponsors Rox; Major Jim Panton, Chief Executive; Elaine C Smith; Sara Bannerman, Head of Fundraising; Linda O’Malley, Erskine Fundraiser; Lesley Miller, Community Fundraising Manager; and Irene Adam, Erskine veteran.

Elaine C Smith performs during the Ladies Lunch

EGP is a charity run by students from the University of Edinburgh that aims to offer assistance by fundraising for, and volunteering in, sustainable community-led development projects overseas.

As part of this commitment, the students wanted to do more to help in their local community so they offered to lend a hand at the newest fundraising event launched by the veterans’ charity Erskine – the Great Scottish Tea Party.

They visited the Erskine Edinburgh Home to spend an afternoon befriending and sharing a cuppa with some of the 76 veterans cared for by the veterans’ charity in Scotland’s capital. The event was also a chance for the charity to encourage its supporters to sign up for Erskine’s Great Scottish Tea Party which aims to raise vital funds for Erskine.

Scottish teenage entrepreneur and creator of SuperJam sponsored the afternoon by donating his delicious products that the veterans could sample on a range of treats including scones and pancakes.

John Fyfe, Erskine fundraiser, said: “We were delighted that the students from the Edinburgh Global Partnership gave up their time to volunteer at our tea party recently. We were honoured to receive the kind donation from Fraser who certainly tickled our resident’s taste buds with his donation of SuperJam. It was the perfect opportunity for us to demonstrate how easy it can be to raise money for Erskine through our Great Scottish Tea Party, so we are encouraging more people to Raise a Cuppa and Raise a Pound for Erskine.”

To find out more about Erskine’s Great Scottish Tea Party click here.

East of Scotland fundraiser John Fyfe with Jasmine Cooper Sutton of EGP


Veterans Douglas Mure and Joyce Sharp with EGP students


Veterans Victor Silvestor, George Murdoch and Dorothy Baxter pour a cuppa with students from EGP

The club auctioned off tops at a recent charity dinner in March held at the Mannofield Squash Racquets Club. Former Rangers players John Brown, Johnny Hubbard, Billy Simpson and Dave Smith were invited along for the evening.

They previously held two sponsored walks in 2008 and 2009.

Members of the Aberdeen Rangers Supporters Club recently presented a cheque for £4,8000 to Fairview House in Aberdeen which cares for veterans under Erskine’s bursary bed scheme.

The Supporters’ club has so far raised £9,212 for Erskine to date, as well as a further £800 from the auctioning of a Clyde FC shirt donated by former Rangers player John Brown.

Aberdeen Rangers Supporters Club present their donation to veterans at Fairview House

Pete Macfarlane, Erskine fundraiser, collected a donation of £825 which was raised as a result of various fundraising initiatives including a show.

Peter said: "It was great to be invited to the service and to meet some of the talented young people. Erskine is lucky to have such great support from these young people who showed initiative and creativity in their fundraising efforts"

John Cole, 43, who works for the North British Distillery Company Ltd in Wheatfield Road, completed the gruelling Edinburgh 10k earlier this month in aid of his favourite team’s charity partner.

Along with three friends Colin Robertson, David Aitchison and Laurence Mutch, the season ticket holder completed the course in 58 minutes and three seconds.

His efforts raised £784 for Erskine, which runs the Erskine Edinburgh Home in Gilmerton, and his employers generously matched his donation pound for pound.

John and his fellow Hearts fans came up with the plan of entering the 10k race to raise money for charity during half-time at Tynecastle. As life-time supporters of the club they were keen to raise money for a charity close to its heart and the obvious choice was Erskine, which was unveiled as the Premier League’s charity partner last year.

Along with David Rae, Managing Director of the North British Distillery Company Ltd, John presented his final total of £1,568 to Erskine fundraiser John Fyfe recently.

John Fyfe, East of Scotland fundraiser, said: “We were delighted when John and his friends choose Erskine as their ‘team’ when they ran the Edinburgh 10k earlier this month. Over the past season we have been overwhelmed by the generosity of Heart of Midlothian FC and their supporters, who really have gone the extra mile to much-needed funds for Erskine. We are overjoyed that they continue to support our cause and have welcomed our veterans into their family with open arms.”

John, accompanied by David Rae, Managing Director of the North British Distillery Company Ltd, presents his cheque to John Fyfe, Erskine’s East of Scotland fundraiser


John and his team mate Laurence in action

This will be the second year in a row that Iain, from Ellon, has ran the gruelling 26 mile course in support of the Erskine.

He said: “I’m taking part in memory of my father. In 1934, at the age of 12 he ran away from home and joined the Royal Marines as a junior bandsman. He served in the war with the Cameronians and on their disbandment continued with the RHF military band until his death in 1975. From the age of 12 till his death at 52 my father was always involved either as a regular or TA. My first experience of Erskine was when as a child he used to take me when the band was playing concerts for the residents.”

To support Iain in his efforts visit www.justgiving.com/iain-riach to make a donation.

To find out more about Team Erskine click here.

Iain runs the Edinburgh Marathon in 2009

Adrienne, whose sister serves in the Royal Navy, as well as cousins in the Royal Marines took on the challenge of running the Women’s 10k in Glasgow recently.

She was inspired to take on the gruelling course after her husband and son both raised funds for Erskine.

Adrienne has already raised £320 through her efforts after setting herself a target of £250. She is looking forward to her next fundraising challenge.

Adrienne ran the 10k

The collection, held in March of this year, will be followed by a fundraising dinner held at the Holiday Inn Theatreland on the 22nd May.

Catriona Connelly, Erskine fundraiser, said: “The amount raised was absolutely fantastic and great thanks must go to all involved for organising this event for Erskine. The money donated will help us to continue to deliver a high standard of care to veterans across Scotland.”

H.E. Bailiff Sir Albert McQuarrie Kt GCSJ CMSJ, Deputy Grand Prior of United Kingdom and Ireland, Order of St. John of Jerusalem, Knights Hospitaller.


(L-R): Commander Alex Dalgleish KCJSJ, Chancellor and Treasurer, Priory of St. Margaret of Scotland, Order of St. John of Jerusalem, Knights Hospitaller, Commander W. L. Ramsay Shaw KCJSJ, Deputy Prior, Priory of St. Margaret of Scotland and H.E. Bailiff Sir Albert McQuarrie Kt GCSJ CMSJ.

Mark, who works for William Grant & Sons in Bellshill, won an award called ‘Be Pioneering’ in the 2010 Values Challenge.

He was treated to a 5 star experience at the prize giving in London and stayed at a top Chelsea hotel.

As part of his win Mark donated a £500 charity prize to Erskine which has provided respite care for his father, and it was the first charity he thought of when he won.

Mark, from Renfrewshire, paid a special visit to The Erskine Home, Bishopton, to present his cheque to Fundraiser Pete Macfarlane and also visit the new Erskine Garden Centre.

Pete said: “We were delighted that Erskine was the charity that Mark had in mind when he received his award earlier this year. It was a very kind gesture indeed and this money will go towards helping ensure our veterans receive the best care possible.”

Mark presents his cheque to Pete Macfarlane

His work ‘My Hero, My Soldier Laddie’ features stories of 14 soldiers who have been awarded the highest military decoration – the Victoria Cross.

Duncan recently visited Erskine to meet veterans, including Irene Adam, to see first-hand how the money directly benefits ex-Service men and women.

Catriona Connelly, Erskine fundraiser, accepted the cheque following his tour of The Erskine Home, Bishopton.

Catriona said: “This is wonderful donation from Duncan after all his hard work to write such a brilliant book. We are delighted that he has chosen Erskine to directly benefit from his work.”

The seven visitors enjoyed a drink with the residents and then visited Alex Heron, Erskine veteran, who showed them his room and told them of his Army history.

Thanks very much to the members of the club for their donation and a great evening.

Erskine veterans receive the cheque from club members

The group of around 70 scooter riders visited the care home, run by the veterans’ charity Erskine, to present a cheque for £250.

The club raised the money during a Easter charity ride when the scooter riders paid for the privilege to ride from Eclipse Motorcycles in Tranent to the Erskine Edinburgh Home in Gilmerton.

The scooter rides is an annual event organised by the Edinburgh Blues Scooter Club committee in aid of charity and is attended by scooterists from Edinburgh, Berwick, Tranent, East Lothian, West Lothian, Glasgow and Clydebank.

They choose to raise money in 2010 for Erskine because of the high profile of current operations across the world by British Armed Forces.

John Fyfe, Erskine’s East of Scotland fundraiser, said: “We were delighted to welcome the colourful Edinburgh Blues Scooter Club to the Erskine Edinburgh Home on Sunday. Our residents thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to thank the club for its donation and also get a look at the many different types of scooters brought along on the day. “Without the support of organisations such as the Edinburgh Blues Scooter Club we would not be able to care for those who bravely put their lives on the line for their country. Their donation will ensure that veterans from across Edinburgh and Lothians receive the highest standard of care.”

For more information about the Edinburgh Blues Scooter Club visit www.edinburghbluessc.co.uk.

Douglas Mure, VRNR with John Fyfe, East of Scotland fundraiser, and Mark D’urso with his Lambretta RB225 scooter

Each year the No 1 Jasmine Club hold a members’ draw and the chosen charity out of the hat receives a welcome donation.

This year, Phil Anderson won the draw and his charity Erskine, which cares for veterans of all ages, was picked to receive £1,1750.

Recently Phil visited the Erskine Edinburgh Home to pass his donation to Edinburgh fundraiser John Fyfe.

John said: “The continuing support and assistance of people and organisations like Phil and the No 1 Jasmine Club, allows Erskine to honour the promise to care for those men and women who have risked so much on their country's behalf. We are delighted with their support for us.”

John Fyfe receives the donation from Phil Anderson

On 27th February, the Inverleith Clubhouse on Ferry Road was transformed into a race track as over 50 people took part in a frog derby – racing 6 specially created MDF frogs on a homemade track.

Coupled with an auction, which included prizes for Knockhill Race Course, the night raised over £1,300.

Club members decided to raise money for Erskine after a former member of the club, Paul Lambert, was injured in a landmine accident in Afghanistan in November last year.

The Club’s President, Malky Pentland, said: “It came as a real shock to our club’s members to hear the tragic news about Paul’s accident before Christmas. When it was suggested that we hold a social event in his name to raise funds for Erskine, everyone was very supportive.

“We were delighted to hear that Paul was happy for us to do this and he is very positive about his future, even suggesting he’d be back in goals next season! Everyone who came along to the Frog Derby had a great night in support of this really worthwhile cause.”

John Fyfe, Erskine’s Edinburgh Fundraiser, said: “The backing of supporters such as Erskine Stewart Melville Hockey Club is instrumental in helping Erskine to provide the high standard of care for which it is renowned. With the opening of our new expanded home, at Gilmerton, which is also home to the UK’s first Personnel Recovery Centre, we are relying more than ever on groups and individuals to help our worthwhile cause.”

If you are interested in taking up hockey or joining a club, you can find out more about Erskine Stewart Melville Hockey Club by emailing info@esmhc.com

Members of Erskine Stewart Melville Hockey Club with John Fyfe from Erskine charity

The booklet called Memories of Mearns in Wartime features interviews collated by Eleanor Spalding by those who lived through war. The group was encouraged to gather the tales following 70th anniversary since the outbreak of the Second World War in 2009 and also the loss of the last surviving soldiers of the First World War died.

Stories talk about the arrival of the evacuees, feeding hungry ATS girls with the baking which Mother had just done for the family, finding “German” troops asleep on the streets, and explosions in the back garden.

The group decided that Erskine would be a fitting benefactor of the proceeds due to its work with ex-Service men and women who lived through WWI, WWII and further peacekeeping missions of the 20th and 21st century.

Pete Macfarlane, Erskine Fundraiser, said: “It is a fitting gesture that the Mearns History Group has chosen Erskine to benefit from the proceeds of the sale of their book Memories of Mearn in Wartime. Without the support from generous individuals and organizations such as this, Erskine would not be able to provide the high standard of care for veterans, who fought so bravely for their country, across Scotland.”

The booklet costs £3.50.

If you are interested in buying a copy of the book please call our fundraising team on 0141 814 4555

Staff Sergeant Jim McGrory and his team made up of 18 serving soldiers including Ricky Gaston, Phil Smith, Andy Hall, Dave Bayley, Ryan Ashton, Tom Bould, Seb McDonald, Matt McLean, Sean Moran, Carl Nazer-Abbasi, Stephen Rowe, Neil Wilcox and Kevin Young will attempt the challenge from the 12th-14th March.

This challenge is renowned for its gruelling and arduous terrain but it will be made even more testing due to the lack of daylight hours and weather at this time of year. The team hope to complete the challenge, which involves scaling Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Snowdon, in less than 24 hours.

So far the team has raised over £2,500 but hope to add to their total to raise money for Erskine, a charity very close to their heart.

The group from 1 (Ouston) Squadron also recently raised money by taking part in a bag packing at ASDA Poole.

To support the team in their challenge visit www.justgiving.com/OustonTrail to make your donation.

The troops who will attempt the Three Peak Challenge


The soldiers take part in a bag-packing in aid of Erskine

Erskine fundraiser, John Fyfe, was delighted to receive a cheque for £2,000 from Allan Jess, President of the SAMW.

John Fyfe said: “This is a fantastic donation from the Scottish Association of Meat Wholesalers. Erskine is delighted by the continued support of our communities, without which we wouldn’t be able to deliver the highest standard of care to veterans of all ages across Scotland.”

Allan Jess, President of the SAMW presents a cheque to John Fyfe, Erskine fundraiser

Scottish Building Society IT System Officer Stuart Aitken, who launched the fundraising initiative, said:“I don’t believe the extent of the job the armed services do is acknowledged enough by most people. There is too much focus on the politics war and not on the guys on the frontline who sign up to do a job, with some paying a higher price than others.”

Peter Macfarlane, Erskine fundraiser, added: “This is an extremely kind donation from the Scottish Building Society and it is very gratefully received by Erskine. We can only provide the high level of care our residents deserve with the support of the local community and Scottish Building Society has really shown its community spirit by giving this donation.”

Peter Macfarlane accepts a cheque from John Lloyd, Regional Manager for Scottish Building Society

The pupils, who had been studying WWII as part of their curriculum, worked hard to make the day a great success. Miss Ashleen Hill, the P6/7 class teacher who supervised the project, said; "The pupils did most of the research themselves, designed the tickets and posters and invited parents and members of the local community along to the event".

Peter Macfarlane, Erskine's Glasgow Fundraiser travelled to Strathaven to the Glassford Primary School where he joined the schools morning assembly and afterwards met the enterprising pupils. The P 6/7 pupils proudly handed over a cheque for £250.

Peter said: "The pupils have done wonderfully. Firstly taking an interest in such an important part of history and then helping raise money to care for some of those who took part in WW2 is really special. For a school of this size to raise that amount of money in one day is quite an achievement."

Peter Macfarlane with the Glassford Primary pupils

They presented the cheque to Erskine fundraiser Peter Macfarlane in front of the Café’s patrons.

The café was started as social drop in centre but then became so popular with its customers it started to make a profit. The extra money raised was split between three charities with Erskine as one of the lucky recipients of this money.

The Roberston Trust matched this total by donating £910 too.

Mark Senior (pictured), Craig Thomson (pictured), Craig O’Brien and Johnny Wright made up the team who took part.

One of the very best metal bands Glasgow has to offer, and one of the top live acts you're likely to see, are backing the veterans’ charity Erskine.

Syth have been entertaining rockers in Scotland for the best part of eight years and are dedicating a song from their second album The Reckoning to Erskine.

Available for download from most online store including itunes and Napster, ‘Three Remain’ is inspired by the bravery of British troops serving in recent conflicts. The most commercial track on the album, it will appeal to all music lovers.

Front man, Niall Russell said: “Syth chose Erskine as our charity because we know the lengths they will go to ensure that ex-service men and women are looked after on return from conflict; continuously reviewing their care in order to keep up to date with the needs that modern warfare can bring.

“Many of our troops return with both mental and physical injuries which go unseen by society. Erskine ensure that these brave men and women have a voice and the care they deserve in their transition back into society. These people are an inspiration to us so it’s only right we give something back.”

Catriona Connelly, Erskine fundraiser, said: “We are delighted Syth have chosen the proceeds from their new song ‘Three Remain’ will come directly to Erskine. Without the dedication of supporters such as Syth we would not be able to provide the highest standard of care for veterans of all ages across Scotland.”

If you would like to see the band perform live they will be showcasing their latest album The Reckoning at a gig in Rockers, Midland Street, Glasgow on Thursday 11th February 2010 from 7.30pm.

Further information and tickets are available at www.syth.co.uk priced at £6 with proceeds of this event also going to the Erskine.

Syth stand next to the memorial at The Erskine Home, Bishopton

Last year, staff and customers raised £1,120 by collecting the coins in the run up to the fundraising event, which was held from 1st-8th June last year.

But this time around they are going green and taking their challenge a step further by also collecting old mobile ‘phones for recycling.

The money received from the recycling will go to Erskine. They are asking people to help by sending their old mobile ‘phones to Stornoway Royal British Legion.

To take part, send your old phone to:
Royal British Legion
30 South Beach
Stornoway
HS1 2BN.

Alternatively call 01851 703756 to make your pledge.

Staff during last year’s challenge to collect £2 coins. Picture by Derek Stewart

The girls from Falkirk – Kat Henderson; Rachel McFarlane; Danielle Brown; Lisa Sneddon; Suzanne Thomson; Amy Macleod, Clair Jenkins and Emma Holmes – dressed up as Army girls to jump in the freezing waters to raise money for Erskine and Help for Heroes.

This is the fourth and last time the girls, who attended Falkirk High School together, have taken to the river at South Queensferry. Previously members of the group have raised money for the Mouth Cancer Foundation and Strathcarron Hospice.

Previously members of the group have raised money for the Mouth Cancer Foundation and Strathcarron Hospice. On this occasion the proceeds raised will be divided between Erskine and Help for Heroes.

Kat said: “We want to finish our fundraising challenges on a high and raise as much money as possible. We think that the two charities are very important, especially just now with the current conflicts in Afghanistan. We would urge people to support our fundraising challenge to raise money for two fantastic causes.”

John Fyfe, Erskine fundraiser, said: “Everyone at Erskine salutes the courage of these girls for taking part in the Loony Dook to raise money for our cause. We are very grateful that they have chosen Erskine and Help for Heroes to benefit from their last dip in the River Forth.”

To support the Loony Dook girls visit www.justgiving.com/falkirk-loony-dookers-erskine.

The Loony Dookers brave the freezing waters on New Year’s Day


The Loony Dookers brave the freezing waters on New Year’s Day

The team of officers, from North Lanarkshire Division and the Court Branch in Glasgow, raised £3,250 for Erskine and The Moira Fund during a fundraising challenge earlier this year.

On Christmas Eve, some of the team visited The Erskine Home, Bishopton, to present their cheque to veterans and Erskine fundraiser Linda O’Malley.

To raise the money the Pigs on Bikes, cycled approximately 65 miles from Edinburgh city centre, along the Forth & Clyde canal to the High Court in Glasgow on the 5th September to raise the fantastic amount.

Since forming in 1999, they have raised thousands of pounds for various charities including the Special Care Unit of Bellshill Maternity Hospital, Scottish Spina Bifida Association, Lanarkshire Cancer Care Trust and the Craighalbert Centre.

This time the officers from Lanarkshire – Sergeant David Callander and Constables Alan Thompson, Alistair Carson, Dougie Thomson, John Houlihan, Dougie McFadzean, Gillian Monroe, Derek White, Allan Cuthbert, Gus MacKinnon, Derek Graham and Dougie Wotherspoon – braved heavy wind and rain to complete the course in around 5 hours and were welcomed to the finishing line by Baillie Catherin McMaster. They were also backed up on the day by Inspector Iain Ross and Constables Gillian Anderson and Bob Burt.

Sergeant David Callander said: “It was a privilege for our group to be able to meet some of the residents at The Erskine Home and to be given a tour of the very impressive facility there. It is good to know that the money we raised will go toward providing a high standard of care for 1300 veterans each year, people who have served their country so well and who rightly deserve such good care and support.”

The Pigs on Bikes present their cheque to Erskine veterans

Our ex-Service men and women at Erskine know only too well what it is like to spend Christmas missing loved ones.

To recognise absent friends and family, Erskine will be having a Tree of Honour at each of its five homes across Scotland.

Each tree will be decorated with dedications in memory of those who cannot be with us this Christmas.

Our main dedication ceremony will be at The Erskine Home, Bishopton on Thursday 3rd December with smaller ceremonies held at our homes in Erskine, Glasgow and Edinburgh on the same evening.

You can remember one of your loved ones by visiting Erskine’s Tree of Honour page. We will then place your dedication on one of our trees.

John Fyfe, Erskine fundraiser, said: “Both our ex-Service men and women and the families of those currently serving overseas know only too well what it’s like to spend Christmas missing loved ones. The dedication of the Tree of Honour will help us bridge the gap between Remembrance and Christmas - and give us the chance to remember those absent friends and family at this special time of the year – whether they’re no longer with us, or whether they are thousands of miles away.

To make your dedication visit www.justgiving.com/erskine-hospital

The donation is part of the branch’s initiative support local organisations across the Edinburgh area.

James Blackburn, Head of Funeral Services, this year picked the Erskine Edinburgh Home as a benefactor of their first Christmas Donation Scheme.

Senior Funeral Director, Chris Armstrong, visited the Gilmerton home in Christmas week to present a cheque for £250 to John Fyfe, Edinburgh fundraiser.

John Fyfe with Chris Armstrong

Ronald Guild who joined up to the Army in Dundee in 1940 served in places near to the Afghan border and Thailand from 1942 until the end of the war. He was attached to the Indian Army (Frontier Force Rifles) during that time.

His story called Own Tales includes pictures and drawings from his time serving.

Recently Ronald visited the Erskine Edinburgh Home, Gilmerton, to meet some WWII veterans currently receiving first-class care in the country’s capital. He also enjoyed an extensive tour of the newly-expanded building which looks after 76 residents from across the Edinburgh and Lothians.

Afterwards, Ronald presented a cheque for £200 to Erskine’s Edinburgh fundraiser John Fyfe, raised through sales of the book.

Ronald Guild with John Fyfe

Ronald Guild during service

The Deputy Head Les Obre said that the pupils worked really hard and did all the work themselves from collecting, organising and selling the books to staff and pupils.

Class 3F3 from Larkhall Academy present Erskine with cheque for £164

Covering just about every inch of pavement around Ibrox before the game against St Johnstone, they collected from Home and Away fans alike, and in the space of only 2 hours, raised over £6,500.

Catriona Connelly, Glasgow Fundraiser said – “For these volunteers to have given up their time on such a cold day, and to have raised such an amazing amount is just tremendous. We cannot thank them enough for turning out in such numbers, and for collecting so happily and willingly, so that our ex- Service men and women can receive the very best care possible”.

Central Car Auctions have come to the rescue of Erskine by sponsoring the Tree of Honour Christmas tree and lights.

During the preparation for the ceremony, Erskine discovered the tree usually used would not be suitable, and desperately needed sponsorship to allow the event to go ahead.

The Tree of Honour ceremony allows guests to remember those who are not with us at Christmas and pay respect to those people who have lost their lives over the past years. It is a very important part of the Erskine year, allowing residents and guests to come together at Christmas.

Thankfully, Central Car Auctions stepped in at the last minute and provided significant sponsorship to make sure that the guests and residents of Erskine could still pay their respects at this special time of year.

Glasgow Fundraiser for Erskine, Catriona Connelly said – “Without the amazing generosity of Central Car Auctions, we could not have held our Tree of Honour ceremony, they really have been Erskine’s Christmas Stars, and we are immensely grateful to them.”

The stores from Erskine, Port Glasgow, Weymss Bay, Largs and Lochwinnoch very kindly donated the proceeds from their two pence charge for plastic bags to Erskine. And over the course of the year they raised the amazing amount of £2,500 through the sale of 125,000 bags!

Recently, Erskine veteran Peter Wilson, RAF, aged 81, was presented a cheque by staff at their Erskine store in Bargarren Shopping Centre.

Catriona Connelly, Erskine fundraiser, said: “This is an extremely kind donation from Spar stores and is very gratefully recieved by Erskine and the veterans it cares for.

“We can only provide the high level of care our residents deserve with the support of the local community, and Spar has really shown its community spirit by giving this donation.”

The Guild, which marks its centenary next year, has supported Erskine since it began providing artificial limbs for service men returning from the First World War in 1916.

Then known as The Princess Louise Scottish Hospital for Limbless Sailors and Soldiers, it was thanks to the generosity of organisations such as the Ardrossan Co-operative Women’s Guild that Erskine was able to care for the wounded.

Now 93 years on and 75,000 veterans later, its members have increased the tally of donations through the collection of weekly membership fees, baking sales, car boot sales and much more.

Morag Morrison, Guild member and Erskine supporter, said: “We have great fun raising money for Erskine which is a very worthwhile cause and we intend to continue to raise money over the coming years.“

The money raised will be matched pound for pound, up to £750, as part of the Barclays Community Investment 'Charity Begins at Work' Programme, bringing the total up to £1,628.

David Bond, Community Relations Officer for Barclays said: “At Barclays we strive to strengthen local communities in which we live and work by supporting a range of causes from local schools to centres for older people.

“This is a fantastic example of Barclays staff fundraising with the local community to achieve something which we hope will make a real and lasting difference."

“At Barclays, we take our responsibilities seriously. We're really proud of our leading community investment programme which added up to £52.2 million in 2008. More than 57,000 people were involved in volunteering, fundraising and regular giving and we supported more than 7,000 charities around the world.”

As a charity reliant on voluntary income to provide high quality care services for our residents, Erskine is incredibly grateful to both Brian and William for all of their hard work on our behalf.

William Mann high above Stobo - nearly half-way


Brian and William Mann at the end

The pair dressed up as Noddy and Big Ears to win first place at the bash. Glasgow Fundraiser Peter Macfarlane as on hand to accept the cheque at a Rotary Club Lunch recently, held on Tuesday 24th November.

It was in September, on a sunny Sunday that best buddies Daniela Jaconelli and Bernie Aitken pedalled from Glasgow Green to Edinburgh. It took them nearly six hours with breaks every so often and by the end of their journey they were tired but extremely proud of themselves. Why? They had just raised a whopping £1,500 for Erskine.

The girls, both Primary 7 pupils at Craigholme School for Girls, had first heard of Erskine through Daniela’s father Marco. Marco’s company “Expresso Adesso” supplies coffee to Erskine and had told the girls all about Erskine and a little bit about its history. So when it came to deciding on a charity to cycle for in the Pedal for Scotland events they had no hesitation in choosing Erskine. And when it came to sponsoring the girls family, friends, neighbours and teachers all did so very generously.

Daniela and Bernie said: “It was great fun doing the cycle ride and we really enjoyed coming to Erskine and meeting Alex. We are studying WWII in school and hopefully we will be able to come back to Erskine and meet more of Alex’s friends.”

Lesley Miller, Interim Head of Fundraising for Erskine said: “It’s great to see these two young people reaching out to help our country’s ex-Servicemen and women. They showed great courage and determination in setting themselves such a big challenge. Everyone at Erskine is so impressed by their success as part of the Espresso Adesso Team and so grateful for the wonderful amount of money they raised on our behalf. I know that Alex enjoyed meeting Bernie and Daniela and was thrilled to receive the big cheque from them.”