Erskine Edinburgh Volunteers Recognised

The Erskine Edinburgh Home marked the contribution of its volunteers by holding a special awards afternoon recently.

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 Gormon, 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

Painting Fit for A Princess

HRH The Princess Royal delighted veterans of Erskine when she visited three of the charity’s Renfrewshire based homes recently.

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

Brickwork Appeal

Regular visitors to the Annie Miller's Public House in Glasgow's City Centre have been generously contributing to the "Brickwork Appeal" organised by the pub's owner Steph. The Appeal has so far raised £600.00 which Steph and his friends very kindly popped into The Erskine Home, Bishopton to hand over.

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

Two Scots Visit Erskine

Recently seven soldiers, bound for Afghanistan, came to meet Erskine’s ex-Service men and women before leaving on their 6 month tour of duty.   Sergeant Terry Lowe, 29, said “Meeting the veterans is an honour and reminds us of what has been done before”.  Erskine veteran, Alex Blair, 92, who spent two years behind enemy lines in Italy during World War II, told of how delighted he was to meet the young soldiers.  Pictured below are Erskine veterans Grant Smith, Alex Lees, George Blair, Alan Archibald and Bill McDowall and 2 SCOTS soldiers.

Pipers Trail Visit The Erskine Veterans Home

Erskine were delighted to welcome, the pipers and drummers of the “The Pipers Trail” to The Erskine Home in Bishopton. The Pipers Trail put on a fantastic play as well as playing some of the veterans favourite tunes on the pipes and drums. After the wonderful performance the party met and had afternoon tea with the veterans.

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.”