Erskine Veterans Charity appoints four new Trustees as it advances long-term strategy for Scotland’s veterans

Erskine Veterans Charity has appointed four new Trustees to its Board as Scotland’s leading Veterans charity marks its 110th anniversary year and continues to deliver an ambitious long-term strategy for veterans and their families.

Professor Jackie Taylor MBE, Julie Carter, Roddy Neilson and Andrew Reynolds MBE have joined the Board, bringing senior experience across healthcare, NHS finance, military service, public administration, workforce development and governance.

Their appointments come as Erskine progresses the Erskine Strategy 2025 - 2031, the charity’s six-year strategy to build on more than a century of care while responding to the changing needs of Scotland’s veteran community.

Professor Jackie Taylor MBE is a highly respected clinician and medical leader who has built an extensive career across the NHS, academia and professional leadership. A graduate of the University of Glasgow Medical School, she trained in general internal medicine and geriatric medicine before becoming a Consultant Geriatrician at Glasgow Royal Infirmary. She later became the first woman to serve as President of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow.

Julie Carter is a qualified accountant and senior NHS finance leader who has worked within NHS Scotland for more than two decades. She has held senior finance roles in Glasgow and with the NHS National Waiting Times Centre Board, and is Director of Finance, Logistics and Strategy at the Scottish Ambulance Service.

Roddy Neilson is a consultant haematologist and former Army Reservist with extensive experience across medicine, military service, governance and public life. A consultant at Forth Valley Royal Hospital, he was appointed Queen’s Honorary Physician by the Army in recognition of his work in haematology for the military and more than 25 years’ service with the Reserve Forces. He has also served as Commanding Officer of 205 Scottish Field Hospital, with deployments including Bosnia, Iraq and Afghanistan.

Andrew Reynolds MBE is a senior leader with more than 30 years’ experience in the British Army, followed by senior roles with NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and Barclays. His career has included leadership responsibilities across workforce planning, recruitment, staff bank, talent management, executive development and HR business management.

Wing Commander Ian Cumming MBE, Chief Executive of Erskine Veterans Charity, said: “These appointments come at an important point in Erskine’s history. As we mark 110 years since the charity was founded, we are rightly proud of the care and support Erskine has provided to generations of veterans and their families. But this anniversary is not only about looking back. It is about making sure we are ready for the veterans of today and tomorrow.

“Jackie, Julie, Roddy and Andrew bring exceptional experience across areas that are central to that future, including healthcare, finance, military service, public administration and workforce development. Their knowledge and insight will strengthen Erskine’s governance and support our ambition to provide the right care, in the right place, at the right time.”

Founded in 1916 to care for those wounded during the First World War, Erskine has continued to evolve across generations. Today, while specialist residential, nursing and dementia care remains central to its work, the charity is placing increasing emphasis on earlier intervention, community-based support, tackling isolation and helping veterans access the right support closer to home.

Erskine currently provides specialist care from its homes in Bishopton and Edinburgh, alongside supported accommodation at the Erskine Veterans Village, Activity Centres in Bishopton and Forres, and regional Home Support services. Its long-term ambition is to ensure more veterans and their families can access support before they reach crisis point, whether they live near an Erskine facility or elsewhere in Scotland.

Image left to right: Roddy Neilson, Andrew Reynolds MBE, Julie Carter and Professor Jackie Taylor MBE