“I’ve got my life back”: Veteran marks first anniversary of Erskine’s Forres Activity Centre 

An RAF Veteran from Forres once thought civilian life had left him forgotten by society. He has now hailed the first anniversary of the Erskine Veterans Activity Centre in Forres, saying it has given him his confidence back, his independence and a new lease of life.

One year on from opening its doors in December 2025, the £1.6 million Centre has welcomed more than 600 fully signed-up members, making it a significant new community resource for Veterans in the north of Scotland.

Sergeant Steven Gray, 62, served 22 years in the RAF on the Nimrod aircraft. His career took him from the Falklands to Germany, Canada, the United States and the Middle East, with memories that range from Cold War tensions to laying a wreath for friends lost when HMS Coventry was sunk in 1982.

A freak accident at RAF Kinloss in the mid-1990s left him with permanent nerve damage and a diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis. The condition forced him to leave the career he loved, and he feared his service, and his sacrifices, would soon be forgotten.

However, today, Steven says the Erskine Veterans Activity Centre in Forres has given him his life back. Since opening, the Activity Centre, has already welcomed more than 600 members. Tailored to the needs of the local Veteran community, the Centre offers everything from sport and recreation to arts, wellbeing programmes, financial inclusion advice and peer support.

Steven said: “Before the Centre opened I hardly got out. My wife works and my daughters are grown up, and I was starting to feel isolated. My mental health was suffering. Now I have a focus and something to look forward to. My family and friends keep saying how much more positive I seem. I’m there so often my wife jokes she’s an ‘Erskine widow’ but she’s delighted to see me happier.

“I used to feel forgotten, but Erskine has made sure I’ll never feel that way again. The Centre has restored my sense of belonging. It’s the camaraderie, the banter, the friendships. The things you think you’ve lost when you leave the forces. They’ve come back into my life.

“Life after service is never the same. It’s easy to feel forgotten, left behind, even discarded by society. There are thousands of Veterans out there who wake up every day just trying to get by – I was one myself.”

Erskine, Scotland’s leading Veterans’ charity, supports 1,300 Veterans and their families across Scotland every year. For Steven, the charity’s support has been a lifeline to many in Moray and has provided a place where Veterans of all ages can reconnect and learn new skills. It has also helped them regain the sense of purpose that military service once provided.

He added: “From the very first day it was clear that members came first. The support we’ve had has been overwhelming. The Centre has given me independence, friendships, and the same spirit of belonging we all remember from service life. It has been lifechanging for me, and the fact that 600 members have already signed up shows that this service is much needed, not just in Moray but across the country.”

Wing Commander Ian Cumming MBE, Chief Executive of Erskine, said: “The response from the Veteran community in Moray has been remarkable. More than 600 members in a single year shows just how vital this support is. Stevie’s story reflects a common theme: when veterans find connection, structure and purpose again, their whole outlook changes. We are incredibly proud of what the Forres Centre has achieved in just twelve months, and as Scotland’s foremost provider of Veteran care, accommodation and community support, we remain firmly committed to supporting Scotland’s Veterans wherever they live.”

The generosity of our supporters allows the charity to maintain our commitment to care for Scotland’s Veterans – without donations we simply cannot continue this work. To find out more about Erskine Veterans Charity’s work please visit our website at www.erskine.org.uk, follow on twitter @ErskineCharity via Facebook www.facebook.com/ErskineVeteransCharity. To donate directly to Erskine, please visit Erskine.org.uk/donate. Erskine Veterans Charity | Company No. SC174103 | Registered Charity No. SC006609 | The Erskine Home, Erskine Veterans Village, Bishopton, PA7 5PU