Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust Donates £140,000

13 August 2020

Glasgow Helping Heroes, part of SSAFA, the Armed Forces charity, has received two separate grants totalling £140,000 from the Armed Forces Covenant Fund’s Positive Pathways programme.

The two grants of £70,000 will support SSAFA’s Glasgow Helping Heroes – a partnership between SSAFA and Glasgow City Council to help veterans and their families.

The first grant will be used to extend the established Glasgow Veterans United football group from a short course to a year-round drop-in group. The partnership between Glasgow Helping Heroes and the Ranger’s Charity Foundation, Glasgow Veterans United (GVU) uses football as a vehicle for positive lifestyle changes, providing holistic support and cultivating resilience and social integration.

The second grant of £70,000 has been donated by the Covenant Fund to create a new social and sport group, Curling for Disabled Glasgow Veterans. Glasgow Helping Heroes staff will work with Scottish Curling coaches to increase social engagement, reduce loneliness and isolation and improve physical and mental wellness among veterans with limited mobility.  

The Positive Pathways programme is part of the Veterans’ Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund, provided by the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust. The aim of the programme is to fund projects that develop and run activities supporting the mental health and wellbeing of ex-forces, encouraging veterans to get out and active. 

Due to Covid-19 and lockdown restrictions, the groups have been delayed but are due to start later this year.

We are most grateful to the Armed Forces Covenant Fund for these exceptionally generous donations. Glasgow Helping Heroes is an exciting and innovative initiative set up between Glasgow City Council and SSAFA to support local veterans and their families. These two grants, part of the charity’s Positive Pathways programme, will provide a range of social activities in the local community that will support the mental health and wellbeing of our veterans.

- Sir Andrew Gregory, Controller, SSAFA, the Armed Forces charity

We’re pleased to be able to support both the Glasgow Veterans United football group and the new Curling for Disabled Glasgow Veterans group. The ethos of the Positive Pathways programme is getting veterans out and active with activities that can improve their mental health and wellbeing. Sport is a great way of achieving this and it’s great to see a variety in the sports on offer through the awards we’ve made.

- The Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust