News

Foundation Announces New Armed Forces Partnerships

Thu 7th September 2017

The Rangers Charity Foundation is pleased to announce three services-related charities have been selected for our Armed Forces Partnership for season 2017/18.

The Foundation has pledged to raise £15,000 to be split between AA Veterans Support (AAVS) in Northern Ireland, the Coming Home Centre in Govan and Erskine.

Supporters will be able to help raise funds for the partnership at Ibrox at this weekend’s Armed Forces Day match against Dundee, by donating to volunteers at the turnstiles who will have collection buckets.

Over the last five years, the Foundation has donated over £125,000 in cash to armed forces and veterans’ charities, as well as significant in-kind support, to charities including Combat Stress, Poppyscotland and ABF The Soldiers’ Charity.

AAVS provides vital services to those who serve or have served in the British Armed Forces and their families throughout Northern Ireland. The charity provides respite, treatment, training and welfare assistance and has established Northern Ireland’s first dedicated drop-in training and treatment centre, which provides advice and guidance, training, counselling and more all under one roof.

The Foundation’s pledge will enable the charity to continue to deliver and further develop the support services provided to the Service Community in Northern Ireland.

Andy Allen founder of AAVS said: “As a small charity providing respite, treatment, training and welfare assistance to the Armed Forces Community in Northern Ireland the support of the Rangers Charity Foundation is greatly welcomed. 

“The Foundation’s support will not only enable AAVS to continue to sustain and develop the support services we offer, it will also help to provide much valued publicity of our work and the services we offer.”

The Coming Home Centre was set up in 2010 and caters for the needs of all veterans, regardless of when and where they served. 

The Centre offers veterans access to a wide range of support and advice and also runs a number of workshops, from music and art therapy classes to cooking and woodwork.

Its drop-in centre, based at the Pearce Institute, provides a place for veterans to get together, enjoy lunch or a cup of tea, and talk with their peers. The Foundation’s pledge will be used to fund 200 meals every week for veterans for around four months.

Coming Home Centre Operations Manager Ian Hopkins, himself a former Royal Marine, said: “This donation from Rangers Charity Foundation, will make a huge difference to the Coming Home Centre, and it is twofold, firstly feeding the troops is a huge financial commitment, but is ultimately the start of the healing process for many of our veterans, so vital in the work that we do. Secondly the publicity surrounding this award will make our charity much more visible to those that need help.

“Rangers have a massive following in the armed forces and many of the Rangers support have family past and present with connections to the armed forces, so spreading the word that help and support is available locally is just as invaluable.”

Erskine is Scotland’s foremost provider of care for veterans and their spouses, offering unrivalled nursing, residential, respite and dementia care in four homes throughout Scotland.

Over the last five years the Foundation has been involved in a number of initiatives with Erskine, including purchasing electric profiling beds for residents and a specially adapted minibus, refurbishing the Royal Scots Shop and contributing to the charity’s Centenary Garden project.

The charity will announce in the next few weeks how it intends to use the Foundation’s latest pledge of £5,000.

Erskine’s Individual Giving Manager, Peter MacFarlane said: “We are extremely grateful for the wonderful continued support from The Rangers Charity Foundation. 

“Their invaluable donations over the years have made such a big difference to the lives of the veterans and spouses that we care for.”

Find out more about each of our Armed Forces Partnership charities here on our Charity Partners webpage.

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