Latest News
Thanksgiving Service to Honour Iraq and Afghanistan Heroes
Families of Scottish Servicemen who have lost their lives in the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan are organising a Thanksgiving Service in their honour and are offering places at the Service to members of the public. The Service will be held in the Church of the Holy Rude, Stirling, on the afternoon of Monday 27th October.
Tribute will be paid to the sacrifice made by Servicemen and women at an inter-denominational service, conducted by the Reverends Ian Paterson and James Gibson.
Seats will be extremely limited and will be issued on a first come, first served basis, so those wishing to attend should contact Poppyscotland on 0131 550 1568 to request a place.
Sowing the Poppy Seed
Poppyscotland has launched a new series of educational materials that will revolutionise the way pupils learn about veterans. Entitled, ‘Sowing the Poppy seed’, the materials will be used in Scottish schools to educate pupils about the importance of Remembrance and the issues that affect veterans in their communities today. More information is available on our media page.
Awards for Volunteers
Poppyscotland is delighted to announce a new Awards scheme for our volunteers.
People who currently volunteer for Poppyscotland are eligible and corporate organisations, schools and groups that show consistent support to Poppyscotland will also be able to receive a certificate of appreciation.
Visit the Volunteer Downloads page for more information.
Scottish Poppy Appeal Raises Record Total
The 2007 Scottish Poppy Appeal has raised a record £1,760,880 and we extend our grateful thanks to all who supported the event, by buying a poppy or by helping with local collections.
The announcement was made on 23 April in George Square, Glasgow.
Poppyscotland Chief Executive Jim Panton said: “We are extremely proud of this achievement and we look forward to seeing the money go to veterans and their dependants to help make their lives easier.
“However, we must attract more volunteers from younger generations to help us raise money to meet the welfare needs of Scotland’s veterans of the future. Sadly, as a result of recent conflicts, many of those who serve today will require specialist support in the future, so we are really only seeing the tip of the iceberg at this stage.”
Helping to make the announcement were Brigadier John Brown, six-year-old Lucy Smith from Annan, who is one of our youngest supporters, Jennifer Young and Lewis Gibson from Williamwood High, and cadets from F Platoon Maryhill RHF.
Read the press release here.
Mat’s Tribute: watch the video
Poppyscotland has recently launched a promotional DVD - Mat’s Tribute, named in honour of its producer. Mat Durham is a former soldier and, at 22 years old, has seen three operational tours in Iraq and Afghanistan.
After returning from his third tour, he began creating remembrance videos as a mark of respect for his fallen comrades.
Poppyscotland’s Chief Executive Jim Panton came across a few video clips about Iraq and Afghanistan on the Internet and was struck by the strength and emotion of a few, all made by the same person, Mat Durham.
Jim Panton said: “I was intrigued to learn about Mat’s experiences on his three operational tours. I was particularly struck by his account of a drawn-out engagement with the enemy on his very last day in theatre, which limited his time to pack and catch his flight home and resulted in him arriving in ‘civvy steet’ 24 hours later, still wearing his combat clothing.”
The video focuses on a dramatic account of a courageous rescue mission by Cpl Mark Wright of Edinburgh, who was killed last year in Afghanistan, and who was posthumously awarded the George Cross.
Mat said: "I was really pleased to make this video. Poppyscotland does a great job in helping veterans and their families and they are to be commended. I wish them all the best for another record year."
As well as making videos, Mat runs the website www.allcallsigns.org, which is a "Worldwide Network of Professionals who have served in Her Majesty's Armed Forces. It offers free and comprehensive networking tools for ex-Service professionals in any stage of business or employment.
StartHere
Poppyscotland has linked up with StartHere, an information service that signposts people in need of advice and support to organisations across Scotland. The service covers a wide variety of issues, including health, care, families, education, employment, benefits, wellbeing and welfare rights.
StartHere - http://www.starthere.info/rblweb
Scottish Rocks Support Poppyscotland
Poppyscotland was delighted to be involved with the Scottish Rocks basketball team for their home game against the Everton Tigers on Sunday 21 October at the Braehead Arena, Glasgow, in support of the 2007 Appeal.
As a gesture to honour the Armed Forces a special promotional code was created for Service and ex-Service men, women and their families, offering a discounted rate.
AGM
Poppyscotland’s AGM took place on 4 October at the MacRobert Theatre in Stirling. Highlights included an update on Poppyscotland’s exciting and expanding activities over the past year and a presentation on a daring helicopter rescue mission in Afghanistan.
We also held our annual President’s Awards ceremony, whereby volunteers who have given outstanding support to Poppyscotland are honoured.
To find out more about the Scottish Poppy Appeal click here
CAB project
Poppyscotland has launched a year-long advice project with the Glasgow Consortium of Citizens Advice Bureaux in order to learn more about and address the advice needs of veterans in the city.
A helpline has been created and will be run by Citizens Advice Direct to provide first-line advice. The helpline number is 0845 231 0300.