Purpose of the Steering Group

The Skye and Lochalsh Veterans Steering group has been set-up to get a fuller understanding of the number of Armed Forces Veterans  on Skye and Lochalsh so we can:

• Be able to inform NHS Highland and our MSPS and MPS.

• Negotiate for the provision visiting social and healthcare and social and welfare support services (inc SSAFA, Legion Scotland, ABF, RNBF, RAFA etc)

• Establish a record of Veterans to enable the provision of self help within our Veteran Community.

• Establish a record of Veterans so that we may be able to consider the formulation of a Skye and Lochalsh Armed Forces Veterans Association.

• Establish a record of Veterans so that we can build a social network.

 

Who we are

Jack MacFarlane MBE MSM

I served in the RAF for 30 years and lived in Skye from 2011. I am committed to ensuring that Armed Forces Veterans residing in Skye and Lochalsh are provided with the same level of medical and social care services afforded to Veterans elsewhere in the UK. Recent interactions with a number of agencies, health and government representatives have highlighted that they are significantly under-estimating  how many Veterans reside in Skye and Lochalsh.  If you would kindly complete the questionnaire this would help us provide evidence of the numbers of Veterans in our community, we can then try to ensure we are provided with appropriate care and support and determine how we best self support each other.   

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Thomas Wilson

Served in the 1st Battalion, The Parachute Regiment for six years.  Operational tours of Northern Ireland, Kosovo and Sierra Leone.  Former Security Manager and Principle Protection Officer on the Private Military Circuit in Afghanistan.
Former active member of the British Legion and current Parade Commander for the Remembrance Parade in Portree.  Active member of the Veterans Breakfast Club, Isle of Skye and committed to the support of veterans, serving members of the Armed Forces and their dependents.

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Mòran Taing (This means Many Thanks in Gaelic, there is no one here called Mòran!)

 

Your Help

We are reaching out to veterans and their families to gather information about numbers and support needed. To do this we have a survey that we would like  you to take part in

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https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/SLVeteranSurvey 

 

Taking part in this survey will help us gather evidence to support our purposes.​ Skye and Lochalsh Council For Voluntary Organisations are managing this survey and all answers are anonymous.

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Download our Privacy Policy here

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If you have any issues completing the survey please contact Samantha-Jo McArthur at SLCVO on thirdsectorsupport@slcvo.org.uk or call 01478 612921. 

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Background Information

Recent initiatives and the implementation of pilot schemes concerning the NHS care of Armed Forces Veterans has highlighted that the NHS Scotland and local Government are vastly underestimating the number of Armed Forces Veterans resident in Skye and Lochalsh and more widely across Highland and the Islands.  This underrepresentation of true numbers potentially means that when it comes to funding for the provision of physical and mental health care services and specific social care support we will attract  an inappropriately low amount of funding and support.

 

We wish to be afforded the same level of health and social care afforded to Armed Forces Veterans across the UK, there is significant disparity between what is offered in the central belt and what is offered within Highland.  

There is a Veterans Breakfast Club which is a national organisation already in Skye which meets at Jans Vans Café in Portree-  https://www.afvbc.net. However we would like to create a local safe, welcoming place for veterans (or serving military personnel while visiting Skye) to meet with likeminded people from a similar background. 

 

Thank you for your support.  

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Jack and Thomas

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