Generous Support for Erskine’s Army Veterans

We are delighted to share that the Army Benevolent Fund has generously supported Erskine’s Army beneficiaries once again with an incredible grant of £150,000. This grant will help fund our delivery of enhanced care to Army Veterans and their spouses living at The Erskine Home, Bishopton. The Army Benevolent Fund has been an outstanding long-term supporter of Erskine’s services and we are hugely grateful for their decision to assist our Army Veteran community again.

The Erskine Home, Bishopton supports up to 180 residents through residential, nursing, dementia and palliative care. Our residents live with life-limiting conditions such as physical disabilities, dementia, Parkinson’s disease and motor neurone disease. Despite the difficult economic climate, we are proud that our Home continues to offer on-site specialist support to our vulnerable residents within a like-minded community of fellow Veterans.

At present, about two-thirds of Erskine’s residents are Army beneficiaries. One of our Home’s residents is Tommy Dickie, an 87-year-old Army Veteran who was born in Glasgow in 1936. Tommy worked various jobs in his teenage years including as a sheet metal worker at Associated Metals and also as a labourer at Tennant’s Brewery. At the age of 20, when he was still an apprentice sheet metal worker, Tommy signed up for his National Service.

For his Service, Tommy signed up to the Royal Artillery and soon travelled to the Park Hall training camp in Oswestry, just five miles from the Welsh border. Tommy was smart to sign up while he was still working as an apprentice as he would have lost more money later while working as a journeyman! Tommy served his entire two years of National Service in Germany and is hugely proud of his time in the Army. He returned to working at Associated Metals after his Service.

Since 2021, Tommy has been living with his wife at The Erskine Home, Bishopton. He enjoys taking part in lots of activities and events at the Home such as the recent launch of Erskine’s ‘Vanishing Willows’ beer by the Two Towns Down brewery. Tommy says: “You can’t get any better than Erskine. It has been my home now for nearly three years and the care is second to none.”

We are proud to deliver an excellent level of care and support to Tommy, ensuring he can enjoy the best possible quality of life alongside fellow Army Veterans and with involvement from his family. We can only do this thanks to our incredible, loyal supporters like the Army Benevolent Fund.

Erskine’s Chief Executive, Ian Cumming MBE: “I would like to sincerely thank the Trustees of The Army Benevolent Fund for this incredible grant and their long-term support for Erskine’s Army Veterans and spouses. We are very proud of the care that our dedicated staff provide at The Erskine Home, Bishopton to ensure our elderly and disabled residents can enjoy the best quality of life and regular interaction with their fellow Veterans. In these challenging financial times, our charity continues to deliver a high standard of care to our Veterans while also remaining focused on the long-term sustainability of our services. We are privileged to support so many Army Veterans and their spouses and will continue to do so thanks to this incredible support from the Army Benevolent Fund – thank you all again.”

 Brigadier (Ret’d) Peter Monteith, Chief Operating Officer, Army Benevolent Fund, added: “We are delighted to award Erskine with a grant to help former soldiers who are residents in its care homes in Scotland. The Army Benevolent Fund is here to provide lifelong support for those who have served their country. Thanks to Erskine’s expert care, Army veterans resident in the charity’s homes are able to live with independence and dignity in their final years.”

 The Army Benevolent Fund is the Army’s national charity, helping soldiers, past and present, and their families for life. The ABF stands at the forefront of support for the Army family. As one of the largest funders in the sector, the ABF awards grants to individuals and families, and funds leading organisations that support Army beneficiaries. For more information on their work, please visit https://armybenevolentfund.org/