East Renfrewshire Culture and Leisure celebrates success of Health for Heroes Scheme at Christmas veterans breakfast
East Renfrewshire Culture and Leisure invited veterans to a Health for Heroes festive breakfast at Barrhead Foundry to celebrate the success of the scheme in 2024.
Article Source: East Renfrewshire Culture & Leisure
Last Updated: 17 December 2024 13:30
As the first leisure trust in Scotland to offer free fitness membership to local armed forces veterans, the Health for Heroes initiative was launched in 2019 and continues to thrive, with membership almost doubling in the last 18 months. The membership includes consultation with an exercise specialist from the Active Health and Wellbeing team and access to gym, fitness classes and swimming across East Renfrewshire.
East Renfrewshire Culture and Leisure hosts regular veterans' breakfasts to support the Health for Heroes members to engage with each other and offer local community support.
Local armed forces veteran Robert Storrie, who attended the Health for Heroes festive breakfast at Barrhead Foundry, said: “I think it's an amazing programme, that helps so many veterans train, meet up and help their mental health. All councils should be doing this.”
Councillor Kate Campbell, East Renfrewshire Council Veterans Champion, said: “It is absolutely delightful to be at Barrhead Foundry for the Christmas Veterans' Breakfast. The place is buzzing with conversation. I am so very pleased and grateful to have the support of the British Legion, NHSGGC, HSCP and of course the wonderful staff of East Renfrewshire Culture and Leisure. As Veterans' Champion, it is fantastic to see so many veterans enjoying peer support.”
East Renfrewshire Council's Veterans Support Officer, Jane Duncan said: “The Health for Heroes project is the absolute highlight of my role as Veterans Advisor. I hope other Trusts adopt this amazing project that truly helps veterans daily.”
Active Health and Wellbeing Team member and Gym Instructor, Chris Vance, coordinates the Health for Heroes scheme on behalf of East Renfrewshire Culture and Leisure, and ensures they have support available for their mental and physical health. Chris added: “I'm delighted to see the scheme being so well used. The service is now a really supportive community and I'm happy to be a part of it. Hopefully we can keep growing and supporting more veterans.”
Carolynne McKendry, Active Health and Wellbeing Development Manager at East Renfrewshire Culture and Leisure, hopes to seek additional funding to allow the team to support even more veterans in 2025. She said: “We are proud to support Armed Forces veterans through the Health for Heroes Scheme. We know that having a place to be physically active, to connect with other veterans and find out about community support has been vital in helping local veterans look after their wellbeing.”
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