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31 Oct 25. Staff from the Capita-run British Army Assessment Centre in Glencorse have been supporting Edinburgh-based Poppyscotland and military veterans in their preparations for Remembrance Day. As part of the Recruiting Group’s annual charity efforts, the team recently chose Lady Haig’s Poppy Factory in Edinburgh as the focus of their volunteering efforts. The visit allowed the Assessment Centre staff to immerse themselves in the factory’s rich history and take part in the poppy-making process, guided by veterans from across the three military services. The team – which included military personnel and Capita colleagues who support British Army recruitment – joined veteran employees to learn about the evolution of poppy-making, and pledged to help raise the profile of Poppyscotland’s work. The visit highlighted the enduring value of care, community-driven effort, and reinforced the importance of remembrance as a living tradition. Established over 120 years ago, the factory continues to produce every poppy and wreath used in Scotland for remembrance; relying solely on charitable donations and the dedication of its veteran workforce.
“It was an honour to meet the veterans and see first-hand the incredible work being done at Lady Haig’s Poppy Factory,” said Captain Sean Hamilton, SO3 at Assessment Centre Glencorse. “The humility, humour, and kindness of the staff left a lasting impression on us all. Supporting organisations like Poppyscotland is not just an obligation – it’s a privilege.”
Capita has recently re-signed the Armed Forces Covenant, and as part of its commitment to the Armed Forces community, the organisation encouraged team members who work with the Recruiting Group to use their company volunteering days as a means of supporting veteran charities and Army Cadet forces.
“Lady Haig’s Poppy factory is an impressive operation steeped in history; the team were deeply moved by the visit and made a commitment to continue raising awareness of the amazing work they do,” said Nicola Mackay, Assessment Centre Glencorse Manager.
31 Oct 25. Veterans and families get safe homes as £4.5m awarded to housing providers. Veterans who bravely served our country will get the homes they deserve, as £4.5m is awarded to 19 housing providers across the UK, to build 45 new homes and make critical common area improvements.
- £4.5m has been awarded to 19 organisations across the UK to build 45 new homes and make critical refurbishments for veterans and their families as part of the Government’s wider £20m Capital Housing investment.
- Announcement made at funding recipient in Fulham delivers on the Government’s Plan for Change commitment to provide homes for heroes.
- This builds on the removal of local connection requirements for all veterans applying for social housing in England.
Veterans who bravely served our country will get the homes they deserve, as £4.5 million is awarded to 19 housing providers across the UK, to build 45 new homes and make critical common area improvements.
Minister for Veterans and People, Louise Sandher-Jones MP, announced the funding at The Stoll Foundation’s Kings Road Park development in Fulham yesterday [30 October 2025], where she opened Valour House. Valour House will provide secure, long-term accommodation for veterans and their families and the new funding will enhance shared facilities in the building.
The Veterans Capital Housing Fund provides grants to organisations that house veterans in every nation and region of the UK. Nine organisations, including in Wales, the South-East of England and London will receive major grants totalling over £3.9m, whilst a further ten organisations already undertaking projects will receive top-up grants of over £500,000. In addition to building new and affordable homes for our heroes, the funding will enable important refurbishments such as replacing roofs, boilers and windows and improving accessibility. To date, Veterans Capital Housing Fund has awarded over £12.5 million in grants, benefiting thousands of veterans and their loved ones. The announcement comes ahead of the upcoming publication of the Defence Housing Strategy. As part of the forthcoming Strategy, veterans and service personnel will see improved homeownership opportunities via a ‘first-dibs’ priority access to purchase new homes built on surplus MoD land.
Minister for Veterans and People, Louise Sandher-Jones MP, said: “Every veteran deserves a safe, secure place to call home. That’s not just a moral obligation – it’s a promise this Government is determined to keep. Today marks another significant step towards delivering the Prime Minister’s pledge to provide homes fit for our heroes across the United Kingdom. We’re delivering real change through the Veterans Capital Housing Fund and it was fantastic to see first-hand how these homes are providing veterans and their families with the security and support they need.”
Will Campbell-Wroe, Chief Executive for the Stoll Foundation, said: “The Stoll Foundation was delighted to have the minister officially open Valour House which will provide accommodation for veterans and their families for years to come. As the only specialist veteran housing provider that is registered with the Regulator of Social Housing we are proud to provide these high-quality homes at social rent in conjunction with the Greater London Authority and the Berkeley Group.”
In September 2024, The Prime Minister announced an ambition to ensure that “homes will be there for heroes.” To assist with this, regulations to exempt all veterans of the Regular Armed Forces from local connection tests in England were made. In addition, the government extended Op FORTITUDE and the Reducing Veteran Homelessness programme with £3.5m additional funding until March 2026. Since its launch, Op FORTITUDE has taken over 4,100 referrals and supported over 1000 veterans into housing. (Source: https://www.gov.uk/)
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SSAFA, the Armed Forces charity, has been providing lifelong support to our Forces and their families since 1885. In 2020, our teams of volunteers and employees helped more than 79,000 people in need, the
currently serving (both regulars and reserves), veterans from the Second World War and those who have served in more recent conflicts, as well as their families. SSAFA understands that behind every uniform is a person. And we are here for that person – any time they need us, in any way they need us, for as long as they need us.
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https://www.ssafa.org.uk/support-us
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