Moray Chamber of Commerce Announces Erskine as Beneficiary for Annual Dinner on Armed Forces Day

Moray Chamber of Commerce is proud to announce Erskine as the chosen beneficiary for its Annual Business Dinner. After a thorough selection process from numerous worthy applications, the Chamber is delighted to support Erskine, recognising their exceptional contributions to the Veteran community.

Since 1916, Erskine has been Scotland’s leading provider of care for ex-Service men and women and their spouses. Their mission is to offer Veterans their best possible future through exceptional care and community support. Erskine supports an average of 1,000 Armed Forces community members annually, addressing complex medical needs, including mental health, physical disabilities, and neurological conditions such as dementia.

Erskine offers a range of services across Scotland, including care home facilities, family cottages, transitional accommodation for working-age Veterans, and assisted living accommodations. The Erskine Reid Macewen Activity Centre, situated in their Veterans Village, provides social opportunities, recreation, and support for disadvantaged Veterans. Activities include art, IT, woodwork, financial advice, wellbeing classes, cookery, and more.

This year, Erskine is set to open the Veterans Activity Centre in Forres, Moray. The new Centre will cater to the specific needs of the Veteran community in Moray, developed in consultation with its members. Erskine has refurbished the old Victoria Hotel in Forres, with plans to welcome new members by November 2024. Erskine will offer services such as art, IT, games, relaxation therapies, financial advice, talking therapy, and a café.

Sarah Medcraf, CEO of Moray Chamber of Commerce, commented:
"We received an overwhelming number of applications to be the beneficiary at this year's annual dinner, making it a challenging task for our judging panel. We are delighted to support Erskine, especially as they continue their remarkable work in providing comprehensive care and support to Veterans with their new facility in Forres.”

The funding received from Moray Chamber of Commerce will contribute towards the first-year running costs of the new facility, enabling support for 80-100 Veterans in the initial 12 months.

Michael Parkes, Fundraising and Development Manager North of Erskine Veterans Charity said:
“We are delighted to have been chosen as the Moray Chamber of Commerce Charity partner for 2024. This partnership comes at such an exciting time for Erskine, as we will be opening our new Veterans Activity Centre in Forres later this year. Working with the Moray Chamber of Commerce we will be able to reach and support more local Veterans by providing meaningful activities, opportunities for social interaction, and the provision of support services. Together, we can strive to fulfil Erskine’s mission of offering Veterans and their families their best possible future.”

The Annual Business Dinner, now in its 19th year, will take place on Friday, September 27th, at Gordon Castle. The event will bring together 400 representatives from Moray's vibrant business community for an evening of celebration and networking.

Sarah Medcraf added: "We have received some remarkable auction prizes generously donated by local businesses, and our aim is to raise as much as possible to support the outstanding work carried out by Erskine."