A NEW social enterprise supporting armed forces veterans who have suffered life-changing injuries is among the organisations sharing £3 million of lottery funding.
Scotland’s Bravest Manufacturing Company (SBMC) will now be able to provide manufacturing training opportunities for 150 disabled or long-term unemployed people over three years after being awarded a grant of £120,000 from the Big Lottery Fund.
Run by the Royal British Legion Industries (RBLI), the Renfrewshire-based factory gives armed forces veterans the chance to earn a living while developing new skills in manufacturing activities including printing, sign-making and product engineering.
Triple amputee Gary Jamieson, 38, from Strathaven, South Lanarkshire, lost both of his legs below the knee and his left arm above the elbow while on patrol in Afghanistan in 2010 with the 1st Battalion Scots Guards.
Through SBMC, the triple amputee has been trained as a water jet cutter and will soon be passing on his skills to other veterans.
He said: “Coming from an Army background I am used to being busy and surrounded by other people.
“I never thought I would get the opportunity to do this kind of work and that all these opportunities might be open to me.
“Not only am I getting specialised skills but real experience of working in a busy factory, learning about how the business operates.
“Working here has given me a real structure to my life and I look forward to coming in every day, not only for the work but for the camaraderie that I have really missed.
“I look forward to helping other veterans and being an example to them. If I can do it with no legs and one arm then they can do it, too.”
Michelle Ferguson, director of Scotland’s Bravest Manufacturing Company, welcomed the award.
She said: “The vast majority of veterans leave the armed forces and transition relatively easily to civilian life, while for some, they can face immense difficulty in adapting when facing challenges with life-changing injuries and mental health conditions.
“Ex- servicemen and women, however, do leave with a tremendous skill which is unfortunately overlooked by employers, and this backing from the National Lottery will be crucial in our ability to offer a real lifeline to veterans living in Scotland, helping us to develop a Learning and Development Department – headed by a trained welfare professional.”
The project is one of 18 across Scotland sharing in £3,066,902 of awards from the Big Lottery Fund.
They include £252,310 for Community Infosource CIC, which will use the funding to reduce the prevalence female genital mutilation (FGM) and honour-based violence (HBV) in Glasgow and £103,421 for the Helmsdale & District Development Trust, which will use the funding to reduce food poverty by creating a kitchen garden for the whole community.
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