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.”
Sponsored Links
Latest East Renfrewshire News
Vitality programme gives locals a new lease of life
East Renfrewshire residents who joined a targeted exercise programme for people living with medical conditions have vowed to continue prioritising their health and wellbeing in 2025.
READ MORE
Pawsome New Year Resolutions remove over 39 million pieces of litter
Dog owners making an environmental New Year Resolution have boosted the ranks of the “PAWS ON PLASTIC’ charity to 27,000.
READ MORE
IRN BRU team up with YO! to offer haggis sushi to reimagine Burns Supper in Glasgow
IRN-BRU and YO! are reimagining Burns Suppers, teaming up to fuse sushi with haggis to help Glaswegians celebrate Scotland's National Day with a 2025 twist.
READ MORE
Delve into the past with local heritage classes
Local residents can delve into the past and discover more about their family tree, house history and local history research with East Renfrewshire Culture and Leisure's series of heritage sessions.
READ MORE
Border Caravans Announced as Headline Sponsor of the Scottish Caravan, Motorhome and Holiday Home Show
The Scottish Caravan, Motorhome and Holiday Home Show is delighted to announce Border Caravans as the new headline sponsor for this year's event.
READ MORE
Hopeful parents across Glasgow are invited to adoption event
Kibble Adoption, the newly launched service from the children's care charity, is inviting people to join them for an event that highlights the benefits of adoption for both parents and children.
READ MORE
World Gaelic Week unveils largest programme to date
Seachdain na Gàidhlig has unveiled details of its most diverse, ambitious and largest programme to date, bringing together speakers, learners and enthusiasts from across Scotland and beyond.
READ MORE
Work EastRen can help kick start your new year
East Renfrewshire Council's employability service, Work EastRen, is ready to help local residents find work this New Year.
READ MORE
Stay Active this January at Gravity Active
Don’t let the shorter days and chilly weather get you down this January, stay active and experience boundless fun at Gravity Active!
READ MORE
Strike a PAWse: Brand new Valentine event for dogs at Dobbies
Dobbies is encouraging paw-rents across the UK to show their pooches some love this Valentine's Day at its brand-new dog event that will raise money for national dog welfare charity, Dogs Trust.
READ MORE
First Minister John Swinney launches the Doddie Aid 2025 campaign
Scotland’s First Minister John Swinney launches the Doddie Aid 2025 campaign at Murrayfield stadium.
READ MORE
Christmas is officially here... the IRN BRU Carnival launches for the festive season
Today, Friday 20 December, the IRN-BRU Carnival officially opens to the public, bringing all the fun of the fair to Glasgow's SEC for the 105th year!
READ MORE
Wicked fans in Scotland invited to special Sing Along screenings at Vue this Boxing Day
After becoming one of the most popular big screen releases of 2024, Vue is excited to announce that an extra special sing-along version of Wicked is heading to the big screen this Boxing Day.
READ MORE
Funding win marks anniversary of Mackintosh acquisition
A generous package of funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund has been pledged to the National Trust for Scotland to celebrate the genius of Charles Rennie Mackintosh and Margaret Macdonald.
READ MORE
Caledonian Sleeper announces winners of photography competition celebrating UK beauty spots
Caledonian Sleeper has announced the winners of its photography competition aimed at celebrating the country's most scenic locations on the overnight train's iconic route.
READ MORE
Garden Centre invites budding indoor gardeners to its stores
Dobbies Garden Centres is kicking off the new year on a green note, offering two free workshops at its Scottish stores this January.
READ MORE
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.
READ MORE
Ticketmaster announces Breakthrough 2025 list
Ticketmaster has unveiled its much-anticipated Breakthrough 2025 list, highlighting the brightest up-and-coming stars set to shape the live music scene in 2025.
READ MORE
Blooming Fabulous! The Scottish Garden Festival arrives in 2025!
This family-friendly festival takes place in the spacious and scenic Hamilton Park Racecourse, offering a perfect setting for all ages to enjoy.
READ MORE
Biffy Clyro, Young Fathers & Callum Beattie among winners at inaugural Scottish Live Music Awards
The Scottish Live Music Awards (SLMA) celebrated the best of Scotland's vibrant live music scene on Thursday night during a prestigious ceremony at Glasgow's Classic Grand Ballroom.
READ MORE
Horse power will drive young people to success
An innovative programme which aims to harness the magic of horses to engage young people back into education is being offered to East Renfrewshire young people for the first time.
READ MORE
Dogstar Theatre brings Gideon Mack from page to stage
James Robertson's 2006 best-selling novel will be brought to life in early 2025 with a stage adaptation of The Testament of Gideon Mack from Dogstar Theatre Company.
READ MORE
Neilston resident named as East Renfrewshire Citizen of the Year 2024
A volunteer with unwavering dedication to the wellbeing, health and safety of residents across East Renfrewshire has been awarded the Provost Award for his exceptional contributions.
READ MORE
Iconic soft drink is hitting the road with the festive truck the nation has been waiting for
The battle of festive cola trucks has already kicked off between Lidl and Coke - but now the country's most iconic soft drink, IRN-BRU, has joined in!
READ MORE
itison founder calls for action to help children who will have nothing this winter
Founder of Scottish business, itison, Oli Norman, has spoken out about the 'devastating' level of poverty in Scotland this festive season.
READ MORE
Launch of new vision for East Renfrewshire
A bold new vision has been launched which sets out the shared hopes and aspirations for East Renfrewshire between now and 2040.
READ MORE
Splash into 2025 with New Year challenge to transform lives
A unique swimming challenge is inviting swimmers to set personal goals and raise funds for a life-changing hydrotherapy pool on behalf of leading disability charity, Capability Scotland.
READ MORE
Cold water reset retreats with Sophie Hellyer debut at Marine Troon
Marine & Lawn Hotels & Resorts launches new series - 'Adventure weekends with Marine & Lawn'.
READ MORE
Council celebrates employees at annual awards
East Renfrewshire Council hosted its annual employee celebration event – the We Are East Ren Awards – to recognise hard-working employees going above and beyond for residents.
READ MORE
Enjoy the best of Belfast at Christmas with Stena Line
A beautiful city with a rich history and a giant adventure to be found around every corner, there is no shortage of incredible festive experiences to enjoy in Belfast.
READ MORESponsored Links
Sponsored Links