A £15,000 grant from the Veterans’ Foundation will help a Dundee charity to provide vital support to uniformed service veterans with mental health problems.
Dundee Therapy Garden will use the award to fund the salaries of two full time therapists, including an experienced mental health nurse who is a veteran himself, having taken in two tours of Iraq and one of Afghanistan.
“The announcement of the arrival of funds is a major boost to the morale of everybody who works here,” said Alec Lyell, Chairman of Dundee Therapy Garden.
“It is vital for us to secure funding well in advance of expenditure to provide long term care for veterans. The support of the Veterans’ Foundation is a major factor in enabling us to meet this commitment,” he added.
Through tailored horticultural therapy sessions, the charity aims to help veterans recover their mental and physical health to a level that they can return to work or further education and training.
Veterans spend up to two days a week at the Dudhope Park site, working in the garden alongside other veterans, volunteers and staff which helps isolated veterans reconnect with family, friends and community.
“We are hugely grateful to the organisers of the Foundation and especially to those who contribute towards the Veterans’ Lottery,” said Alec.
“Heartfelt thanks to the Foundation and all those who support it.”
For more information on the Dundee Therapy Garden, please visit www.dundeetherapygarden.org, and to play the Veterans’ Lottery, supporting many more projects like this all over the UK, sign up here.
