VIP visitor presents badges of honour
VETERANS were presented with Veterans Badges when the presiding officer from the Scottish Parliament paid them a visit.
Alex Fergusson carried out the ceremony during a visit to Hollybush House.
The former servicemen and women were only too happy to show their VIP guest around the facility on the outskirts of Ayr.
And he learned of the high standard of treatment on offer at the UK’s only mental health facility for service personnel.
Mr Fergusson said: “It is a great honour for me to award these brave men and women with their much-deserved Veterans Badges.
“Our service personnel do an incredible job wherever they are based, be that in the UK or overseas, and these badges recognise their outstanding work and the contribution they have made to their country.”
Hollybush is run by the charity Combat Stress and helps veterans overcome a range of mental health problems.
Mr Ferguson added: “The work carried out by Combat Stress to help veterans cope with and overcome a range of health issues is quite simply pioneering.
“It is a privilege to visit this centre the year the charity celebrates its 90th anniversary.”
The centre offers veterans an opportunity to mix with others whose personal experiences are often very similar to their own and helps create a sense of belonging and understanding.
Mr Fergusson visited the Combat Stress centre as the first engagement in his summer programme of visits to engage with communities across Scotland to mark the 10th anniversary of the Scottish Parliament.
And while he was there he planted a rowan tree in the garden – the same variety of tree the Scottish Parliament gifted to the Queen to mark the 50th anniversary of her coronation.
Toby Elliot, chief executive of Combat Stress at Hollybush House, said: “We are delighted to show the presiding officer some of the work we do here at Hollybush House and for him to meet some of the veterans we care for, as well as the splendid team who provide the treatment.
“It is excellent news that Mr Fergusson has found time to visit us, as it is extremely important for him to learn about this very deserving group of veterans, and how their needs can be best met.”
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