The Coming Home Centre works at the frontline of veterans assistance in Glasgow
By Paul Rodger
The Coming Home Centre works at the frontline of veterans assistance in Glasgow and are quite unique in the work that they do. Why? They help at the point of need, a veteran walks in with a range of needs, they help them or bring in other agencies for a face to face meeting.
The Aim of the Coming Home Centre at the Pearce Institute is to provide Armed Forces Veterans with access to any help and support they might need, and be able to relax in a comfortable environment in the company of other Veterans.
On the 28th May 2015, Veterans Minister Keith Brown MSP officially opened their full time headquarters and drop in centre at the Pearce Institute in Govan.
They provide nearly 1000 hot meals a month, free tea/coffee, emergency food parcels, plus a furniture uplift service to deliver furniture to Veterans in need. There is a lounge area with TV and newspapers, as well as computers and free Wi-Fi. Veterans can access help and support through both their staff and partners. Services at the centre include: housing, benefits, pensions, medical, further and higher education, training, employment, sport and recreation.
Community Veterans Support, has now opened a workshop, funded by Scottish Veterans Fund and the Screwfix Foundation, situated close to their Govan drop-in Centre. The aim of the wood shop is to teach Veterans woodworking and basic DIY skills, working with other charities on projects across the city. Veterans attending the courses will learn: Timber joining and fixings, proper and safe use of power and hand tools, furniture repair and restoration, garden furniture construction.
Through an initiative with Police Scotland, they run a bike centre where they refurbish, repair, service and offer bikes for sale at the Pearce Institute. They also provide bikes to veterans in most cases free of charge, or for a small donation. Their bike shed has provided free bikes to veterans for the last 2 years, training them to maintain bikes for the community, so they can give something back. So far their veterans have given bikes to children’s homes and serviced the bikes of the local community.
Additionally and in conjunction with other local charities and Police Scotland, they run evening classes for local kids on the basics of bike safety and maintenance, an undertaking that has been very successful for both their Veterans and the kids.
Currently, they are developing their own wilderness therapy programme to get veterans into the great outdoors, into the wild highlands, assisting elderly veterans with companionship and transport assistance.
They offer a drop-in centre and support for veterans Mon – Fri 9am – 5pm regardless of when and where they have served.
Address: 840 Govan Rd, Glasgow G51 3UU
Hours: Mon – Fri 9am – 5pm
Phone: 0141 237 8830
For more please information please click here: http://www.cominghomecentre.org/
