Thrive Together Scotland

Portfolio Lead: Edinburgh Napier University

The Scottish Veterans Wellbeing Alliance (SVWA) was launched in May 2022 and formed part of the two-year Armed Forces Covenant Veterans’ Places, Pathways and People grant. Over 4,000 people have benefited from the activities from the Alliance with a further 2,000 indirect beneficiaries.

From the coproduction process, the Alliance wanted to ensure that whatever they produced people would recognise their fingerprints on it. Comprehensive dialogue events took place across Scotland with a particular focus on the Highlands and Islands.

Our vision is that Scotland’s Veterans Alliance, by focusing on people, places and pathways, will support and enable Veterans and their families to live well and thrive in and as part of communities which embrace their knowledge, skills and potential.

The Strategic Aims are

• Building our Alliance Enhancing Help Seeking
• Providing Holistic Support Supporting families and carers

Through their partners and networks, Edinburgh Napier University will deliver:

• Tai Chi and Mindfulness programme
• Nutrition, Cooking and budgeting
• Food production; environmental arts and farming
• Welfare advice and income maximization
• Arts and culture-based activities
• Natural environment, horticulture training and green activities
• Support and peer groups focusing on addiction; gambling and anger management
• Self-management
• Coaching and mentoring
• Peer mentoring

The Alliance will be strengthened by the development of a public and staff website; an awareness raising campaign and a social movement for Veterans to reclaim monuments and places of historical importance.

The Alliance will actively seek to enhance holistic approaches to supporting Veterans focusing on mental and physical wellbeing with tailored activities and support services to address the diverse needs of Veterans and they will provide resources and services that cater to the wellbeing of the entire family unit.

The Alliance will be a Learning Alliance where we are responsive to changing needs and successes, supporting Alliance partners to measure and demonstrate impact. Dialogue will be continued to check in and establish what’s important and of value to individuals and communities.

By nurturing and supporting Veterans, the families who love them, the staff and volunteers who work with them and communities that should embrace their knowledge, skills and experiences, the Alliance will increase its contribution to ensuring that Scotland is a country where Veterans not only feel welcomed but a country that creates the conditions for Veterans to thrive.

Get in touch

To find out more see their website or email g.matthews-smith@napier.ac.uk.