ARMED forces families in Helensburgh and Lomond are being urged to apply to a new Covid-19 fund set up by a charity established to support the children of service personnel.
The Royal Caledonian Education Trust (RCET) has launched a 'crisis fund' which is open to all serving, veteran and reservist families in Argyll and Bute and across Scotland.
The Trust says it will respond to families affected by the crisis by providing food vouchers, paying for utilities bills and supplying children’s clothing to ensure that families can stay warm, clothed and fed for as long as this crisis continues.
The charity has received £5,000 towards their response from the Community Response, Recovery and Resilience Fund, managed by Foundation Scotland, but are still calling on support from local communities to donate so that they can support as many families as possible.
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Karen Stock, the RCET's children and families support service coordinator, said: “We are delighted to receive this funding at such a critical moment in our support of armed forces and veteran families.
"Many families are struggling financially and emotionally due to the Covid-19 crisis and this grant will allow us to reach many more families who need our support.”
Backing the scheme, the Helensburgh and Lomond area's MSP, Jackie Baillie, said: Jackie Baillie MSP said: “The help that the RCET offer to armed forces families across Scotland year after year is highly commendable.
"The support that they are putting in place now has gone even further at this time of crisis.
“Almost every family in the UK will be experiencing a greater worry at the moment about how to keep themselves safe and how to make ends meet.
"Those families who have one or more members in the armed forces will have an added level of stress. It is fantastic that the RCET is making sure that no armed forces family is left behind and forgotten about during this pandemic.
“I urge any Armed Forces family who thinks they might benefit from this help to reach out to the RCET and get the support they deserve.”
If you, or a family you know in your area, could benefit from some help during this difficult time, then please contact Karen Stock at familysupport@rcet.org.uk or call RCET’s head office on 0131 322 7350.
For information on the Trust's services during the coronavirus pandemic, see https://www.rcet.org.uk/support-we-can-give-coronavirus/.
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