Unforgotten Forces was established in 2017 with an initial three-year grant of £4 million from the HM Treasury through the Aged Veterans Fund.  This made possible a range of new services, and enhancements to existing services, to better meet the health and wellbeing needs of veterans in Scotland age 60 and older. Since it’s inception our service has gone from strength to strength and in 2024 Legion Scotland’s Veterans Community Support Service recorded over 20,000 episodes of support since the start of Unforgotten Forces in 2017.

The consortium continues to demonstrate collaboration between armed forces and civilian charities to deliver high quality and joined-up support that boosts the health and wellbeing of veterans in Scotland age 60 and older. It is anticipated that the qualifying age will be reduced to 55 in 2025.

Unforgotten Forces continues to offer a ‘one-stop-shop’ access to a wide range of practical and health-related support services, information and advice, and opportunities to socialise with others from the ex-service community. Many Unforgotten Forces services are also available to dependants of ex-service men and women. Unforgotten Forces partners are committed to providing older veterans with high quality and joined-up support.  Where one partner believes that a veteran it is supporting could also benefit from services provided by one or more other partners it can, with the veterans’ permission, make a cross-referral.  He, she or they will then be contacted by a partner charity, or charities, that already know their story, so there is no need for the veteran to explain their situation over again.

Legion Scotland are proud to be part of this collaboration and have a dedicated team of Office staff, five Veterans Community Support Co-ordinators, each with their own geographical area of responsibility and more than 80 Support Volunteers working tirelessly across Scotland who are here to assist veterans.

Some founding organisations are no longer part of the Unforgotten Forces consortium, some have rebranded, and the consortium is now comprised of the following organisations (click for the link to individual websites):

Age Scotland

Blesma: The Limbless veterans

Combat Stress

Defence Medical Welfare Service

Erskine

Fighting With Pride

ILM Highland

Legion Scotland

Luminate

Poppyscotland

RAF Association

SSAFA

Scottish Men's Sheds Association

Scottish Old People's Association

Sight Scotland Veterans

Vector 24 (Formerly Fares4Free)

Veterans Tribe Scotland

You can keep up to date with current news on support activities through the Unforgotten Forces Magazine here Unforgotten Forces Magazine

You can also download the Unforgotten Forces Leaflet for reference and contact information for all the organisations listed above - Directory

If you or someone you know requires a support visit you can get more information in this section https://www.legionscotland.org.uk/befriending or download our referral form here.