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2026 Annual General Meeting

The Annual General Meeting of Lothians Veterans Centre will be held on Thursday 29th January at 18:30hrs at LVC, 11 Eskdaill Court, Dalkeith, EH22 1AG.
In line with the continued tradition of LVC having open AGMs, the Board of Trustees are content if any veterans or family members wish to attend, but please notify us in advance by emailing [email protected] or calling the centre on 0131 660 5537.

MacTaggart Scott Donation - Thank You

Each year, MacTaggart Scott generously supports LVC with a donation, and we are always extremely grateful. This year, we plan to use part of the £1,700 contribution to help fund our Christmas food hampers. While we provide hampers throughout the year, the Christmas hampers are especially important for those facing the pressures of the ongoing cost-of-living crisis during what can be a particularly stressful and/or lonely festive season. As our team takes some time off over Christmas, it brings us peace of mind to know that we can offer families some extra food, toiletries, and festive items during this period.

A beautiful watercolour painting of a vibrant red poppy

'For the Fallen'

They went with songs to the battle, they were young,

Straight of limb, true of eye, steady and aglow.

They were staunch to the end against odds uncounted;

They fell with their faces to the foe.

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:

Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.

At the going down of the sun and in the morning

We will remember them.

by Laurence Binyon

Female veterans standing in front of a yurt tent with OP Cairngorm staff members and two dogs

Project Juliet - Op Cairngorms 2025

What a weekend!

Following on from the immense success and enjoyment of our families’ weekend in July, we took 10 female veterans for our first ‘Wild Women’s Retreat’ at Op Cairngorms between 19th September and 21st September and it was outstanding! There was something for everyone and a chance to have a go at lots of activities we hadn’t tried before.
New friendships were formed and old ones rekindled whilst we bonded round the campfire and shared stories of service and life after service. Some of us camped in tree tents whilst others slept in bell tents and cosy yurts. The weather was kind to us despite the forecast indicating it was going to rain for a lot of the weekend.
Pip and Stu at Op Cairngorms are truly inspirational and fantastic hosts and they taught us a myriad of new skills.
The activities included:
Axe throwing
Crossbow range
Woodland walks
Mindfulness in nature
Log splitting
Wood carving
Daisy balm making
Conker soap making
Bread making
Wild swimming
Fire lighting
Bushcraft
Nordic braiding
Survival bracelet making
The food was delicious and plentiful and we had lots of cake! We also had plenty downtime and a chance to go off and do our own thing if we wanted.
Op Cairngorms have Veterans’ Camps every month for both males and females. Check out their Facebook/Instagram or website for more info.
Pip and Stu thank you! We will be back! 🫡
Major General (Retd) Tim Hyams sits at a table in the centre with a female during a visit

Army Benevolent Fund Visit - Major General (Retd) Tim Hyams CB OBE

Today we had the privilege of hosting Major General (Retd) Tim Hyams CB OBE, the Chief Executive of the Army Benevolent Fund. He came to visit along with Jenny Redman, Director of Communications and Marketing at the ABF and Lt Col (Retd) John ‘Dickie’ Donovan MBE MA FCMI, Regional Director, ABF Scotland.
The team dropped-in to see first hand, one of the beneficiaries of funding from the ABF, and to meet our Veterans, volunteers and staff. We are delighted and honoured to have the ongoing support of the ABF who recently awarded us £19,270 to go towards our overheads.
VJ Day Poster 2025

VJ Day 15th August

Join us at the Royal British Legion Scotland, Dalkeith for VJ Day Celebrations on Friday 15th August.

Donate to us

We are always grateful to receive donations to support the Lothian Veterans Centre and the work which we do.

You can easily donate any amount you wish via Paypal or if, you’d rather, simply get in touch with us for more information.