Sight Scotland Veterans is to sell land used for housing at its centre for military veterans to “secure the financial future of the charity”.

It has decided to enter negotiations to sell land it owns near to its Linburn Veterans Centre in Wilkieston, West Lothian. This means that existing housing on the site will need to be demolished, said the charity’s chief executive Craig Spalding.

He said that the charity recognises “that we have duty of care to the existing tenants and are committed to finding each tenant alternative living arrangements that are as good as, if not better than, their current accommodation”.

The charity has extended the notice period to a year for tenants “including veterans with vision impairment”, he said.

“We wish to make it clear that no one faces immediate eviction,” said Spalding.

“The charity is committed to working closely with each tenant to help them find suitable alternative accommodation and minimise disruption by offering personalised support through our Financial Wellbeing service.

“We informed the tenants of our long-term intentions at this stage; in order to start a conversation with each tenant to understand their specific needs so we can support them effectively.”

He added that the decision to sell this land was made “as part of our new organisational strategy” to take “the necessary steps to ensure the long-term financial sustainability of the charity”.

“This includes carefully reviewing our resources and making difficult decisions where necessary to preserve the essential services we provide.

“Sight Scotland Veterans does incredible work across the country, and the proceeds from this sale will be strategically reinvested to deliver long-term financial returns.

“This will enable us to continue providing life-changing support at our Linburn Centre, as well as preserving and strengthening the essential services we provide across the country.”

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