A Scottish charity that supports former military service personnel with sight loss has revealed plans to sell some of its land to developers in a bid to help secure its financial future.
Sight Scotland Veterans announced this week that it had entered into negotiations to sell land near its Linburn Veterans Centre in Wilkieston, West Lothian, with seven properties housing veterans to be affected.
The decision comes after the charity made financial losses of over £18m since 2021, according to data filed with Scottish charity regulator OSCR, recording an income of £969,000 and expenditure of £6.77m in the year to March 2024.
A spokesperson told Civil Society that between 2020-21 and 2024-25, the charity made transfers from reserves to support services, reducing its savings from £61.8m to £46.5m.
“Running the Linburn estate alone has generated a loss of almost £1m over this period,” they said.
“To secure our Scotland-wide services for visually impaired veterans beyond 2031, we now need to generate additional income through the sale of land, and increased fundraising efforts.”
13 residential properties affected
Sight Scotland Veterans purchased the Linburn estate in 1946 for £14,000, which has seen the development of housing, workshops and recreational facilities for veterans with sight loss.
Current tenants have resided there for varying lengths of time, with some occupying their properties since the early 2000s.
The decision to sell the land means that several existing properties on the site will be demolished.
This will affect 13 residential properties on the side, of which seven house veteran tenants with vision impairment and six are private tenants.
Three non-housing tenants – a military museum, farmer and garden project – will also be affected by the sale.
The charity said there would be no “immediate eviction”, and that the Linburn Veterans Centre itself and Centenary Hall would not be affected.
‘We’re taking the necessary steps’
In a statement, Craig Spalding, chief executive of Sight Scotland Veterans, said “selling the land will secure the financial future of the charity”.
“As part of our new organisational strategy, we’re taking the necessary steps to ensure the long-term financial sustainability of the charity,” he wrote.
“This includes carefully reviewing our resources and making difficult decisions where necessary to preserve the essential services we provide.”
Spalding said the proceeds from the sale will be “strategically reinvested to deliver long-term financial returns” so that his charity can continue to provide “essential services” across the country.
“We recognise that this decision will unfortunately impact current estate tenants, including veterans with vision impairment, and have extended the notice period to a full year. We wish to make it clear that no one faces immediate eviction.
“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.”
