Army veteran reunited with dog at new Cockenzie home

Sam McGeachie, who served in Afghanistan, is one of the new tenants of a new £1million East Lothian Council housing development for armed forces personnel.

She said that the tenancy meant she would be able to live with her beloved companion dog Keria, who had had to stay with her parents while she waited for the flat.

Sam, 34, is one of a group of veterans who will move into six flats at Osborne Terrace, Cockenzie, after East Lothian Council worked with Veterans Housing Scotland (VHS) to find its tenants.

The flats, three of which have been built with wheelchair access, were built on the former council groundcare depot by Gordon Guthrie Contracts Ltd and handed over to the local authority last month.

The council has signed up to an Armed Forces Covenant, which has a working group to bring together key partners to create policies and practices that will support armed forces personnel (serving and retired) and their families.

READ MORE: Affordable housing for army vets

Sam joined the Royal Army Medical Corps in 2009 and trained as a combat medical technician, serving with 2 Medical Regiment, Royal Scots Dragoon Guards and 3rd Battalion The Rifles.

She was based in Germany for five years and saw operational service in Afghanistan.

She described seven-year-old German shepherd cross Keria as more than just a pet.

She said:  “I am so grateful to both Veterans Housing Scotland and East Lothian Council for giving me this opportunity

“I am looking forward to having Keria live with me again. She is more than a dog to me and this is so much more than a new home, it is a new start.

“Thank you to everyone concerned.”

Flats have been built at former council depot

Councillor Jim Goodfellow, the council’s spokesperson for housing and armed forces champion, said: “I am delighted that Sam and our other new tenants are now able to move into their new homes and I am sure they will enjoy being part of the close-knit Cockenzie community.

“This development is an example of what we can achieve by working in partnership to meet the needs of Armed Forces personnel, particularly those with specific needs.”

And the new housing was welcomed by Group Captain Bob Kemp, chairman of VHS.

He said: “The VHS ethos is ‘building lives, building communities’ and there is no doubt that this wonderful development in Cockenzie is a perfect demonstration of that but also a perfect example of collaboration between East Lothian Council and VHS.

“We are grateful to East Lothian Council for their support and for helping us provide veterans who are disabled with homes in a place of their choice that meets their requirements.”

Council funding for the housing project was supplemented with funding from the Scottish Government.

Graeme Dey MSP, Minister for Veterans, said: “I am delighted these six social rented homes are now complete and have been allocated to veterans following grant funding of £354,000 from the Scottish Government’s Affordable Housing Supply Programme.

“East Lothian Council and Veterans Housing Scotland are to be commended for their work in agreeing that all of these homes – three of which are fully wheelchair accessible – can be allocated to veterans.”

Stephen Herd, director of Guthrie Contracts Ltd, said: “We are very proud to have been involved in this project as it is for such a good and important cause.

“It’s been a very challenging year for everyone but all of our employees, sub-contractors and suppliers have remained focused on getting this project completed.

“We wish the tenants all the best for the future in their new homes.”