Royal Caledonian Education Trust

Listening spaces is a safe space to explore your views, feelings and emotions about life in a serving, reservist and veteran family with our qualified staff as well as others with shared experience.

Recent events in Afghanistan have been very challenging for serving, reservist and veteran families across the United Kingdom, for lots of different reasons. You may have noticed increased levels of stress, anxiety or anger, or a number of other strong feelings and emotions in either yourself, your child, a parent or your spouse. This might be something which is very new, unfamiliar and unsettling. It might be something you have worked through in the past but need a little extra support, given what’s happened recently.

There are also many day-to-day experiences of life in a serving, reservist or veteran family which can present unique challenges to mental health and wellbeing too. It might be deployment and uncertainty concerning loved ones, living with or having caring responsibilities for a family member with life-changing physical or psychological wounds to the challenges of adjusting to regular relocations and disrupted friendships and education.

We are here to listen and help in any way we can to support you and your family.

How to get involved

You can get in involved in Listening Spaces in different ways. We have a free helpline available and weekly Zoom sessions will start from Monday 04 October 2021 at 7pm.

Listening Spaces Helpline Number: 0131 322 7358. Our helpline service is available Mondays (12pm-2pm) and Fridays (3pm-5pm).

To find out more about our weekly Zoom sessions, please contact Chris Paul (Children and Family Services Manager): [email protected]

Who can get involved

Our service is open to children, young people and parents of serving personnel, reservist and veteran families. We can support Scottish families, from all arms of the British Armed Forces, who are living anywhere across Scotland, the United Kingdom and overseas as well as non-Scottish families who are currently based in Scotland.