A SALISBURY based charity which provides help and support to Gurkha veterans has scooped a national award recognising its work.

The Gurkha Welfare Trust (GWT), which has been based in the city centre for the last nine years, was selected by Daily Telegraph readers for the 2015 Soldiering On People’s Choice Award.

The nominations came were drawn up by a judging panel led by the former head of the armed forces General Sir Richard Dannatt.

The trust gives veterans in the world's 16th poorest country access to a form of welfare state that is available to UK veterans and offers medical assistance.

On nominating them Soldiering On said: "At every stage, GWT has responded to the changing needs of the Gurkha veterans.

"The charity remains committed to ensuring that Gurkhas have the resources and support to live in security and with dignity. It fulfils a ‘debt of honour’ on behalf of the British public."

The charity has 300 staff working in Nepal as well as welfare centres in Salisbury and Aldershot helping veterans who choose to live in the UK.

Karen England from the GWT said: "We are thrilled to have won the award. I think it shows the high esteem the Gurkhas are held in by people in this country.

"We are delighted that the award came this year in the 200th anniversary of Gurkha's serving in the British Army."

Funded mainly by voluntary donations from private individuals the GWT has an annual budget of around £15 million and still cares for 22 Second World War veterans and widows who are over 100 years old.

"As many of our veterans get older and find it harder to get to our sites from their villages we are moving from static units to more mobile ones served by district nurses," she added.

The GWT also installs water sanitation sites and has provided clean water to almost 300,000 people since 1989 and has built 125 new schools improving 1,500 more.