THE charitable trust behind a project that will help veterans get back on their feet is looking ahead to welcoming its first residents.

Our Wilton Trust is a registered charity that is building 44 flats for veterans on land at the former Erskine Barracks in Wilton.

Veterans will be able to get access to volunteering, training, employment and social enterprise opportunities.

The first veterans will be welcomed into their new homes in the autumn.

A spokesman for the trust said: “Our Wilton Trust’s Veterans Campus is a groundbreaking scheme that aims to combine accommodation and on-site mentoring and training programmes to ensure our veterans are able to move on and live successful, independent lives.

“We are committed to delivering a truly integrated model whereby the veterans living on site will be very much a part of the community.”

Each veteran will live at the scheme for between six months and two years before being helped to move into the local area.

A fundraising campaign is starting to cover the cost of fitting-out the flats, each of which will cost £10,000.

ABF The Soldiers Charity has kicked-off this campaign with a grant of £70,000 to pay for seven flats to be completely kitted out ready to welcome the first veterans.

The development will also feature a cafe and community space that will be open to the whole community.

Throughout the build process the trust has been working closely with a number of military charities and organisations.

It has close links with Salisbury-based charity Alabare who will be working with the trust to support vulnerable veterans.

Mentoring staff will help veterans to access support and look at training, apprenticeships, work experience or support them in setting up their own enterprise within the on-site Enterprise Hub, which will be owned and managed by Our Wilton Community Interest Company and Wilton Community Land Trust.

Our Wilton is looking for local businesses and individuals to help fundraise to complete the remaining 37 flats.

The project, which was awarded £3.25m from the Libor fines fund in 2015 and £500,000 from the Armed Forces Covenant, broke ground in May 2016.