Veteran residents from Royal Star & Garter have marked Remembrance with events at their Homes and London’s Cenotaph.
They took part in services in the charity’s four Homes, while several attended the National Service of Remembrance at The Cenotaph on Remembrance Sunday 9 November.
Royal Star & Garter provides loving, compassionate care and support for veterans and their families, living with disability or dementia, through its Homes in Solihull, Surbiton, High Wycombe and Worthing. It also provides services reaching into the community, including Lunch Clubs, Day Care and a national Telephone Friendship Service.
Veterans from Surbiton, High Wycombe and Worthing were applauded by fellow-veterans and members of the public as they marched along Whitehall and past The Cenotaph on Remembrance Sunday. At the end of the March they were saluted by The Duke of Edinburgh.
Royal Star & Garter in Surbiton held its service on Armistice Day, Tuesday 11 November. Trumpeter Vic Gilder played The Last Post, while Air Force veterans Vera and Michael gave readings. Army veteran Michael raised the Union Flag outside the Home. Afterwards, residents enjoyed tea, cakes and music.
The Solihull Home held its service on Monday 10 November, which featured a two-minute silence, a bagpiper, a bugler playing The Last Post and hymns. There were readings from staff, relatives and a Day Care user, before poppy wreaths were laid. Also attending were Armed Forces representatives from Queen Elizabeth Hospital and Birmingham City Football Club Foundation. Residents later took part in a Remembrance quiz.
At the High Wycombe Home, the Padre from RAF High Wycombe delivered a Remembrance service on Monday. The Home held a second service on Armistice Day, complete with bugler and wreath-laying. This was followed by a Remembrance tea party which was attended by High Wycombe Mayor Majid Hussain and personnel from RAF High Wycombe.
Care for Veterans held its service on Armistice Day. The two-minute silence started and ended with the ringing of the bell from HMS Fearless, which was presented to the Home over 50 years ago. The service was led by Father George Butler, who also read the names of residents from Care for Veterans who had died in the past year.
In the run-up to Remembrance, residents took part in various poppy-based arts and crafts, which were later used to decorate the Homes.
Royal Star & Garter is welcoming new residents. For more information on this, to work for the charity or to find out more about its services, go to www.starandgarter.org
