Residents at The Royal Star & Garter Homes have been awarded HM Armed Forces Veterans Badges in recognition of their military service.
The badges are issued by the Ministry of Defence to veterans who have served their country, with spouses given special badges bearing the Charity’s crest. They were given to residents at the Homes in Surbiton and Solihull as part of the lead-up to Armed Forces Day, on Saturday 29 July.
The Royal Star & Garter Homes cares for ex-Servicemen and women and their partners living with disability or dementia.
The badges were applied for by the Charity and given to residents – or the spouses of veterans who have died – who have moved into the Charity’s Homes in the last year. Nearly 60 residents received their medals at Surbiton and Solihull, including day care guests at the West Midlands home. The Solihull Home also had a stall at the Armed Forces Day community event held at Shirley Park on Saturday.
The High Wycombe Home celebrated Saturday’s Armed Forces Day with a stall at Wycombe Air Park, which featured a stunning air show.
The Charity also marked Armed Forces Day with services near its iconic former Home. On 24 June a wreath was laid at the Bromhead Memorial in Richmond Cemetery, which is dedicated to former residents of The Royal Star & Garter Homes, and a service was also held at The Memorial Chapel of St Mary at the Star and Garter Building on Richmond Hill on 27 June.
Each of the Charity’s three Homes also raised the Armed Forces Day flag.
The family fun day Summer Fete at the Surbiton Home on 29 June was the culmination of events marking Armed Forces Day.
Charity Chief Executive Andy Cole attended the Richmond services and handed out Veterans Badges to residents in Surbiton. He said: “Armed Forces Day is an opportunity to remember the courage displayed by all Her Majesty’s Armed Forces, both past and present. It was an honour to present our residents with Veterans Badges to mark their service to the country.”
For further information please contact:
Goolistan Cooper
Communications Officer
e: goolistan.cooper@starandgarter.org
t: 0208 481 7669 / 07391 868796
Cally Madden
Marketing & Communications Manager
e: cally.madden@starandgarter.org
t: 020 8481 7692 / 07881 017299
About The Royal Star & Garter Homes:
The Charity provides award-winning care for military veterans and their partners who live with disability or dementia.
The Royal Star & Garter Homes is a charity founded in 1916 to care for the severely injured men returning from the battlegrounds of the First World War.
Today our friendly, state-of-the-art Homes offer a pioneering approach to nursing, dementia and therapeutic care. We have award-winning Homes in Solihull, West Midlands and Surbiton, Surrey. Our third Home in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, opened in April 2019.
We continue to expand our services to reach even more veterans. In 2018, we were able to support 186 residents in our Homes and 36 guests at our Day Care service. We also offer interim care for young disabled Service personnel. We provided 11,700 individual sessions of physiotherapy and speech & language therapy last year to support our residents’ health, and over 5,600 places to residents for activities, outings and events, to promote well-being.
We are proud to have enjoyed Royal patronage since our foundation, including that of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II from 1953 to the present day.
Twitter: @starandgarter
Facebook: facebook.com/starandgarter
Website: www.starandgarter.org
The Royal Star & Garter Homes is a member of the National Care Forum – the leading voice for not-for-profit care providers. A national perspective may be available from info@nationalcareforum.org.uk or by contacting 02476243619. More details on NCF available at www.nationalcareforum.org.uk.
