The flowers were painted onto pebbles by residents in Solihull, while in Surbiton they were made from painted plastic bottles.
The poppies were created to help mark 100 years since the end of the First World War.
The Charity, which cares for ex-Servicemen and women and their partners living with disability or dementia, was founded in 1916 to look after severely injured young men returning from the battlegrounds of the First World War.
The decision to paint poppies on pebbles in Solihull was made to tie-in with film director Danny Boyle’s Pages of the Sea project, which will see portraits of people who served in the 1914-1918 conflict drawn on the sand at selected beaches, before being washed away by the sea.
Charlie Wilson, Activityies & Volunteers Manager at the Home in Solihull, said: “It wasn’t practical to get our residents to one of the Pages of the Sea beaches, so we painted these pebbles in a bid to bring the project to the Home. The residents were really keen to take part and use this as a way to mark a special Armistice Day. It’s a lovely idea.”
At the Home in Surbiton, a ‘memory wall’ has also been created which features every resident who has lived at the Home in Surbiton but has passed away.
Raquel Pena Aristizabal, Activities & Volunteers Manager at the Home in Surbiton, said: “We wanted to mark the Armistice centenary and remember members of our Armed Forces who lost their lives in the line of duty. But we are also remembering friends who lived with us here in Surbiton that are sadly no longer with us. Residents and members of staff enjoyed helping make the memory wall.”
First World War poetry has also been read aloud at the Homes, while residents have watched documentaries on the 1914-1918 conflict.
On 11 November, representatives from both Homes will attend the local Remembrance services, separate services will take place at the Homes which will include a two-minute silence.
Residents from Surbiton are also attending the Cenotaph Parade in Whitehall.
Over a century after its founding, the Charity is still caring for the nation’s military family from its award-winning homes in Surbiton, South West London, and Solihull, with a new Home opening in High Wycombe in 2019.
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 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 young men returning from the battlegrounds of the First World War. Today we provide specialist care to the whole military family in our friendly, state-of-the-art Homes. Disabled ex-Servicemen and women, and their spouses, can all benefit from our pioneering approach to nursing, dementia and therapeutic care.
We are in the process of building new Homes around the country to provide specialist nursing care for disabled ex-Service people in the best modern surroundings, including dementia care facilities to address this growing need. The Charity has award-winning Homes in Solihull, West Midlands, and Surbiton, Surrey, which also enables the Charity to offer interim care for young disabled Service personnel. Following the successes of the first two Homes, a third Home in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, is being built, with a planned opening in 2019.
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.
