Celebrating Older Veterans

There were sandwiches, cakes and high jinks a plenty at Lytham Hall last week, as local charity Age UK Lancashire hosted a wonderful afternoon tea event to celebrate local veterans.

The guest list comprised of 58 local veterans from the RAF, Navy, Army and Merchant Navy, who were invited along to honour their dedication, sacrifice and commitment to our country.

Taking place in the stunning surroundings of Lytham Hall on a beautiful sunny day, guests were treated to afternoon tea and entertained by live music throughout the event from local band the Bill Barrow Quartet, who played a variety of classics in their own unique style.

Claire Chantrell, from Age UK Lancashire, said: “This event was made possible from funding we receive through our Removing Barriers service.  The aim of the service is to support our local veterans and their family members, with one main outcome focussed on creating opportunities to socialise and attend community events.  The pandemic put a hold on all of our event plans, but as soon as we were able to get going again, we took the opportunity and it was just wonderful to see everyone enjoying themselves”.

“We had a range of ages in the room with our oldest guest being 99 and a veteran from World War 2!”.

The Age UK Lancashire Removing Barriers service launched in August 2020 and has so far supported 255 local older veterans and families.  Support ranges from helping veterans with benefit claims, debt advice and other financial issues, accessing health needs, connecting veterans to social, peer or support groups, which includes dementia support.

Claire Chantrell added: “The service is wide ranging and also includes helping veterans find support with employment and retraining opportunities. We have even helped to get replacement military medals for some people which is really special”.

One guest at the event said: “We had a lovely afternoon, seeing others from military backgrounds and eras, sharing stories and experiencing a day out after the last couple of years.  We really enjoyed the band and the music too. A superb event”.

The event was a celebration of not only local veterans but of the hard work and dedication the Removing Barriers team had shown during very difficult circumstances.  The hope is to be able to host more events and reach out to more veterans and families who may need support.

To find out more about our services click here or call 0300 303 1234, or email advice@ageuklancs.org.uk and our friendly team will be more than happy to discuss your needs.

Last year alone Age UK Lancashire supported 13,465 older people in Lancashire, through our services.  The charity relies of support from donations and volunteers to enable us to continue their vital work across Lancashire.  Click here to find out ways you can get involved and support us.