28 June 2007
ROYAL STAR & GARTER HOMES EVENT WITH SIMON WESTON OBE A HUGE SUCCESS
The Royal Star & Garter Homes for disabled ex-Service men and women yesterday hosted an informal meet and greet event at The Solihull Arts Complex for local residents to come along and find out more about the work of the Charity. Yesterday was also National Veterans Day and Simon Weston OBE, Vice President of the Charity, attended to meet with everyone and share his experiences. The Charity is currently building a brand new state-of-the-art care home on Monkspath Hall Road which will open in June 2008. There was an excellent turn out and a very warm welcome for Simon and staff from the Charity which is currently based in Richmond, Surrey.
The Mayor and Mayoress of Solihull, Cllr Gary Allport and Gail Thompson, kindly attended and were very interested to find out more about the work of the Charity. We were also pleased to welcome Deputy Leader of the Council, Cllr Bob Sleigh and Local Councillors Mrs Kate Wild and Stuart Davis in whose St Alphege ward the new home will be. They were all very enthusiastic about the new home. Maggie Throup, Parliamentary Spokesman for the Solihull Conservatives, also called in to express her support and was very interested in learning details of the new home project.
“We had fantastic attendance yesterday and were so pleased that people took the time to come and meet with us to find out more and gave us a very warm welcome,” explains Simon Weston, Vice President at the Charity. “We are passionate about becoming a real part of the community here in Solihull and this event was the first step in building relationships for the future.”
“Many of the people who came along were veterans themselves and were very interested to meet Simon and have the opportunity to chat informally about his experiences and his involvement with the work of the Charity,” explains Patsy Willis, Director of Fundraising and PR. “With staff from across the Star & Garter team on-hand we were able to answer the wide variety of questions ranging from information about the new home, nursing standards and admissions, to those interested in jobs and undertaking fundraising activities for the Charity.”
About the Royal Star & Garter Charity – founded in 1916.
The Royal Star & Garter Charity has been caring for disabled ex-Service personnel at its famous Richmond home since 1916. The Charity offers the best in nursing and therapeutic care for anyone who is physically disabled or incapacitated and has served in Her Majesty’s Forces. Royal Star & Garter residents are also encouraged to enjoy a wide variety of leisure activities both internally and at outside venues. The new Royal Star & Garter Home in Solihull marks the start of an ambitious and wide reaching project by the Charity to build new homes in different parts of the country in which to provide specialist care for the ex-Service elderly disabled, and for those with dementia for whom there is very little provision at present.
- ends -
FURTHER INFO:
Patsy Willis, Director of Fundraising & Public Relations, The Royal Star & Garter Homes
TEL: 020 8439 8110 or EMAIL: patsy.willis@starandgarter.org