A PARTY to celebrate a North Yorkshire care home’s veteran friendly status was attended by veterans and dignitaries from across the region.
Hazelgrove Court Care Home, on Randolph Street, Saltburn-by-the-Sea held the celebratory event after achieving Veteran Friendly Framework (VFF) status.
The accreditation recognises the enhanced care and support available for armed forces veterans at the care home.
Deputy Mayor of Redcar and Cleveland Cllr Ian Hart was joined at the event by Saltburn town crier Sharon Wilson, John Hambling and Rob Adamson, from Veterans in Care, Jules Walker, from the VFF, and Ellen Sharp, from the Hill Care Group, which operates Hazelgrove Court Care Home.
Among the veterans in attendance was Philip Hogg, a regular respite resident who served 26 years in the British Army’s Royal Corps of Signals.
Myrna Carr also attended to represent her husband Ray, a veteran of the RAF who lived at Hazelgrove Court before passing away earlier this year.
The care home’s current residents and veterans also joined in the celebrations, including 86-year-old James Crook and 91-year-old Joseph Brian Shaw, both of whom served in the Army in the 1950s.
The party included a buffet from Hazelgrove Court’s catering team and entertainment from the New Days Choir, led by Paula Odell, who sang a wartime medley among other songs.
Sharon Lewis, Edna Reyes, Melody Hove and Anton Douglass, all Veteran Community Champions at Hazelgrove Court, agreed it was an amazing party and wonderful to celebrate with families, residents, friends and veterans.
Sharon said: “We would like to thank everyone who attended our VFF party, including Deputy Mayor Cllr Ian Hart and town crier Sharon Wilson, as well as the veterans and representatives who supported us to achieve VFF status.
“Everyone had a great time listening to the choir, enjoying the wonderful buffet and sharing stories of their times in the armed forces.
“VFF status recognises the care we offer to our resident veterans, as we strive to meet eight key standards, including noting armed forces status within care plans, addressing social isolation, and signposting to support services for veterans and partners of veterans.
“We are so proud to be awarded VFF status and look forward to working with the organisation going forward, to support the practical, emotional and social needs of the veterans living at Hazelgrove Court.”
The VFF launched in 2023 with the aim of tackling loneliness and isolation and delivering improved health and wellbeing outcomes for over 25,000 veterans living in care homes across England.
It is a collaboration between Armed Forces charities Royal Star & Garter and Royal British Legion, and NHS Veterans’ Covenant Healthcare Alliance (VCHA), with funding support from the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust.