On Thursday 8th May, Care UK’s Highmarket House, on North Bar Place, and Seccombe Court, on Gardner Way, are welcoming local people to honour the 80th anniversary of VE Day with their very own 1940s-themed parties.
VE Day was celebrated on 8th May 1945, after Prime Minister Winston Churchill made an announcement on the radio that the war in Europe had come to an end. This emotional news sparked celebrations across the country, with many taking to the streets for spontaneous parties.
At Highmarket House the team has been hard at work organising their own special commemorative event, which will see residents and guests enjoy an afternoon of delicious food, entertainment and memories as they embrace the spirit of the 1940s.
Visitors and residents can expect a party with celebrations from 10am-4pm, including afternoon entertainment from to get people dancing. Residents will be knitting poppies for the occasion, and bands and brooches will be available to purchase at the event for a charitable donation in aid of Help the Heroes. The Royal British Legion will also be attending to deliver a talk and share stories about VE Day.
Over at Seccombe Court, from 2pm-4pm, visitors can enjoy a 1940s-inspired garden party complete with traditional food prepared by the home’s Head Chef, as well as a live music performance.
Francesca Cowley, Home Manager at Highmarket House, said: “Here at Highmarket House, we’re thrilled to be marking the 80th anniversary of VE Day with the help of the community – and especially delighted to be welcoming members of the Royal British Legion for the occasion to share stories and information.
“We know this is a very important milestone for residents and are looking forward to having the opportunity to learn more about this poignant period from the Royal British Legion.
“On behalf of the whole team, I’d like to extend our welcome to anyone interested in coming along for what we anticipate will be an informative and enriching day!”
Wojciech Kuczkowski, General Manager at Seccombe Court, said: “We’re passionate about building and maintaining relationships within our community here at Seccombe Court, so we’re pleased to be opening our doors to mark the 80th anniversary of VE Day for a special day of sharing memories and a fabulous garden party.
“Reminiscence activities are a great way for older people, especially those living with dementia, to connect with those around them and help maintain a sense of identity. In the run up to the day, residents have been sharing their own stories and it’s been inspiring to hear everyone’s experiences and memories from wartime Britain.
“We’re looking forward to welcoming our friends and neighbours into Seccombe Court for a day to remember.”
Highmarket House recently achieved ‘Veteran Friendly’ status for meeting eight standards laid out in the Veteran Friendly Framework (VFF), 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.
The VFF framework involves noting Armed Forces status within residents’ care plans, addressing social isolation, and signposting residents and their relatives to relevant support services, such as their local Royal British Legion branch and other charities that provide support for veterans and their partners.
Highmarket House and Seccombe Court are state-of-the-art care homes that provide full-time residential, nursing, dementia and short-term respite care. The care homes incorporate plenty of space for leisure activities and hobbies and have their own cinema, café and hair and beauty salon.