Veterans living at Launchpad’s Speke House were treated to an afternoon of entertainment after being invited to a summer garden party.
It was the first time since lockdown, the residents were able to get together and soak in the atmosphere at the summer drive-in concert, organised by The Not Forgotten Foundation.
Residents and staff from Launchpad enjoyed a BBQ, raffle, bingo and music from the 50’s to the 90’s at the event, which was held at Knowsley Hall in Prescot. The show was hosted by Annie Riley and The Harmonic Sounds of Musicality.
The free event is one of eleven summer garden party events organised as part of The Not Forgotten’s 100th birthday celebrations.
The Not Forgotten provides social activities and challenges to combat social isolation and loneliness amongst the Armed Forces community.
They support serving men and women who is wounded, injured or sick and any veteran with a disability, illness or infirmity, by organising activities to raise money and provide physical challenge and build self-confidence.
Martin Leverick who attended said:
“I had a great time, musicality was top notch entertainment, the food was a real treat and we even got to meet Lord Derby. All in all, a fantastic day out. As a disabled veteran, I appreciate all the work that went into making the day happen.”
Antony Lewis said he was extremely grateful for the invite to The Not Forgotten Foundation summer event. He said:
“I really enjoyed the whole day, the music was fantastic it was pleasure to meet Lord Derby and engage and enjoy my time out of the Speke House with my fellow veterans. After the last year of Covid-19, it was brilliant to be out and about engaging and socialising again. A big thank you to Speke House for supporting me and also to The Not forgotten Foundation for a fantastic day.”
Natalie Scully, Assistant Manager (Projects) at Speke House, said:
“After months of isolation and lockdown due to the pandemic, this was a welcome event for our residents to enjoy. It was lovely just to get outdoors in the sunshine, breath in the fresh air and enjoy the entertainment. We all had a great time and really enjoyed ourselves. Thank you to The Not Forgotten for organising this event for veterans.”
Speke House is the city’s largest veterans’ accommodation providing 48 self-contained flats and communal areas. Last year, the house supported 71 previously homeless veterans. 61% of those successfully move on to settled accommodation and 28% left in paid employment.
More information on The Not Forgotten is here https://thenotforgotten.org
