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James Paget University Hostpital
Latest news from our Armed Forces Service
Celebrating VE Day 80

Thanks to funding from the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Thrive Together programme, the James Paget Armed Forces Service is able to support a number of community groups.

These groups have been celebrating VE80 in different ways;

A group of seven men and women sit around an oval wooden table with plates, cutlery and various dishes of food on it.

Veterans Kitchen is a group that meets fortnightly in Disability Advice North East Suffolk (DANES), Lowestoft to cook a meal and eat together, encouraging confidence in the kitchen together with an enjoyable social group. For VE80, the group prepared recipes from the wartime Ministry of Food – Lord Woolton’s pie, Spam Fritters and Eggless Ginger Cake.

As half of our group are over the age of 90, we also shared some memories of wartime food and rationing.

A close up of some of the food prepared for the VE Day celebration - including sweet and savoury dishes mentioned in the text.

The Brew Butty and Banter group takes place monthly in Beccles, supported by the Royal British Legion Beccles branch.

A groups of about 20 people sit around a long rectangular table with a Union Jack table cloth on it. Several other Union Jacks are being held up and the table has numerous plates, dishes and cups on it. Many of those sitting around the table are looking at the camera.

We held an indoor street party for VE80 tucking into Spam sandwiches, jam tarts and homemade cakes.

With bunting and flags, the atmosphere was festive, and our older members shared their memories of living during WW2 and VE Day.

We also raised £70 from a raffle for the Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal.

A group of nine people - men and women - sit either side of a rectangular table with a Union Jack tablecloth on it. On the table closest to the camera is a large Union Jack design teapot and there are plates of food and mugs, along with jug with orange squash on the table. Several of those sitting around the table hold Union Jack flags.

Remembrance Day service in our safe garden
We commemorated Remembrance Day with a special service in our safe garden – a courtyard area which was created for veteran and other patients. 
The service was led by our Deputy Lead Chaplain, the Reverend Daniel Pritchard, with our Chief Executive Jo Segasby laying a wreath and Chief Nurse Paul Morris, Deputy Chief Nurse Jacky Copping and members of staff who have served with our Armed Forces among those giving readings. 
The two-minute silence was observed to remember those who have continued to offer the ultimate sacrifice in the cause of peace and justice.
Remembrance Coffee Morning

Our Trust held its remembrance coffee morning on Wednesday 13 November 2024. This was the 13th armed services coffee morning event, which now grown to regularly see over 60 veterans attending.

The Trust would like to say a big thank you to the organisations that attended including East Suffolk Council. who handed out carbon monoxide detectors to those that needed them, and Terry and his group for suffering the cold and displaying their military vehicles outside the Louise Hamilton Centre for attendees and staff to see.