Cornwall Hospice Care celebrates Veteran Aware status

Cornwall Hospice Care is celebrating being granted Veteran Aware status. The Cornish healthcare charity has also achieved a silver standard for the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme, the Armed Forces Covenant Scheme that encourages employers to support those who have served and inspire others to do the same.  The news has been shared with the charity’s staff and volunteers at three events.

Presenting Veteran Aware status at St Julia’s Hospice

The first event was held at the charity’s St Julia’s Hospice in Hayle on Tuesday 8th October where Helen Hurst RGN QN from the Veteran Covenant Healthcare Alliance (VCHA) said; “We want to reach in to the Armed Forces community to explain what hospice charities do and to encourage collaboration. I’m honoured and privileged to present Cornwall Hospice Care with their Veteran Aware status.”

Veteran Aware support from Cornwall Council

Also at the event was Councillor Louis Gardener, Cornwall Council’s Armed Forces and Veterans Champion and a former Royal Navy Officer of 20 years; “There are 39,000 veterans in Cornwall, the highest concentration in the country. One in five people here have a link to the Armed Forces and initiatives like this are to be welcomed and encouraged.”

Spreading the word about Veteran Aware status

Commander Richard Turrell RN from RNAS Culdrose added; “It’s my job to spread the word about links with charities such as Cornwall Hospice Care, with regard to health support and possible employment opportunities. These partnerships are vital especially with so many veterans having seen frontline action in more recent conflicts. “

Also attending were Andy Craze and Mark Thomas from the ‘We are with you’ charity and Cornwall Hospice Care Housekeeping Supervisor at St Julia’s Mark Evans who was in the RAF.

Veteran Aware status launch at Mount Edgcumbe Hospice

The second event took place at Cornwall Hospice Care’s Mount Edgcumbe Hospice on Thursday 10th October.   Receiving the Veteran Aware status from Helen Hurst were Cornwall Hospice Care volunteer Trustees  Jane Stubberfield and Dominque Roberts.

Veteran’s accept Veteran Aware status at the charity’s Daniel’s Lane site

The third and final event was held at Cornwall Hospice Care’s warehouse and offices site in Daniel’s Lane, Holmbush, St Austell. Here veteran members of the charity’s team received the plaque declaring Veteran Aware status. They included Chris Starnes Education Lead who was a member of the Royal Army Medical Corp – Kev Rowden from the ICT team who was in the Royal Logistic Corp – Neil Rowe Processing and Distribution Assistant who was with the Royal Electrical Mechanical Engineers and volunteer PAT Tester Trevor Skuse who recently came out of the Army.

Honouring Veteran Aware status with a wartime ensign

At each event the plaque was unveiled from under a very special Red Ensign with a veteran story attached to it. Gina Starnes explains; “The flag was flying on the Merchant Ship Port Brisbane when she was attacked by the German Surface Raider ‘Pinguin’ in 1940. Captain Harry Steele was on the bridge with the apprentice.  The apprentice was killed.

Harry put one Red Ensign over the apprentice’s body and said the Lord’s Prayer. He then grabbed this flag, put it in his pocket and gave the difficult order to ‘abandon ship’. He kept this flag right through his time as a Prisoner of War and presented it to his family one of whom, Tamsin, now works for Cornwall Hospice Care. It’s in the care of her and her brother Will Mitchell and we were very honoured to borrow it for this purpose.”

Veteran Aware photographs

The pictures below include:

*From the Veteran Aware launch at St Julia’s Hospice in Hayle (L to R) Councillor Louis Gardener, Gina Starnes, Mark Evans, Helen Hurst RGN QN and Commander Richard Turrell RN.  Picture two (L to R) Andrew Craze from ‘We are with you’, Gina Starnes and Mark Thomas also from ‘We are with you’.

*From the Veteran Aware launch at Mount Edgcumbe Hospice in St Austell (L to R) volunteer Cornwall Hospice Care Trustees  Jane Stubberfield and Dominque Roberts.

*From the Veteran Aware launch at Cornwall Hospice Care’s Daniel’s Lane warehouse and offices site in Holmbush, St Austell (L to R) Neil Rowe Processing and Distribution Assistant who was with the Royal Electrical Mechanical Engineers – volunteer PAT Tester Trevor Skuse who recently came out of the Army – Chris Starnes Education Lead who was a member of the Royal Army Medical Corp and Kev Rowden from the ICT team who was in the Royal Logistic Corp.