Last week, ABF The Soldiers’ Charity visited The Royal Star and Garter Homes in Surbiton to see how our grant has helped with their work.
Chair of the Grants Committee Major General Malcolm Wood, Director of Grants and Welfare Colonel Barney Haugh, and Grants Executive Officer Catriona Spiller, were shown around the facilities at the award-winning home, which cares for veterans and their partners living with disability or dementia. They visited the specialist dementia care area and the physiotherapy room, where they saw some of the equipment used by residents, and met Army veteran Stephen Vause, who was severely disabled following a bomb blast in Iraq in 2007.
The Soldiers’ Charity has a proud history supporting The Royal Star & Garter Homes. Its latest grant of £60,000 was awarded to help fund physiotherapy care, speech and language therapy, outings, and other benevolent activities to Army residents living at the homes in Solihull and Surbiton. Of the veterans The Royal Star and Garter cares for, 52% are ex-Army and our support makes a significant contribution to the life-enhancing therapies and activities available to the residents.
After the tour, Major General Malcolm Wood said: “I can honestly say these are the most impressive facilities I have ever seen in terms of the quality of care, the compassion of the staff and the atmosphere, it’s just hugely impressive. It’s great work and I’m sure ABF The Soldiers’ Charity will continue to want to support The Royal Star & Garter Homes in what they deliver.”
Andy Cole, Chief Executive of The Royal Star & Garter Homes, commented: “We were delighted to show our guests from ABF The Soldiers’ Charity around the Surbiton Home so they could see how they help us support all of our Army residents. With The Soldiers’ Charity’s most recent support, eight bedrooms in our new High Wycombe Home will also be fully furnished. We are extremely grateful for the strong partnership we have with the charity.”