Hampshire County Council’s Armed Forces Champion has announced that the Local Authority’s VE Day commemorations will be going ahead next month - albeit virtually.
Councillor Andrew Joy, who is also Executive Member for Communities, Partnerships and External Affairs, said: “I would like to invite Hampshire residents to join us online to watch a specially prepared film to mark the 75th anniversary of VE day on 8 May. Whilst we do not have the opportunity to gather together in the way we normally would, we, nevertheless, want to ensure we mark this important date; recognising the immense effort and courage of members of the Armed Forces during the Second World War in achieving victory in Europe, as well as in other conflicts across the world.”
Full details of the commemoration will be published on the County Council’s website at the beginning of May.
Councillor Joy continued: “As we enter a further period of lockdown, it is critical that we continue to support vulnerable members of our community who may be struggling with physical and mental wellbeing issues due to self-isolation and the requirement to shield. This will apply to members of the Forces community as well, including veterans, and I would like to offer reassurance that many of the military charities and networks are still operating online and telephone support services during this time.”
Members of the Armed Forces community in need of support can access it at any time via:
- The Forces Connect app which is free to download, just search ‘Forces Connect’ in the App Store.
- The Veterans Gateway which has set up a phone buddy support network for veterans.
- The Soldiers’, Sailors’ & Airmen’s Families Association (SSAFA) Forcesline (0800 731 4880) or live chat during office hours.
- The Veterans Outreach Support which is continuing its ongoing clinical telephone support for existing users. New users can call and register for support and will be directed to services as appropriate.
