Cornwall Hospice Care Is Celebrating Being Granted Veteran Aware Status

Published On: 14 October 2024Last Updated: 14 October 2024By CornishStuff

Photo: From left to right; Councillor Louis Gardener, Gina Starnes, Mark Evans, Helen Hurst RGN QN and Commander Richard Turrell RN

Cornwall Hospice Care is celebrating a significant milestone after being awarded Veteran Aware status, a recognition that highlights its commitment to supporting veterans and their families. Alongside this accolade, the Cornish healthcare charity has also achieved silver standard status in the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme, part of the Armed Forces Covenant Scheme, which encourages employers to support those who have served. The news was shared during three special events held across the charity’s sites, involving staff, volunteers, and members of the Armed Forces community.

A Recognition Ceremony at St Julia’s Hospice

The first event took place at St Julia’s Hospice in Hayle on Tuesday, 8th October. Here, Helen Hurst, a registered nurse from the Veteran Covenant Healthcare Alliance (VCHA), presented the Veteran Aware status to the team. She emphasised the importance of engaging the Armed Forces community with hospice charities, saying, “I’m honoured and privileged to present Cornwall Hospice Care with their Veteran Aware status.”

Joining the celebration was Louis Gardener, Cornwall Council’s Armed Forces and Veterans Champion, who served as a Royal Navy officer for 20 years. He highlighted Cornwall’s strong ties to the military, stating, “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.”

Richard Turrell, Commander of the Royal Navy at RNAS Culdrose, also attended, stressing the importance of partnerships between charities and the Armed Forces. “These partnerships are vital,” he said, “especially with so many veterans having seen frontline action in more recent conflicts.”

Also present were representatives from the charity We Are With You and Cornwall Hospice Care’s own Mark Evans, a Housekeeping Supervisor at St Julia’s and former RAF member.

Photo: From left to right: Andrew Craze from ‘We are with you’, Gina Starnes and Mark Thomas also from ‘We are with you’

Mount Edgcumbe and St Austell Celebrations

The second event was held at Mount Edgcumbe Hospice in St Austell on Thursday, 10th October. Here, Cornwall Hospice Care volunteer trustees Jane Stubberfield and Dominque Roberts received the Veteran Aware status from Helen Hurst, marking another proud moment for the organisation.

The final event took place at Cornwall Hospice Care’s warehouse and offices on Daniel’s Lane, Holmbush, St Austell. Veteran members of the charity’s team, including Chris Starnes (former Royal Army Medical Corps), Kev Rowden (Royal Logistic Corps), Neil Rowe (Royal Electrical Mechanical Engineers), and volunteer PAT tester Trevor Skuse, who recently left the Army, were all presented with the Veteran Aware plaque.

Photo: From left to right: 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

A Flag with a Special Story

At each event, a plaque was unveiled from under a Red Ensign with a remarkable history. Gina Starnes from Cornwall Hospice Care explained the significance of the flag, which was once aboard the merchant ship Port Brisbane during its attack by the German surface raider Pinguin in 1940. The flag was kept by Captain Harry Steele, who survived the attack and later became a Prisoner of War. His family, including Tamsin and Will Mitchell, both connected to Cornwall Hospice Care, loaned the flag for the Veteran Aware presentation, adding a poignant touch to the occasion.

For more details about Cornwall Hospice Care’s work and its support for veterans, visit their website.