VE Day 80 celebrated in style at Sevenoaks care home

A Sevenoaks care home proudly welcomed the community to join residents and their relatives for a joyful and nostalgic celebration marking the 80th anniversary of VE Day.

Care UK’s Weald Heights, on Bourchier Close, pulled out all the stops to commemorate the poignant anniversary of Victory in Europe. The team dressed for the occasion in 1940s-themed and wartime attire and hosted a street party for the whole community.

Guests also enjoyed a live performance by local singer Leonie, who performed classics from the decade and provided the perfect atmosphere for a sing-along and a dance.  

Also in attendance at the special commemorative event were the Royal British Legion and the Sevenoaks Air Cadets. The Vice Chairman of Sevenoaks Royal British Legion gave a talk to residents and guests about the different types of medals before enjoying the street party.

Maria Covington, Home Manager at Weald Heights, said: “We had a wonderful time celebrating VE Day 80 with residents, their families and the Sevenoaks community. Everyone was in high spirits as we marked this momentous occasion, but we also took time to reflect on the poignancy of the milestone.

“I’d like to thank the Royal British Legion and cadets for coming along, as well as Leonie for her fantastic performance and the entire team for making this celebration possible.

“It was a privilege to honour this important anniversary and to see the residents enjoying the music, food and company of the community as they shared their memories of times gone by. It’s so important to enable residents to foster meaningful connections with the local community and for us to host nostalgic events that can prompt reminiscence, so our VE Day celebration was a roaring success.”   

Weald Heights has officially received ‘Veteran Friendly’ status for meeting eight standards laid out in the Veteran Friendly Framework (VFF), a collaboration between Armed Forces charities Royal Star & Garter and Royal British Legion, and NHS Veterans’ Covenant Healthcare Alliance (VCHA), with funding support from the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust.

The VFF framework involves noting Armed Forces status within residents’ care plans, addressing social isolation, and signposting residents and their relatives to relevant support services, such as their local Royal British Legion branch and other charities that provide support for veterans and their partners. 

Weald Heights is a purpose-built care home designed to deliver luxury hotel-style comfort for residents, complete with a café, hair and beauty salon, cinema and beautiful gardens. The home is divided into separate residential, nursing and dementia care suites, encouraging close-knit communities where residents can get to know each other, and where people with similar needs can be cared for together.