COLONIA COURT CELEBRATES ARMED FORCES DAY WITH SERVING SOLDIERS & VETERANS

Colonia Court Bupa Care Home in Colchester is hosting a special Armed Forces Day celebration this Friday (26th June) in Bloomfield House, bringing together serving soldiers, veterans, community leaders and residents to honour those who have served and continue to serve in the armed forces.

The celebration will welcome distinguished guests including the Colchester Mayor, the Garrison Commander for 16 Air Assault Brigade, and serving soldiers from the Fijian Parachute Regiment, many of whom have personal connections to the care home community. Unit Manager, Adi Balenaivalu, whose husband is a Fijian Para veteran, extended the invitation to the regiment, creating a meaningful link between the care home and the military family. Veterans from various regiments will also attend alongside their families to mark Armed Forces Day, which officially takes place on Saturday 27th June.

Colonia Court is home to several residents who have served in the armed forces themselves, including former RAF and ATS personnel, as well as many whose family members have served with distinction. The care home will use this special day to celebrate their remarkable contributions and shared military heritage. Residents from across all four of Colonia Court's houses will come together to join in the celebrations on Friday.

The afternoon will be filled with live entertainment, featuring wartime music performances from Pete George and a Sixth Form Student from Colchester Institute. Residents and guests will have the opportunity to view memorabilia on display, including war medals, letters, uniforms, and vintage ration packs, each telling a story from a defining period in history.

Throughout the afternoon, guests will have time for reminiscing, with a curated selection of books from the wartime era available to browse, allowing residents to share their own precious memories with visitors and fellow residents alike.

The Colonia Court kitchen team will also be serving an array of traditional sandwiches and cakes, as well as cups of tea and coffee.

Speaking ahead of the event, Doug, a resident at Colonia Court and former service member, said: "Armed Forces Day means so much to those of us who served. It's wonderful to have this opportunity to remember our experiences and share them with the younger generation, including the serving soldiers attending. Days like this remind us why we served, and it's heartwarming to see the community come together to show their respect and gratitude."

Jiji George, Home Manager at Colonia Court, added: "This Armed Forces Day celebration is particularly special because it brings together our community of resident veterans, serving soldiers, families, and local leaders. Our residents have shared remarkable stories of their service, and creating this opportunity for them to be recognised and celebrated alongside current military personnel is truly meaningful. We're delighted to host this event and to honour the extraordinary contributions of all those who have served."

Colonia Court Bupa Care Home, in Colchester is divided into four houses offering nursing, residential and dementia care for adults over 18, alongside the dedicated Huntington’s disease unit which has been recognised and quality assured by the Huntington's Disease Association. For further information, please visit https://www.bupa.co.uk/colonia-court

More info on the HDA Accreditation can be found here - https://www.hda.org.uk/professionals-and-training/care-home-quality-assured-accreditation/what-is-care-home-accreditation/

click here for more details or to contact Colonia Court Care Home