An Armistice Day thank you
In her latest blog for us, Beth Britton writes about Armistice Day and the huge contribution and sacrifice of armed forces personnel past and present
For as long as I can remember, the UK Remembrance commemorations have held a special place in my heart. As a child, my understanding of the importance of the Remembrance events came from talking to my parents about their experiences; my paternal grandfather fought in the First World War, my maternal grandfather was an airfield engineer in the Second World War, my father did national service, and my mother was a Second World War baby.
Every year the Festival of Remembrance from the Royal Albert Hall and the Service of Remembrance from the Cenotaph would be on our television, and we’d often go to church to take part in the local commemorations too.
As an adult, the emotion linked to Remembrance has struck me every year. The contribution and sacrifice of armed forces personnel during multiple wars is of a magnitude that is extremely humbling. It is, of course, also incredibly sad; that so many men and women died for the freedom we enjoy today is a fact that none of us can ever give enough thanks for.
The Armed Forces Covenant
As our veterans from numerous conflicts age, I’ve been privileged to meet some of them professionally, and alongside this discover how the care providers I work with support our armed forces personnel. With this in mind, I was pleased to discover that Promedica24 signed the Armed Forces Covenant in 2019 to publicly show their support for the men and women who’ve served our country.
The Armed Forces Covenant is a pledge that businesses and organisations make to support the armed forces community by recognising the value that serving armed forces personnel, veterans and military families contribute to businesses and our country. This means that Promedica24 have agreed to uphold the key principles of the Covenant, which include a commitment that:
“No member of the Armed Forces Community should face disadvantage in the provision of public and commercial services compared to any other citizen, and that in some circumstances special treatment may be appropriate especially for the injured or bereaved.”
We will remember them
From a care perspective, what really strikes me about the Covenant is the acknowledgement that special treatment may be needed to support injured or bereaved service personnel. With today being Armistice Day this particularly resonates as our nation stops to remember those who fought and died in conflicts, with the words of Laurence Binyon’s ‘For the Fallen’ poem an intrinsic part of those commemorations:
“They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.”
Armistice Day
Of course Armistice Day, as well as being a day for individual remembrance and reflection, is a day for communities to come together, and one of the wonderful elements of Remembrance events is how they unite younger and older people and are one of the very best examples of multiple generations coming together with a shared purpose.
Veterans that I’ve spoken to always say how vital it is that our younger generations understand and appreciate why Remembrance is so imperative and keep the traditions of it alive, not just to remember but also as a reminder to work together for a peaceful future.
For today, however, myself and all at Promedica24 say a simple thank you to everyone who has ever contributed to the defence and security of the UK. We are forever in your debt, and we appreciate more than words can say what you have given for our today.
Promedica24:
If you would like to find out more or access our services, please visit promedica24.co.uk to use our online chat service. You can also get in touch with our team on 0800 086 8686 or by sending an email to care@promedica24.co.uk. If you’d like to assess your care and support needs rapidly online, we have a tool available for you to do this.
About the author:
Beth Britton is an award-winning content creator, consultant, trainer, mentor, campaigner and speaker who is an expert in ageing, health and social care.
More from our blog
More Than Just Feeling ‘Low’
In her latest blog for us, Beth Britton writes about depression and mental health and how to support a person who is depressed. Depression is one of the most common mental health conditions in the UK and worldwide. Indeed, depression was second only to high blood pressure in data looking at common health conditions […]
Read More
Living with Diabetes
In her latest blog for us, Beth Britton writes about a worldwide campaign to improve awareness of diabetes and gives advice for supporting a diabetic. Would you be able to spot diabetes in a family member? This is a key question that the people behind this year’s World Diabetes Day are asking, with statistics suggesting […]
Read More
Coping When Dealing with Grief
Grief is something that we will all experience in our lives, whether we are grieving for a person we loved or a pet who was part of our family. Grief is hugely powerful in its ability to change everything about our life and how we feel, act and think, either in the short or long […]
Read More