Celebrating a century of Vera Lynn
ASOUTHPORT specialist day centre for people with dementia took part in the national celebrations marking the 100th birthday of Forces’ Sweetheart Dame Vera Lynn.
Staff organised a day of wartime-themed nostalgia at Brookdale Resource Centre in Ainsdale which is run by Sefton’s leading adult social care provider, New Directions.
The centrepiece of the event was a tea dance featuring performances of some of Dame Vera’s hit 1940s songs by Southport singer Sophie Bennett.
Service users joined in with old favourites, including I’ll Be Seeing You, White Cliffs Of Dover and - of course - We’ll Meet Again which, according to Dame Vera, became a wartime classic thanks to its ‘uplifting and positive message’.
Other highlights of the event included the opportunity for service users to share their experiences of life in the military and on the home front, and to reminisce about the evergreen singer whose voice inspired the nation during the 1939-45 conflict.
Brookdale service manager Salwa Moustafa said: “This event was a great success with our service users really getting into the spirit of the wartime activities on the day. They seemed to connect in particular with the songs made famous by Dame Vera, demonstrating that their memories of the entertainer and her music from well over half a century ago still remain vivid.”
Brookdale Resource Centre’s specialist day service enables carers of Sefton residents with dementia to have an important respite break.
New Directions business development manager Dave Hughes added: “Our staff at Brookdale came up with another winner with this event which clearly had special resonance for our service users, many of whom are old enough to have experienced the war at first hand.”
For more information about the services offered by New Directions, or to find out about joining the team, ring 0151 934 3726 or visit www.ndirections. co.uk