Call out to younger veterans
SSAFA Merseyside veterans are preparing this year’s Armed Forces Day parade and event which is to be held on Sunday, June 28.
There will be lots going on the day, military vehicles, live vintage music just to name a few which is all in the planning stages.
We are seeking to get more younger veterans involved.
Anyone who has served in Her Majesty’s Armed Forces and has now left are now a veteran even if they are only 25 years old.
There are lots of veterans out there male and female who live local or in the surrounding areas who we are seeking to get involved.
If you don’t have a suit or even a medal, it does not matter.
No need to be a member of an ex services organisation. Just come on down and take part in the parade and make new friends at the same time, we would love to see you.
If you are a veteran or you know someone who is, contact us via our Facebook page.
Do you need support? Contact SSAFA Sefton or 0800 731 4880
https://www.facebook.com/ Southport-Armed-Forces-Day334191536932578/?ref=settings
They can also apply for their veterans badge which is free to all veterans, contact Veterans UK 0808 1914 2 18 ( Freephone) or go to https://www.gov.uk/applymedal-or-veterans-badge
Jason Southport AFD Committee
APPEARANCES COUNT
LOOKS are important. As we enter a new and progressive decade where mental health issues are increasingly recognised as a priority, this austere and depressing series of boxes is the heart of Southport’s new and long awaited mental health service, The Hartley Hospital.
According to MIND, about 1 in 4 people in the UK will experience mental health problems in any year.
Depression, anxiety, phobias, bipolar disorders, addictions, the list of problems is extensive.
Conditions impact severely, not only on those suffering from these often life-changing and complex conditions, but also on their loved ones, friends, even work colleagues: We are all touched by the challenges of modern day mental health problems.
The valuable work and contribution of The Hartley Hospital cannot be understated.
My concern is purely with the dire and ugly aesthetics of the building, particularly this aspect on Scarisbrick New Road which serves as a forbidding and entirely unwelcoming entrance for users of the bus, pedestrians and cyclists.
Unattractive, unpleasant, mean spirited, thoughtless, peevish... the message this frontage conveys to service users, visitors, neighbours and staff is one of total disregard.
In a town full of beautiful Victorian, Edwardian and modern houses and buildings, this is a complete misfit.
Enlightened minds have long realised the importance of design and aesthetics in improving people’s sense of wellbeing, of feeling valued and worthwhile.
Even Her Majesty’s Prisons are waking up to the importance of the physical environment in improving mental wellbeing, even behaviour.
The visionary approach of Liverpool Governor Pia Sinha, in “softening” the architecture and grounds is being recognised as turning people’s lives around for the better.
Surely a mental health hospital should put some proper effort into this aspect of its service provision and presence in the community?
Our town and those in our community who need these services deserve better than this hostile block to greet us when we are struggling with life’s challenges. This stuff matters.
Name and address supplied