Celebration for armed forces' community at Northampton General Hospital

The event, on September 25, will showcase the wide variety of support available for the armed forces, including what the hospital itself does itself.

It also celebrates the hospital’s achievement of a Silver Award from the Government’s Defence Employer Recognition Scheme – for the way it supports the armed forces community.

The Silver Award reflects the outstanding efforts the Trust has made to actively assist the armed forces community including employing veterans in its workforce; supporting reservists in balancing training with work; and establishing its own armed forces champions who actively help patients and other staff with armed forces backgrounds.

Lizzie Edwards is a Resuscitation & Simulation Trainer at NGH, a second lieutenant adult volunteer for the Leicestershire, Northamptonshire, and Rutland Army Cadet Force (LNR ACF), and is the hospital’s Armed Forces Lead.

She said: “This event is about celebrating both our own efforts to support the armed forces community and those of many other organisations.

“We have invited a number of groups, charities, and volunteers, to our celebration that offer help and support in a wide variety of ways to veterans.

“This includes physical, mental, emotional, and financial support, and sign posting to services that can help improve people’s health and wellbeing.

“The event will help bring together people in the Armed Forces community to celebrate the way we all work together to support our members.”

In attendance will be:

• Representatives from; Royal British Legion, West Northants Council, SSAFA, NGH Volunteers, Northamptonshire Carers, Defence Medical Welfare Service, DWP, HMP Five Wells, Fighting with Pride, Op Nova, Op Courage, England Boxing – Veteran Programme.
• VIPs from the local community including local councillors and representatives of the Armed Forces
• Special Guest speakers who will talk their experiences in the Armed Forces and with NHS care – and a representative from the Defence Medical Welfare Service.

The event is on from 11am-3pm in the Trust Board Room at the hospital (area N).

For more information on the work NGH does with veterans contact: ngh-tr.armedforces@nhs.net