VE Day Celebrations at the Almshouse
Almshouse residents’ VE day celebrations were very much filled with a sense of what might have been – both in terms of reflecting on the historic events of 75 years ago and commemorating all those that lost their lives in the Second World War, and when thinking about the celebrations to mark the anniversary that were unfortunately curtailed due to the social distancing restrictions in place to halt the spread of coronavirus.
The last few months have been extremely challenging for everyone, not least the residents of the Dulwich Almshouse. Due to almost all of the residents being classified as at-risk, they have had extensive restrictions placed on their daily lives, including being unable to welcome their friends or family to their homes and having reduced contact with the outside world. The Dulwich Almshouse Charity has done all it can to support residents through this period, including ensuring daily contact with the Scheme Manager or Relief Warden on the phone and strictly following all Government advice as regards social distancing measures and protection of high-risk individuals.
In this light, despite not being able to celebrate as we would have previously done, VE Day came as a welcome relief for our residents, providing an opportunity to reflect on the current challenges facing all of us and the ultimate sacrifices paid by many over 75 years ago. As you will see from the attached photos, residents got into the spirit of celebration (while complying with social distancing rules!) The Almshouse was suitably adorned with Union Jack flags and the Scheme Manager delivered Union Jack-themed cakes and a special VE Day pack, including a VE Day quiz and a crossword, to all residents.
The pack also included song sheets for “We'll Meet Again” so that residents could join in with the national sing-along after the Queen’s heart-warming address – although we expect they already knew all of the words! The song sheet also included a special VE celebration cover for residents to keep as a souvenir.
While VE Day provided some much welcome cause to celebrate, these remain particularly difficult times. The Charity will continue to take all steps possible to protect the health of our residents and support them through this period, and we are all looking forward to the time when we can restart group activities for residents and begin to lift the restrictions on their daily lives.
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