West Sussex veterans supported after closure of daily lunch club

Watch more of our videos on ShotsTV.com 
and on Freeview 262 or Freely 565
Visit Shots! now
The Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund continues to support people in West Sussex, despite having to halt its daily lunch club for veterans and close Princess Marina House in Rustington, in response to COVID-19.

The respite centre for serving and former RAF personnel came second in our recent Herald and Gazette Care Home of the Year competition, with winners chosen by votes from readers.

It has been emphasised that Princess Marina House, which provides respite and care breaks, has had no cases of suspected COVID-19 reported by guests or the staff team.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The charity says its actions have been taken solely to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus and safeguard the people who use its services, staff and suppliers.

Princess Marina House staff pictured on March 18, before the respite centre closed, when guests and staff were treated to afternoon tea, courtesy of businessman Mark Rockliffe and Wellies Tea Room in Chichester BGuDiLpmk3XGAmJVkqx1Princess Marina House staff pictured on March 18, before the respite centre closed, when guests and staff were treated to afternoon tea, courtesy of businessman Mark Rockliffe and Wellies Tea Room in Chichester BGuDiLpmk3XGAmJVkqx1
Princess Marina House staff pictured on March 18, before the respite centre closed, when guests and staff were treated to afternoon tea, courtesy of businessman Mark Rockliffe and Wellies Tea Room in Chichester BGuDiLpmk3XGAmJVkqx1

In a statement, the charity said: “We are entirely guided by the government’s strong advice.

“Princess Marina House prides itself on putting its respite guests first. Beneficiaries travel from many parts of the country to come for a break, meet old friends and make new ones, and it is the case that many of them are older and have complex care needs.

“In line with the government’s strong advice regarding social distancing, we have taken the difficult decision to cancel stays, suspend all new bookings and stop our popular lunch club until the government’s advice allows us to resume our operations.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“We will continue to support beneficiaries in the local community through our Respite at Home service and will introduce telephone calls to those who might have stayed to help reduce any sense of social isolation, and to check on their welfare.”

As soon as Princess Marina House is able to recommence operations, staff will be in contact with guests. In the meantime, check for updates on the website www.rafbf.org

The charity said: “The welfare of our beneficiaries is at the centre of the fund’s response to the COVID-19 outbreak. We want to reassure anyone currently supported by the fund, or anyone who needs our support, that we are working hard to ensure we will be able to continue to meet their needs.”

All enquiries into the RAF Benevolent Fund via phone on 0300 102 1919, email to [email protected] or online via the website will be answered and dealt with as quickly as possible.

-----

A message from the Editor, Gary Shipton:

Thank you for reading this story on our website.

But I also have an urgent plea to make of you.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

In order for us to continue to provide high quality local news on this free-to-read site and in print, please purchase a copy of our newspaper as well. With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on our town centres and many of our valued advertisers - and consequently the advertising that we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you buying a copy.

Our journalists are highly trained by the National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ) and our content is independently regulated by IPSO to some of the most rigorous standards anywhere in the world. Our content is universally trusted - as all independent research proves.

As Baroness Barran said in a House of Lords debate this week on the importance of journalists: “Not only are they a trusted source of facts, but they will have a role to play in rallying communities and getting the message across about how we can keep ourselves and our families safe, and protect our NHS. Undoubtedly, they have a critical role.”

But being your eyes and ears comes at a price. So we need your support more than ever to buy our newspapers during this crisis. In return we will continue to forensically cover the local news - not only the impact of the virus but all the positive and uplifting news happening in these dark days.

We thank all our readers and advertisers for their understanding and support - and we wish YOU all the best in the coming weeks. Keep safe, and follow the Government advice. Thank you.

Follow us
©National World Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved.Cookie SettingsTerms and ConditionsPrivacy notice