Suites Hotel & Spa has welcomed the wives and girlfriends of local army veterans during an inaugural coffee morning.
As part of the Knowsley based venue’s Armed Forces Covenant commitment, the event developed with Major Roly Sutton of the 156 Regiment RLC brought together ladies from various boroughs to allow them to connect, share experiences and learn about the diverse support that is currently available.
In addition to wives and girlfriends, attendees included Knowsley Veteran’s Hub, Liverpool Veterans HQ, Veterans in Sefton, Everton in the Community, RFEA and Hack Back CIC.
Sales & Marketing Director at Suites Hotel & Spa Lyndsay Stanistreet Tyer said: “It was a delight to host this heart-warming initiative and help to raise awareness of the support that is available to the wives and girlfriends of army veterans. While the support for soldiers and veterans is widespread, it’s not just those who served in the armed forces that are affected during the aftermath, which is why this support group goes above and beyond to supply advice and guidance to their most dearest.
“As the first event of its kind, the coffee morning proved to be a huge success amongst the group. The event even consisted of recording for the 90-minute feature film ‘Hidden Wounds’ curated by Michelle Billington at Foot in the Door Films CIC, to capture the realities of veterans struggling to get back into a civilian working lifestyle.”
Anita Morris, Director of Hack Back CICIn line with Suites Hotel & Spa’s on-going partnership with Hack Back CIC, which is a social enterprise that helps improve the mental health and wellbeing of people of all ages, director and psychologist Anita Morris attended the event with owls Murray and Mango to raise awareness of the benefits of combining psychological therapies with Birds of Prey interaction.
Lyndsay added: “Having helped to fund Hack Back CIC over the past year, it’s an initiative that is very close to our hearts. With that in mind, it’s fantastic to see the various support “networks join forces to offer such a unique and effective approach when it comes to working with veterans and their families throughout difficult times.
“In a bid to give back to the local community and continue our longstanding commitment with the Armed Forces Covenant, the team and I are very much looking forward to getting involved in the forthcoming meetings and occasions.”