Yesterday, our Head of Marketing, Fundraising and Commercial Partnerships, Jodie Anthony, attended Solent NHS Trust and Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust’s joint Armed Forces Day Ceremony at St Mary’s Hospital, Portsmouth, on behalf of Pompey in the Community.

The sun was shining in the Captain Sir Thomas Moore’s garden at the hospital with a mini parade by Portsmouth and Southampton Sea Cadets, beautiful Slam Poetry reflecting experiences of Armed Forces life and a moment of reflection followed by the all important cake and refreshments. It was a great opportunity to catch up with the Naval Families Federation and Shaping Portsmouth but also connect with new faces such as The Dental Hygenius, Tara Pile exiting serving personnel on a mission to save children’s teeth, and the Royal Naval Benevolent Trust to share ideas and look at ways of working together moving forward.

Jodie Anthony said:

“Signing the Armed Forces Covenant and being Veteran Aware is so key across society but it’s even more prevalant when you have the Royal Navy on your doorstep. When personnel enter, serve and leave the Armed Forces, their families go on that journey with them so it’s important for wider society to understand the impact that has on their lives. We are proud of our Naval heritage in the city of Portsmouth and want to collaborate with as many organisations that support Armed Forces across the community as we can.”

The ceremony was a perfect blend of celebrating our pride and remembering the sacrifices whilst coming together to ensure we’re all working together to support the Armed Forces. Pompey in the Community are proud of our veterans and military families and encourage anyone working with them across Portsmouth and the surrounding area to get in touch: [email protected]