Veterans enjoy festive lunch after kind intervention
GOSPORT MP, Dame Caroline Dinenage, welcomed local veterans together for a complementary Christmas lunch last weekend, which was supported by the Boathouse Café in Gosport Marina following the sudden closure of FirstLight Trust Cafe earlier this month.
The cafe’s owners Monique and Alex decided to take matters into their own hands by organising the meal on December 22 (Sunday); which included a traditional Christmas feast including pigs in blankets, turkey and other treats.
A large group of veterans were in attendance alongside the Gosport MP, Councillor Lesley Meenaghan and Santa himself; which marked a successful day in which former service personnel enjoyed reminiscing and catching up with friends.
This was the first lunch to be held at the Boathouse Café following the closure of the FirstLight Trust Café; which was located on Gosport High Street. This acted as a hub for many veterans who visited the site throughout the day; including a Breakfast Club and many activity groups that are still ongoing.
In November last year, the then Minister of State for Veterans Affairs, the Rt. Hon. Johnny Mercer MP, visited the FirstLight Trust to meet with local veteran groups and see first-hand the vital work done at the hub in strengthening community ties and aiding rehabilitation.
Commenting after the Christmas lunch, Caroline said: “I am grateful to the owners of the Boathouse Café, Monique and Alex, for responding to the heartbreaking news of the FirstLight Trust closure and arranging this festive lunch to ensure that some of our more vulnerable veterans don’t miss out on a Christmas celebration. Gosport has the highest proportion of veterans in the country, and I am so proud to see how our local community rallied around to support them.”
Organiser Alex is a veteran from the Royal Navy and he stated: “We hated the thought of our veterans missing out at this important time of year, we were delighted to step forward and give a little something back to this community which is home to so many current and former service people.”
PICTURED BY DAME CAROLINE DINENAGE: MP wears a party hat as she joins with veterans to enjoy Christmas lunch at event on Sunday.
