Westfield War Memorial Village gets royal seal of approval
The Westfield War Memorial Village for the Armed Forces got the royal seal of approval when it was visited by HRH Princess Alexandra on Wednesday. The Princess was greeted by Lord Shuttleworth, Lord-Lieutenant of Lancashire, and then toured the village, meeting veterans and their families.
The royal visitor unveiled a new commemorative stone in the village, to celebrate the village’s centenary and recognise the role of philanthropy and charity in the welfare of the ex-Service community. After the unveiling, she was presented with a posy of flowers by the daughter of a resident, eight-year old Lilly Good.
Princess Alexandra chatted with residents about living in the village, their Service commitments and the special life of the village and the community.
Kevin White, Chairman of the Residents Association, said, “It was a real pleasure and honour to have Princess Alexandra visit us and the village. She was lovely and showed real interest, took the time to speak to many of us, even in the rain, and thought it must be a lovely place to live.”
Westfield War Memorial Village is a small community offering a range of quality, affordable, rental accommodation to the Armed Forces community for Service veterans. The historic village is managed by The Guinness Partnership in association with the Westfield Council.
Respect for the village’s military heritage and the service of its residents is at the heart of the community. Past residents have included those awarded the Victoria Cross, the Distinguished Service Medal and the Military Medal for outstanding bravery and service.
The original designer of the village, Thomas H. Mawson, felt that being surrounded by beautiful, colourful gardens would aid the rehabilitation of disabled ex-servicemen, and this is still reflected today in the display shown to the Princess during her visit.
Thomas Bowring, President of Westfield Village, said: “It was a huge privilege for the Trustees, residents and The Guinness Partnership to welcome HRH Princess Alexandra to Westfield. The Village looked a real picture, notwithstanding grey skies and light rain!
“Princess Alexandra greatly enjoyed meeting and talking with residents, trustees and our young visitors and we hope she goes away with a real sense of the village’s special ethos. We were delighted she agreed to unveil the commemorative stone celebrating the centenary of the village’s birth.”
John Cockerham, Director of Customer Service Operations at The Guinness Partnership, who was a housing officer at Westfield early in his 37-year career, said: “It’s been a privilege to work with the village and wonderful to see it grow and modernise over the years while keeping the needs of ex-Service personnel at its heart. Long may it continue.”