A SPECIAL platinum jubilee event aimed at armed service veterans is being held next week.

Veterans from northern England and south Scotland are invited to partake in the event, which has been organised by the Michelle Jurd Trust.

Set up by husband Neil, the trust honours the memory of RAF helicopter pilot Michelle Jurd, who was killed in a road traffic accident in 2011.

This free-to-attend event will see around 100 ex-servicemen and women from Cumbria, Lancashire, the south of Scotland, Northumberland, and North Yorkshire attend the celebration tea event at Penrith’s North Lakes Hotel.

The event is being held for veterans who have served in the armed forces and the merchant navy, with some expected to be as young as 40 while others are in their late 80s.

Brian Gregory is chair of The Michelle Jurd Trust, which has put over £4,000 towards the event and worked with numerous other charities.

He said: “Having served as a Scots Guardsman myself, making an impact in the veteran community has a significant meaning to me.

“The money from our generous donors needs to get to the people that will really benefit from it, we at the Trust are the conduit between donors and recipients.

“Many veterans don’t like asking for help, their pride often preventing them, I understand that, so at the Trust, we know it’s about making sure veterans feel comfortable so they can enjoy our donors'  generosity.”

He said the event is being held in Penrith, "because we’ve not, as a Trust, spent as much time focusing on the north of Cumbria. This event has broadened our network and put us in touch with many more military charities that work at the grassroots level, and will increase our ability to support more veterans in the north of Cumbria in 2023.” 

The event is organised in association with the Not Forgotten charity, with a number of others also supporting it including the FirstLight Trust. 

Bridget Green, support worker and activities caseworker with the FirstLight Trust, has helped arrange for eight veterans to attend from Lancaster. 

She said: “It will be a fabulous afternoon for all of them. One of our veterans was very active until two months ago but he’s wheelchair bound and struggles with just standing up.

“He’s such a lovely man, doesn’t have any close family and often won’t see anyone but a carer who’s in a rush most days. He doesn’t open up easily, but instantly when asked he said yes to going and with such a smile on his face."