Last weekend, we took a new group of little troopers to a special day with our Chelsea Pensioners. It’s almost a year since our first visit and every time we come it is super special.

Our families got to meet some of the iconic Chelsea pensioners, who are all retired soldiers of the British Army. During the day we enjoyed a tour of the Royal Hospital Chelsea followed by a delicious lunch. After lunch the children and pensioners enjoyed a craft workshop to celebrate Founders Day.

The special day is an annual event that celebrates the founding of the hospital by King Charles II. He issued a Royal Warrant authorising the building of the Hospital to care for those ‘broken by age or war’. There are now more than 300 Chelsea Pensioners living at the Hospital. They come from all walks of life and from all four corners of the United Kingdom.

One of our charity’s trustees attended the event and she said, “It was another enjoyable multi-generational workshop with the children, parents and the Chelsea Pensioners. Even with the extreme heat everyone got involved. The highlight of the day was the making of the tricorn hats that the children then wore whilst being marched out of the grounds with the Chelsea Pensioners in their scarlet coats.    

As the day drew to a close one of the Pensioners commented: “It’s been an absolute delight for us to have so many well-mannered, friendly, smiling children all day long and I think they really enjoyed the day.”

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