THE HISTORIC Lord Leycester Hospital, which has provided a home for ex-military personnel since Elizabethan times, has received a £50,000 windfall.
The money from the WPH Charitable Trust will be used towards the renovation of a self-contained home for a wounded ex-soldier within the building, which has stood in the centre of Warwick for the past 700 years.
The hospital was founded almost 450 years ago by Earl of Leicester Robert Dudley. The Tudor word hospital described a place of hospitality, refuge and sanctuary off the streets for the poor and deserving
Today the flats are lived in by eight ‘Brethren’ – soldiers, sailors and airmen who have served their country at some time in their lives – and wounded former Guardsman John Dawson who was shot in the head while on duty in the Helmand Province of Afghanistan in 2012.
Heidi Meyer, the Lord Leycester Hospital’s first female Master, said working in partnership with organisations such as SSAFA, Help For Heroes and Blesma, which provide care and support for servicemen and women, the aim is to provide more accommodation for wounded warriors like John in the future.
She said: “Our fundamental charitable mission under the Acts of Parliament of 1571, the year in which the Lord Leycester Hospital was founded, is to provide a sanctuary for soldiers wounded in the service of their country. And there are many soldiers who have suffered from recent wars in Afghanistan and Iraq for example.
“While local authorities and non-profit groups provide the care, we want to provide a place for these heroes to live amongst other Brothers in arms who understand what it is to lay down their life for fellow soldiers and country.
“The £50,000 grant from the WPH Charitable Trust is fantastic as it allows us a start to provide the right accommodation for more wounded warriors to join our band of brothers at the Lord Leycester.
“It is a great way to repay young people like John who have put their lives on the line for their country.”
WPH Charitable Trust provides funding for individuals, groups and organisations which work to prevent, relieve and cure sickness in Coventry and Warwickshire.
The Trust provides grants for medical research, buildings, equipment and other forms of medical care for residents of the region. All applications are made via the Trust’s website and are assessed on a quarterly basis.
Visit www.warwickshirehealthcharity.org.uk for further details.
