SSAFA Devon

We are pleased to share information about the new Cultivate and Connect Workshop Programme, delivered in partnership by the Gordon Messenger Centre, the Defence Garden Scheme, The Poppy Factory and the Royal Navy & Royal Marines Charity. This collaboration brings together a wealth of expertise to provide a high-quality programme focused on wellbeing, skills development, and community connection.

It is a monthly initiative designed to bring people together through nature-based activities, gardening, and wellbeing-focused sessions.

The aim of this programme is to:

Improve mental health and wellbeing through structured, nature-based activity
Reduce social isolation by creating opportunities for connection and peer support
Build confidence and practical skills in gardening and outdoor activity
Encourage sustained engagement in positive, healthy routines
Strengthen links between partner organisations and the wider community
Gather evidence to demonstrate impact and inform future delivery and potential expansion
Help working aged Veterans back into meaningful employment
Your support and buy-in are vital to the success of this pilot and will help us evidence demand and secure future sustainability of the programme.

If you would like any further information, or wish to discuss how we can work together on this programme, please do not hesitate to get in touch.

Point of contact:
Lisa Joy Peake (LJ) GMC Centre Manager & Gary Cruwys (GMC Assistant)
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: 07779384549

Tavistock Area Support Services

First World War Battlefields of Flanders

Trip Details:

Cost per person £420, £100 deposit to be paid by Monday 16 May 2026, £320 balance due Tuesday 4 August 2026

If you are booking as a single occupancy, there will be a single occupancy surcharge, however, if you would be prepared to share a room with another single occupancy person then you won’t have to pay the surcharge. Please confirm on booking if you would consider sharing.

The package includes:

Tuesday 20th to Friday 24th October 2026 - 4 days and 3 nights at the Hotel & Aparthotel Cateau Resort Mons, Belgium, including breakfast

Return ferry crossing

Private executive coach travel from the UK

Full use of the coach throughout your stay in Belgium

Excursions:

This tour is centred around the First World War battlefields of Flanders, offering time for quiet reflection, remembrance, and a deeper understanding of the events that shaped modern Europe.

A full day in Ypres, the heart of the Ypres Salient, including:

Guided time to explore the historic town

Visits to key WW1 sites in and around Ypres

Attendance at the Last Post ceremony at the Menin Gate in the evening — a deeply moving and symbolic act of remembrance that has taken place every night since 1928 in honour of the Commonwealth soldiers who never returned home

A dedicated visit to major Commonwealth War Graves Commission cemeteries, allowing time to pay respects in a setting of dignity and quiet contemplation. These visits are often the most poignant moments of the tour, particularly for veterans wishing to reflect on service and sacrifice.

A visit to the Passchendaele Memorial Museum in Zonnebeke, offering an immersive and informative insight into life in the trenches, the realities faced by soldiers, and the significance of the Battle of Passchendaele. The museum combines original artefacts, reconstructions and personal stories, providing excellent historical context to the sites visited.

For more information or to book a place, please pop into the
TASS Anchorage Centre, Chapel Street, PL19 8AG (next to the bus station)

Tel: 01822 616958 Email: [email protected]

It's National Gardening Week! 🪴We wanted to take the opportunity to throwback to last year when our neighbouring SSAFA Devon branch launched the June Best Garden.

In partnership with the Gordon Messenger Centre, work on the garden started in 2024 with an incredible 250 volunteers coming together under the ethos of “by veterans for veterans” to bring the garden to life. Two years on, the garden has successfully transformed the area into a haven for relaxation, connection, and healing.🌷🌻🌿

Learn more about the garden here >> www.ssafa.org.uk/devon-1/devon/latest-news/june-best-sanctuary-garden-officially-opens-in-lympstone/

📣Calling all veterans, serving personnel and their families in the Devon area.

Come and meet the SSAFA Devon team at the Gordon Messenger Centre's up-and-coming walk-in event.

The SSAFA team will be alongside The Royal Navy Family and People Support, The Royal Naval Benevolent Trust, The Naval Families Federation, Pinnacle, The Armed Forces Community Support Hub (Devon), Department for Work and Pensions, Forces Employment Charity, Skills Launchpad Plymouth and many more to offer a space for all and any questions.

Whether you need a listening ear, some advice, direction for a fresh start or want to know what to do 'just in case', this event is for you.

📅 Thursday 7, May
🕙 10:00 - 14:00
📍 The Gordon Messenger Centre, Commando Training Centre Royal Marines
Lympstone, Devon, EX8 5AR

If you're attending, make sure to come and say hi to our lovely SSAFA Devon volunteers 👋