A CARE home is asking for people to send letters and poppies to residents - some of whom fought in world war two.

Suzanne Clague, who grew up in Blackburn, would love to see a garden of poppies at Conifers Care Home in Thornton Cleveleys which she owns and manages.

Suzanne said: “It’s massively important, irrespective of Covid-19 that for our elderly generation, we must never forget.

“We should remember - Lancashire together - Blackburn, Burnley, Darwen, Preston.

“We were hit bad up this way, it wasn’t London but we had our fair share.

“I think this years its more poignant than ever, if it could ever be more poignant, to let elderly people have that memory and have the right to actually reminisce and grieve and remember.”

Suzanne would like people to send in pictures with a kind message, words of thanks or poppies to brighten up the residents and remind them that the country is thinking of them.

She has put post boxes outside the care home to let members of the public put letters and poppies in which will be given to residents after a few days.

The average age of residents at the care home is 95, with six of the 14 residents older than 95, with many residents having worked or fought during the second world war.

One resident Donald said: “I was fighting The Germans I can't remember much from the war if you want the truth.

Another resident, Bernard said: “During the war I was in the army. The war was difficult - I used to go round helping people giving them a hand with whatever they needed.”

A third resident Edna said “I was working in the post office and I stayed there right through the war. I helped send letters from the wives to their loved ones at war.”

Suzanne’s great uncle Herbert Holden died in 1918 while fighting in the first world war from Spanish Flu.

He was raised on Freckleton Street Blackburn and a stained glass window with his memory still remains in Whalley Church – making Remembrance Day important for Suzanne as well.

A Blackpool school has signed up to help and students from Westminster Primary Academy will be sending a large poppy and letters of thanks to the residents.

A teenager from Kirkham called Poppy who is an army cadet in the combined cadet force at Kirkham Grammar School is going to play the Last Post at 11am for the residents from the garden.

Suzanne added: “Without my amazing team none of this would be achievable.

“I can’t believe the number of people that have got in touch, teachers from schools – predominantly primary schools and nurseries. I just think that’s amazing bringing young and old together.”

Many care home residents have not seen their families since March and have been isolated during the coronavirus pandemic – making this remembrance more important for them to know the country is remembering their generations sacrifice.

New regulations will allow visits from families after calls to the government for visits to be permitted, describing them as 'essential' for mental health.

The regulations, published on Tuesday, state that the exception comes under medical need, and that it is reasonably necessary for someone to leave their home to visit a person staying in a care home where they are a member of that person’s household, a close family member, or a friend.