In June 2011 the Queen Victoria Seamen’s Rest in East London hosted a visit by the late Dame Barbara Windsor DBE, who formally opened their new Royal British Legion wing. It was in 2008 that our journey began with the QVSR, which was established in 1843 as the Seamen’s Mission of the Methodist Church, to provide a safe haven for active and retired seafarers, ex-servicemen & other adults in need of accommodation. It marked the beginning of a phased refurbishment of accommodation, the extent of which hadn’t been tackled on the site since the 1970s. Over the following 7 years and in 6 phases all of the accommodation was upgraded and reconfigured to include ensuite ‘wet rooms’ giving each resident their own shower, basin and WC. Along the way, other facilities enjoyed by their residents were also extensively upgraded, including the on-site café restaurant, lounges, and the multi-purpose Emery Hall.
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