28th September 2012

CREWKERNE: Official opening for rebuilt care home

By Marion Draper

RESIDENTs of the Orchard Care Home in Crewkerne were raising a glass of champagne along with the staff on Tuesday when the Mayor, Councillor Robin Pailthorpe, officially opened their new building after a blessing by the Reverend Jonathan Morris.

The home is run by the Somerset Redstone Trust, which was formed in 2000, and a group of the trustees were present for the opening along with the chairman of South Somerset District Council Mike Best; presidents of Crewkerne Rotary Club and Inner Wheel and the vice chairman of trustees for the Henhayes centre.

The objects of the charity are to promote the relief of people who are disadvantaged by virtue of old age or by physical or mental disability and in particular to provide and manage homes for them to live in. The trust owns and manages five care homes including the Orchards which can accommodate 45 residents through all stages of nursing care, including end of life.

Current residents are from Crewkerne ,Wambrook and Ilminster and came from from all walks of life.

Chief executive of the Somerset Redstone Trust, Mike Carter, thanked everybody but quickly passed over to the chairman of the trustees Morley Blane, who referred to the journey of the building from Ramus House, commissioned by Roy Ramus, and the children’s home on the lower property showing that the site had a terrific legacy of caring for people in need.

He said: “Everyone thinks we’ve got a terrific building here but it wasn’t easy with a site constricted and served by a little lane with neighbours and then there were the residents, some of whom have been here since the scheme began.” The thing that got this building built was the people, I’d like to thank RG Spiller Limited, a local firm and we were glad to be able to award them the work, they did a great job.”

He went on to thank the neighbouring residents for their communication throughout the scheme and the staff for their hard work in coping with the disruption. He added that he hoped the Orchards would be regarded as a real asset to the community.

Manager Elaine Brown and Mr Carter gave the VIPs a guided tour of the new wings, explaining that as a community home they encouraged relatives to visit at any time and were starting a breakfast club and Sunday lunch. The new and refurbished rooms were all fitted with WiFi so that visiting families could use that facility if needed and anticipating further technology in residential care.

The visitors commented on the quality of finish and particularly liked the rooms with hoist mechanisms from bed to bathroom, which could be attached when needed. Councillors Best and Pailthorpe both remarked on the impressive man sized bath in the wet room.

They were also impressed by the various communal areas where small kitchen facilities are provided so relatives can make a hot drink. Old photographs line the walls, to help stimulate memories and one of the corridors has objects from yesteryear. The largest lounge area also has a piano and former pub landlady Doris Richardson gave everyone a tune or two before a buffet lunch was served to all.

PICTURE 1: DELIGHTED | Crewkerne Rotary president Derek Phoenix, SRT trustees Jeff Collingwood, Linda Hayes, Morley Blane (chairman), home manager Elaine Brown, Mayor Robin Pailthorpe, trustees Jill Barter and Tony Cooper BEM and SSDC chairman Mike Best

PICTURE 2: OFFICIALLY OPEN | The mayor Councillor Robin Pailthorpe opens the Orchards Nursing Home

CREWKERNE: Official opening for rebuilt care home

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