Quarterly Stories Update

July 2009

PATRON RENEWS LINKS WITH CARE HOME

Seventeen years after officially opening the care home, Susan Aldred, Patron of The Abbeyfield Kent Society, returned to Rogers House in Drewery Drive, Wigmore to have tea with residents and staff.

Mrs Aldred, although living in Lincolnshire, takes a great interest in the progress the Society, a registered charity, is making as one of the largest providers of care for older people in Kent.

“I have been back to Rogers House on quite a few occasions and it is always a delight to see how happy our residents are and how well they interact with the staff,” she said.

Mrs Aldred spent the morning at The Abbeyfield Kent Society’s Cuxton headquarters where she learned from Chief Executive, Leon Steer, Director of Care, Felicity Somerville and Director of Property and Development, Ian Thomas, of ambitious development plans for new accommodation and schemes to update existing care homes in the county. The Society has nine care homes in Kent and six sheltered housing schemes.
Part of this £30+ million investment is the new extra care facility at Gravesend on the site of the former Valley Lodge care home. This is soon to be transformed into 56 apartments for the over 55s with access on site to nursing services and leisure activities. Work is expected to start in the late autumn with part-funding from the Homes and Communities Agency.

When Mrs Aldred arrived at Rogers House she was met by home manager Lucy Dixon before being presented with a bouquet by longest serving resident, 90 year-old Eileen Munday who has been at the home for 13 years.
She then toured the home and chatted to some of the residents, including Victoria Middlemiss who will be 100 in February.

Leon Steer said: “We are very fortunate in having Susan Aldred as our Patron. She is still most supportive even though she has moved from Kent to Lincolnshire. I am sure she was impressed by our plans and how we are improving the lives of our residents across the county.”

Caption:  Susan Aldred (right) in the Rogers House gardens with 99-year-old Victoria Middlemiss, Care Co-ordinator, Lorraine Laker and Chairman of the Trustees of The Abbeyfield Kent Society, Robert Barnes.