A royal visit for residents at Sunnybank House
Lord Lieutenant of Hampshire Meets 15 Care Home Residents Who Have Lived Through Five Monarchs
A special 15 residents at Sunnybank House Care Home in Fair Oak who have lived through five monarchs were amongst those presented with certificates by His Majesty’s Lord Lieutenant of Hampshire during his visit to the luxury care home to mark Armed Forces Day.
The Lord Lieutenant of Hampshire’s visit to Sunnybank House, part of the Cinnamon Care Collection, began with a gathering of the 10 residents who have served their country, either in the Army, RAF, Royal Navy or – as in the case of one resident – as a Bevin Boy, conscripted to work in the coal mines to help boost coal production after WW2.
The Lord Lieutenant was escorted through the Garden Lounge to meet other residents, before being welcomed into the Garden, where he sat with staff and residents and listened to an outstanding performance by the Band from Wyvern School. He then gave a short talk on his role as the Official Representative for His Majesty the King in Hampshire, which the residents thoroughly enjoyed.
At the end of the afternoon a celebration cake was cut by the Lord Lieutenant of Hampshire, along with two of the WW2 Veterans, Bryan Wardell, age 101, and Willetta Woodley, age 100, who both served in the Royal Air Force.
Bryan Wardell said, “It was a lovely day and really nice to meet the King’s representative in person, and also to listen to the young people in the band. It will be one of my long-term memories.”
Kay Mitchell, General Manager at Sunnybank House added, “It was an amazing and unique afternoon for everyone here at Sunnybank – and a perfect way to salute the many residents who live at Sunnybank and served in the Armed Forces when they were younger and also to mark the end of the celebrations for the King’s coronation. When the Band performed the National Anthem at the event of our event, our residents sung wholeheartedly, bringing the very special and memorable afternoon to a close.”
Kay Mitchell concluded, “We were honoured that the Lord Lieutenant of Hampshire visited us and took time to talk to our residents and staff. We were able to convey to him that living in residential care can be fun and our activities team work hard to ensure there are plenty of stimulating activities every day of the week.”