aks times

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Daredevil Peggy flies high!

Summer of Love returns to KentThe county turns back the clock to celebrate our anniversary. Page 3

Margaret Fisher House resident raises funds with daring helicopter ride. 7

Plus news on Watling Court, the Royal Jubilee and around the homes.

the AKStimes� e Abbey� eld Kent Society Newsletter 2012 Issue 2

2 the AKS times - www.abbeyfieldkent.org

WelcomeWelcome to the second 2012 issue of the AKS times, The Abbeyfield Kent Society newsletter, which aims to keep you up-to-date on the news from around the Society.

This issue features all the news from the last few months, including perhaps the most significant event in the history of Abbeyfield Kent, the opening of Watling Court. More details on page 4.

It’s been a really busy few months, as we’ve also celebrated our 45th birthday, and held a county-wide celebration to mark the occasion, bringing the Summer of Love back to Kent!

Our homes have been as busy as ever, with each of them getting involved in the Summer of Love event, their own 45th birthday celebrations and of course The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. See page 10.

We’ve been fortunate to receive visits from some local schools at several of our homes. Edward Moore House in Gravesend were visited by Ifield School for a special performance from their choir and a Punch and Judy show! Plus, St Martins residents were visited by Bishop of Rochester Academy pupils who put on a memorable performance at the Larkfield home. More details on pages 12 & 7.

The most eye-catching event of the last few months has been our residents’ participation in the 2012 annual report, with some spectacular images being produced with their help. For more details, see page 16.

Preparations for our first ever Who Cares? Ball have continued apace, for details on how

The Abbeyfield Kent Society is a registered charity and housing association; providing care and housing to over 500 older people at 16 locations throughout Kent.

The Abbeyfield Kent SocietyThe Old WharfStation RoadCuxtonRochesterKentME2 1AB

Telephone: 01634 723007Enquiry line: 0800 112 3166

Registered in England under the Companies Act No. 908333Registered under the Housing Act 1974 No. H2362Registered Charity No. 254140

You can keep up-to-date on all the news from the Society’s homes and events all year round by visiting the following sites:

to book a ticket see the back cover.

Later this year, we will be launching our new Friends of Abbeyfield Kent project, an exciting new initiative involving our volunteers, for more details see page 17.

As always, we welcome your feedback on the AKS times. Please feel free to contact the media team on 01634 723007 or email [email protected]

Enjoy the issue.

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Society news

Summer of Love comes back to KentResidents in Abbeyfield Kent homes across the county enjoyed a special weekend of sixties entertainment as part of the Summer of Love campaign.

The Abbeyfield Kent Society launched the Summer of Love week on Monday 14th May to celebrate 45 years of caring for older people across the county. Residents at all Abbeyfield Kent homes took part in the celebrations, and members of the public were encouraged to join in by throwing their own 1960s parties to mark the occasion. The Mayor of Maidstone Cllr Brian Mortimer visited Old Tovil Road on the afternoon of Monday 14th May to declare the 1960s theme week open, in a special ribbon cutting ceremony. The visit to Old Tovil Road was the last official engagement of Cllr Mortimer’s time as Mayor of Maidstone.

Edward Moore House enjoyed a 1960s party where they listened to hit music and a traditional buffet. The home even tried out 1960s body art! Volunteers painted flowers and love heart designs on residents’ faces.

Greensted residents in Wateringbury enjoyed a trip down memory lane when they completed a special questionnaire, and

shared memories of where they lived, their job and any special memories from 1967. They discovered that one resident, Daisy Drewry, used to buy her eggs from another resident, Sylvia Cottenham’s farm shop! Residents also passed around old photos. Spirit of Abbeyfield award winner Maggie Town and resident Daisy Richards finished off the afternoon by leading everyone in a good old Sixties sing song.

Everyone at St Martins joined together to share their memories of the 1960s while drinking Babysham, a traditional sixties drink. Two lucky ladies, Kitty Sullivan and Ivy Hitchman, were serenaded by singing duo ‘Unique’ in a special performance. One resident, Irene Nice, really got in the spirit of things and spent the afternoon showing off her sixties dance moves!

Jan Moulton, home manager at St Martins commented: “The Summer of Love week has been a fantastic way to celebrate 45 years of Abbeyfield Kent. We heard of quite a few people living locally who were holding their own party to celebrate, so it’s quite nice to think that the people of Kent were celebrating a local charity. It was a lovely weekend for our residents and a good time was had by all.”

St Martins resident Irene Nice got into the spirit of the occasion with a bottle of Babycham.

The Mayor of Maidstone declares the Summer of Love open with a little help from Old Tovil Road

residents Peggy Cadman and Muriel North.



Watling Court declared officially open! Watling Court, a brand new extra care scheme in Gravesend, Kent, has been officially opened by The Viscount De L’Isle MBE, Lord-Lieutenant for the County of Kent at a well supported opening ceremony at the Gravesend home.

Over 200 people came along on the day to have a look around the scheme and meet the people who call it home, including Adam Holloway MP and Cllr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi, the Mayor of Gravesham.

Guests were welcomed by Robert Barnes, Chairman of The Abbeyfield Kent Society, before speeches by Cynthia Mastin, a resident at Watling Court and former Mayoress of Gravesham, and Nathan Sizer, a pupil at nearby Riverside Junior School, who named the home after Abbeyfield Kent set up a community partnership with the school early in its development. Lord De L’Isle then spoke about his impressions of the scheme and why he decided to get involved with the opening, before finally unveiling the plaque to declare the scheme officially open.

Lord De L’Isle was accompanied on the day by his wife Lady De L’Isle. The Queen appointed The Viscount De L’Isle, MBE as

Her Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant for the County of Kent to succeed Mr Allan Willett CMG, who retired on 24 August 2010.Lord De L’Isle, of Penshurst Place, near Tonbridge, is the Lord-Lieutenant of Kent. He was born Philip Sidney in 1945, a descendant of the great 16th Century soldier poet. Commissioned in the Grenadier Guards in 1966, he served in a variety of posts, and was awarded an MBE in 1977. He retired from the Army as a Major in 1979 to manage the Penshurst Place Estate. Guests and residents then mingled and took tours of the home, which was built on the site of an old Abbeyfield Kent residential home Valley Lodge. Watling Court welcomed its

Society news

Chairman Robert Barnes with Lord De L’Isle

Watling Court declared officially open! Society news

first resident in 2011, and provides housing and care to around 70 older people from the borough of Gravesham. Extra care is a concept that provides independent living with 24 hour-a-day care available when needed.

Abbeyfield Kent Chief Executive Leon Steer spoke at the event and was delighted with how well supported it was, commenting: “I am so pleased that we were finally able to officially open Watling Court, which has been a huge project for The Abbeyfield Kent Society. The day went very well and I was very pleased we received such great support from the local community. I am grateful to

Lord and Lady De L’Isle for their support on the day and I’m very pleased that the occasion was marked with the attendance of someone of such significance to the county. It was great to be able to mark the start of our 45 year anniversary with such a wonderful occasion, I’m looking forward to a fantastic year of events.”

Watling Court resident Cynthia Mastin delivers a speech at the opening ceremony


the AKS times - www.abbeyfieldkent.org

Around the homes

Residents at St Martins, a residential home in Larkfield, near Maidstone, were visited by pupils from a Chatham Academy to put on a show.

Students from The Bishop of Rochester Academy treated residents from St Martins to an afternoon of musical entertainment. The students were accompanied by the Academy’s Head of Performing Arts, Mrs Karen Fowler, and Head of Dance, Mrs Tannis Kelley, who visited the home with the students to put on a show for the residents.

The students performed a wide range of songs, from classic to contemporary, with residents being encouraged to join in to the more popular hits. Songs included renditions of Apache, You’ll Never Walk Alone, and songs from Oliver! which proved especially popular with residents, who all joined in for a big finale!

After the performance, residents enjoyed a cup of tea and chat with the performers and were able to thank them for visiting and congratulate them on their performance. All

the residents were very complimentary and asked when the students were coming back to perform again!

Like all Abbeyfield Kent homes, St Martins practices the Eden Alternative, a concept that helps eliminate loneliness and boredom through an injection of creativity and novelty, including increased contact with pets, plants, friends and family. The visit from The Bishop of Rochester Academy was an extension of the Society’s commitment to

the Eden Alternative.

Jan Moulton, home manager at St Martins, was thrilled with how the day went, commenting: “It was a great day, the visit from the academy pupils really lit up the home. The residents loved the performance and were very impressed with how exceptionally talented the group were. I’m hoping they come back to visit us again very soon!”

Young entertainers visit St Martins

Residents chatted to the students after the performance.

The performance included songs from Oliver!

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Talking point

Hardly a week goes by these days without some aspect of caring for older people being in the news. Sometimes it’s because of a home being shown to be providing such poor care that it is nothing less than abuse. Sometimes the bad news is about a care provider getting into financial difficulty. More often than not, however, the biggest issue about old people is the cost of caring for them.

Even in times of relative affluence, the cost to society of caring for an aging population is something of a controversial subject. In times like those through which we are now living – with cutbacks and competing demands on the public purse – the issue is brought into sharp focus. And the issue in not just about the cost of care in isolation.

In the days of the extended family – when older family members were looked after by their kith and kin – caring for elders was the repayment of the debt for being cared for by those elders in earlier years. That traditional model gradually disappeared, perhaps because of the increasing role of the state in family life after the Second World War. But there may be other factors. One example is the decline of the extended family (due in large measure to increased mobility separating families across wide geographical areas). Another is the significant increase in the number of people living longer. The sheer number of people within the family who required care and support in old age may have become unmanageable and, in any event, inconsistent with the aspirations of younger generations who were not content to play the role of carers. The coincidence of the

children leaving home – with the potential freedom that provides – and the increased in the needs of elder relatives creates a sort of “out of the frying pan into the frying pan” situation that is unpalatable to many.

So, if the family are no longer providing care and the state can’t afford the ever increasing cost of caring for a rapidly expanding elderly population, what is the answer?

In July, Ministers announced a proposal to address England’s care crisis – allowing older people to defer care home fees until after their deaths. They would do this by taking out government-backed loans to fund care fees which would then be repaid when they die through the sale of their homes (assuming they own homes, that is).

There is a certain irony in this, of course: the family that is not inclined to care for an older member would lose at least part of what they might regard as their “heritage”. But we ought not to forget the Law of Unforeseen Consequences.

In this case, that Law might lead to relatives “caring” for older family members not out of a sense of family pride or duty, but to protect the equity in that person’s property. Care unwillingly given might be poor quality indeed. Residents in care homes have the protection of the Care Quality Commission: how will we protect older people “cared” for by resentful relatives?

To join the debate, follow us on Twitter @abbeyfieldkent

Bringing it all back home



Around the homes

Jim is guest of honour at Punch PartyJim Tickner, a resident at Edward Moore residential home in Gravesend, enjoyed being guest of honour at a very special birthday party.

This year sees the 350th birthday of the famous anarchic puppet Mr Punch. To celebrate the occasion, the Punch & Judy Fellowship decided to host a birthday party for Mr Punch at the Strand Palace Hotel in London.

Jim’s father Fred Tickner is a highly-respected and celebrated Punch and Judy puppet carver. He created the famous puppet character Muffin the Mule in 1933. The act was made famous in children’s television programmes, broadcast on the BBC in the 40s and 50s. A modern animated version of Muffin also appeared on the BBC in recent years. Fred Tickner’s puppets are still highly

desirable today and used by professional puppeteers.

Jim attended Mr Punch’s birthday party on Sunday 13th May as guest of honour on behalf of his father. He travelled all the way to Covent Garden in London, accompanied by his cousin Trevor Williams and carer Michelle Smith. They enjoyed front row seats for the party entertainment, including a superb cabaret show, puppet parade and a performance by a hilarious magician.

Katie Ingram, home administrator at Edward Moore House, said: “Jim thoroughly enjoyed the day. Everyone at Edward Moore House was very proud that he was guest of honour on such a special occasion. Our residents remember watching Punch and Judy shows at the seaside so the party caused us a great deal of excitement.”

For more pictures from Jim’s day out, and all the other events from across the Society, check out our

Facebook page at www.facebook.com/abbeyfieldkent

Jim on his big day out in London.

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Marise Edlin, a local artist who lives at Connors House, recently enjoyed success with an art exhibition at the Canterbury home.

The exhibition took place on Saturday 31st March at Connors House, in Craddock Road, and was attended by over 100 people who travelled from all over Kent to study Marise’s art, and check out her most famous painting.

In 1968 Marise painted “Beachcomber,” a piece that was made the Royal Academy’s Painting of the Year in 1969. Beachcomber was exhibited by the Academy along with some other examples of Marise’s work at an exhibition in Scotland, and now lives with her son Paul in Canterbury. Paul kindly arranged for the painting to be displayed at the exhibition, so many more people were fortunate enough to be able to examine it.

Marise Edlin has lived at Connors House since moving from Wingham in 2009 and has painted all her life. Unfortunately, in recent years Marise has developed an incurable hip condition which means that she is no longer able to stand to paint. Before moving to Connors House Marise had stopped painting entirely; staff at the home

found out about her talent and encouraged her to pick up her paint brush again and Marise developed a new method of painting to work around her hip problem, and she hasn’t looked back since.

After the event, Marise commented: “It was moving to see so many people come along to my exhibition; I was humbled. I am incredibly grateful to all those who came along on the day, I hope they enjoyed it.”

The event was so successful that the exhibition was extended for a further four days so that more people could enjoy it. Christine Devlin, home manager at Connors House was delighted that the event was a success, commenting: “It was fantastic to see Marise on the day, she deserved every bit of acclaim that came her way and it was long overdue. Everyone at Connors House is so proud of her for what she has achieved since moving here, and we all hope that she can carry on enjoying her painting for many more years to come.”

Kent residents flock to Marise’s art exhibition

Marise with The Beachcomber.

The home’s lounge was transformed with Marise’s artwork.

Around the homes



Jubilee celebrations across the countyAll Abbeyfield Kent homes joined in the nation’s merriments as part of the celebrations for The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee in June.

Residents at The Dynes started the celebrations early, with a trip to the local school for a balloon race. A spectacular 900 balloons were released into the air by pupils and residents, which made for a wonderful sight.

On the way home, residents and staff from the home popped into their local pub for refreshments. The Dynes resident Mary Wilson-Wright commented: “It was a great trip, it gives so much joy to go out and mix with the young ones.”

Staff at The Dynes made every effort to decorate the home with red, white and blue bunting, balloons and hand made posters. The residents were entertained by Clive and Dave, a local performing duo, who sang a collection of old time favourite songs.

The decorations were mirrored at our homes throughout the county, with residents and staff working together to reflect the patriotic occasion.

Residents at Stangrove Lodge residential home in Edenbridge also enjoyed special events and decorations to mark the occasion.

The celebrations kicked off on Saturday 2nd June, when the residents were treated to a party with a traditional British buffet style lunch. They enjoyed cucumber sandwiches, mini sausage rolls and plenty of decorated cakes. The dining room was decorated in patriotic style, with a special Union Jack tablecloth and matching plates and cups.

Residents got into the Jubilee spirit with lots of games and competitions. They guessed the weight of a large Union Jack cake and also had fun guessing how many marshmallows were in a jar. Staff also organised a raffle with exciting Jubilee themed prizes.

After the party, everyone gathered around the lounge to watch the Jubilee festivities on the Oliver Dimmer from Connors House dressed up for

the occasion!

Alf Nicholls from St Martins flies the flag.

Around the homes

10

Jubilee celebrations across the countytelevision. Residents discussed their memories of the Queen’s 60 year reign, with many of them remembering her coronation in 1953. They also enjoyed a delicious cream tea, with scones and jam.

Sarah Simmons, care coordinator at Stangrove Lodge said: “Our residents loved the Diamond Jubilee celebrations! The party was a huge success and the home looked great decorated in red, white and blue. What a way to mark 60 superb years.”

Residents at St Martins residential home in Larkfield reminisced about what they were doing on the day of The Queen’s coronation.

For one resident, Doris Bowyer, the afternoon was very similar to one she enjoyed 60 years ago. She said: “I lived in a cul-de-sac and ours was the only family with a telly, so all the neighbours came round to watch the coronation. It was a squeeze but we loved it and had a tea party afterwards!”

Alf Nicholls, resident, said: “My mother organised a big street party where we lived in London. The fun went on from early until very late at night! It was wonderful and I have really enjoyed celebrating the Diamond Jubilee at St Martins as well.”

Another resident, Edwin Hoare, was only 19 and serving the country in the forces at the time of the coronation. He remembers watching the procession in London then going home to watch it again on the television. Edwin said, “It was lovely and this year’s Diamond Jubilee was lovely too.”

Edie Chapman remembers the coronation in 1953 as a united time in Britain. “We had a party at my mothers house, everyone came together to celebrate and it was like having a huge extended family.”

Residents at St Martins finished off the party with a glass of bucks fizz, delicious British strawberries and cream and plenty of Union Jack cupcakes.

Jan Moulton, home manager at St Martins, commented: “All the residents at St Martins have really enjoyed celebrating the Diamond Jubilee and reminiscing about the Queens’ coronation. It’s been a weekend to remember.”

Around the homes

Residents from Stangrove Lodge enjoy the day.

Ben Bennett from The Dynes enjoys the day.



Pupils from Ifield School in Gravesend visited Edward Moore House residential home in July to put on a show for the home’s residents.

The school and the home have developed a good relationship recently, with pupils from the school visiting the home for activity sessions with residents regularly, including participating on the upcoming Art of Movement Project. Pupils from the school, in Cedar Avenue, Gravesend, visited the home again on the afternoon of Wednesday 4th of July to put on a show for residents in the home’s Punch wing.

Residents settled down and welcomed the pupils into their home before the performance started. Up first, the school choir performed a variety of music and poetry, including The Owl and the Pussycat and World in Union, plus a selection of their own compositions, which included playing instruments and dance moves, which went down very well with Edward Moore House residents.

Then everybody settled down for a Punch and Judy puppet show, put on by father and son duo Jonathan and Andrew Young. Jonathan is a pupil at Ifield School, and dad Andrew is on the board of governors. Jonathan is a very talented puppeteer, so made the puppets perform while Andrew narrated the story.

Ifield School put on a show for Edward Moore House

Before returning back to the school, the pupils shared some homemade cakes that they had made with the residents and talked about the show with them. The residents at the home were abuzz long after the pupils left, discussing their favourite songs and reminiscing about watching Punch and Judy shows in their youth.

Mrs Wakelin, a teaching assistant for Willow Class at Ifield School, said that the pupils will benefit from the visit as much as residents, commenting: “It’s good for pupils to be able to mix with people of a different generation, and they really enjoy their visits to Edward Moore House. Everybody has had a great time today, and we’re looking forward to our next visit.”

John Ogbe, home manager at Edward Moore House was delighted that the event was a success, commenting: “We have developed a great relationship with Ifield School, and the residents really enjoy their visits. The show they put on today went down really well with all the residents who took part, and I think the pupils really enjoyed it too. I look forward to future visits from the pupils, their presence really lights up the home.”

Ifield School pupil Joshua Hill, 10, with Edward Moore House resident Margaret Wyatt.

Around the homes

12

Around the homes

Throughout the year, the Trustees of the Abbeyfield Kent Society (who make up the organisation’s Board or governing body), have been getting reacquainted with our homes in the county. Many know the homes very well, of course, especially those to which they are “linked” through the Link Trustee system. But even these tend to be the ones located close to where they live.

So it’s good once in a while to take small groups of Trustees on a tour of the homes with which they are less familiar. As this is being written, we are approaching the end of this year’s tours.

It’s been an interesting series this time, as it was in previous years. There are always new faces in the homes and houses: new residents, new staff and, of course, new Trustees. And it is useful to see how our homes and houses change and to ask those who live there how they feel about being Abbeyfield Kent residents. They are often frank. But they are always thought-provoking and the Trustees rise to the occasion.

Getting to see the traditional Abbeyfield Houses – as opposed to the residential care homes – is particularly useful as they are far more self-contained than their care home counterparts. But they are all Abbeyfield people, through and through.

As in all our properties, we are carrying out improvements continuously, so the tours give the Trustees a chance to see the end results, and, more importantly, to ask the people who live there if they like what we have done to their homes.

What is truly exciting about being involved in the tours is that you simply never know what you are going to find when you pop into a house or care home. A few weeks ago, a group of Trustees at one care home were invited to see an interesting collection of porcelain cattle collected by a resident over many years. These wonderful pieces are kept in a beautiful wood and glass cabinet by the lady concerned and are, quite simply, exquisite.

At another location, there was a high degree of participation in a gentle exercise class with one of our number joining in a chair-based exercise to the tune of “She Wears Red Feathers”. The verdict was that he was “rubbish” at it!

Wherever the tours have taken the Trustees, they have been made to feel very welcome. They have been given honest responses to their questions, and they have shared memories. It has to be said, too, that they have been thoroughly spoiled, often over cakes and pots of tea.

Each tour takes just a few hours but for those taking part the memories remain for much, much longer.

Magical Mystery Tours



Around the homes

Daring Peggy flies high!Margaret Fisher House’s resident daredevil Peggy Williams recently undertook a brave project to raise funds for the Paddock Wood home.

Peggy received a flight in a helicopter as a gift from her son, and decided to turn it in to a fundraising exercise for her new home. The flight took off from an airfield in South London and flew over the venues for the 2012 Olympic Games, giving Peggy a bird’s eye view of the preparations.

Peggy says she did not experience nerves before take off, and was very much looking forward to the experience, but with her background it’s not surprising. This wasn’t the first time Peggy’s son has given her an exciting and unusual activity as a gift. Previous high-flying activities have included taking a trip on Concorde, a glider flight over Kent and a flying lesson!

This was the first time that Peggy had taken a ride in a helicopter, but she loved the experience and would recommend it to any of her fellow Abbeyfield Kent residents.

With the help of her son, who lives in the area, Peggy has raised over £500 for Margaret Fisher House, which will be given to the Friends of Margaret Fisher House to decide what best to do with it. The Friends are an active support group who organise days out and activities for residents at the house.

Peggy was born in Hampshire and has spent most of her life in Cheshire, she moved to Margaret Fisher House last Christmas to be closer to her family in Kent. Her family is spread out over the country, and includes two grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.

Responding to the suggestion that she is a bit of a daredevil, Peggy responded: “I think I must be, I love the days out and experiences I’ve been given. I never seem to get lavender as a gift!”

For a video of Peggy talking about her big day and previous experiences, view our YouTube channel at

www.youtube.com/abbeyfieldkent

Peggy on the big day.

Peggy relaxes at Margaret Fisher House after the helicopter flight.

14

Around the homes

Residents at The Dynes, a residential home in Kemsing, recently held their own pet show with the help of friends and family.

Residents, friends and family were encouraged to bring in their pets to the home as part of a large ‘show and tell’ event, which brought a range of generations together. A lot of The Dynes staff members even brought their own pets in for the day to show them off to residents, who had gathered in the home’s lounge, which had been specially decorated with balloons, to watch the show and enjoy tea and cake afterwards. Animals on display ranged from guinea pigs to tortoises, with a lot in-between!

Each pet was introduced to the room the walked or carried around for a meet and greet with the people attending the show, which was very popular, particularly amongst residents who enjoyed cuddling the visiting dogs and touching tortoises. The event prompted a lot of discussion amongst residents about pets from their past.

The event was planned by Sam Phillips, a carer at the home who acts as activity

coordinator, with help from other members of staff from The Dynes. Like all Abbeyfield Kent homes, The Dynes practices the Eden Alternative, a concept that helps eliminate loneliness and boredom through an injection of creativity and novelty, including increased contact with things like pets.

Nicky Pett, home manager at The Dynes, was especially pleased with how the day went, commenting: “It was a superb occasion, and everybody had a great time. It was wonderful to see the invited guests get involved, but most of all the residents had a smashing time. We put a lot of effort into working with the Eden Alternative, and days like this show why. The staff did a great job organising the pet show, I look forward to the next big event!”

For more pictures from The Dynes’ Pet Show, check out our Facebook page at

www.facebook.com/abbeyfieldkent

Rose Phillips with her new friend!

Eileen meets one of the stars of the show

Pet show at The Dynes



Society news

The very best of friends

It has been said that a true friend is someone who knows all about you, but still likes you.

Wise words indeed. In fact, there are many truisms about friends and friendship, many of them spot on.

“A friend in need is a friend indeed.” “A true friend reaches for your hand and touches your heart.” “It is the friends you can call up at 4 a.m. that matter.”

There’s even “friends are God’s way of apologising to us for our families” but that may be a bit harsh!

What is certainly true is that it is essential to every human being that we have at least one person we can call a friend. A life withoutfriendship must be bleak and unbearably lonely.

To some extent, the need for friends extends beyond the personal. Organisations like The Abbeyfield Kent Society hugely value those who, without reward, give us their time, attention and their respect and affection as friends do.

Of all the groups of people to whom this applies, by far, the greatest is our battalion of volunteers. The Society has over 250 of them. Mostly based in our homes (but with a few at our HQ in Cuxton), these good people spend time working for the benefit of the organisation and its residents without being paid a penny. Some do it because they have family members in those homes. Many do it because, at one time, we looked after a loved one who has now passed away. There are some have no previous connection with the Society: they just feel that they want to support us in our unending task of providingcare, compassion and companionship to some of the most vulnerable people in society.

16

Staff and volunteers from St Martins at our Volunteer Lunch


We have always tried to show gratitude to our volunteers but the debt we owe them is one that can never be really paid. How do you repay the selfless donation of that most precious of all commodities, time? The truth is, you can’t. But you can acknowledge that donation and you can seek ways to show how much it matters.

Our volunteers know us. They must care about us. They have invested a bit of themselves in the Society. They are woven into the fabric of the place. Now we want to take the special relationship we have with our volunteers a step forward.

The Abbeyfield Kent Society is about to establish a “Friends of the Abbeyfield Kent Society” group. We will be inviting our volunteers to become Founder members of the Friends. Others with a legitimate interest in our work will also be invited – former members and Trustees, relatives of residents, others active in our communities – so that the Friends will have a broad membership with a wide range of skills and experience and with a broad perspective on care for older people in the region.

Once established, the Friends will be asked to get involved in discussion groups on a range of subjects, they will be consulted from time to time on key strategic issues, they will be asked to share their suggestions, criticisms and ideas, and – crucially – work with us to improve ways in which the Society works. They know all about us yet still contribute. Who better to get an honest opinion from? After all, that’s what Friends are for.

If you are interested in knowing more about becoming a Friend of Abbeyfield Kent when it is established later in the year, send your details to

[email protected]

Society news

17

TICKETS ARE NOW AVAILABLE TO PURCHASE

Buy a table of ten and get the tenth ticket for FREE!

Date:

Time:

Venue:

Dress code:

Tickets:

Saturday 24th November 2012

7pm - late

Turkey Mill, Ashford Road, Maidstone, Kent, ME14 5PP

Black tie

£75 pp

For more information, or to purchase your tickets please contact our media team on 01634 729173 or

email [email protected]

Charity Ball 2012

In celebration of our 45th anniversary, The Abbeyfield Kent Society is very excited to announce that we will be hosting a charity

ball in aid of our Who Cares? Initiative.

Join us in celebrating our birthday, with a delicious three course meal, entertainment,

including a live band, and an auction delivered by Clive Emson – all in aid of a

great cause!

Every penny raised on the evening will be spent on continuing to provide peace of mind to those who need that extra support, so that they can remain in our homes as part

of the Abbeyfield Kent family.


Residents from Abbeyfield Kent homes across the county have starred in the 2012 Abbeyfield Kent Annual Report.

This year’s annual report is focused around Abbeyfield Kent’s 45th Anniversary, which is being celebrated with a range of events across the year.

To emphasise how much the world has changed since Abbeyfield Kent has been caring for older people, a timeline of significant cultural events was devised with a memorable event from each year. An event was chosen from each decade that residents would reenact, and the results were very eye-catching!

For the 1960s, residents from Rogers House recreated the iconic Beatles Abbey Road album cover, in front of the Gillingham home. Alf Nicholls from St Martins stood in for Obi-Wan Kenobi to flaunt his lightsaber in a famous Star Wars pose. Jim Rogers from Connors House did his best Homer Simpson impression to mark the first

broadcast of the now legendary American sitcom. For the 1990s, Edward Moore House was transformed to Hogwarts! With resident Margaret Wyatt dressing up as the boy wizard Harry Potter. Finally, for the 2000s, Greensted resident Daisy Richards twirled her walking stick to reenact the famous early Apple iPod adverts.

Although eye-catching and fun, there was a more serious message behind the images: to show the other, less publicised side of living in a care home. The fun aspect of these images enforce Abbeyfield Kent’s belief, and our commitment to the Eden Principles, that care homes offer a comfortable, enjoyable alternative to the solitude and desperation some people can experience as they become older.

To see all of the images, or for a copy of the 2012 annual report, visit

www.abbeyfieldkent.org

A long time ago, in a residential home far, far away...

Society news

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Our homes in KentResidential homesConnors HouseCraddock Road, Canterbury CT1 1YP01227 769774

Dene HolmDeneholm Road, Northfleet, Gravesend DA11 8JY01474 567532

Edward Moore HouseTrinity Road, Gravesend DA12 1LX01474 321360

Greensted16 The Orpines, Wateringbury, Maidstone ME18 5BP01622 813106

Rogers HouseDrewery Drive, Wigmore, Gillingham ME8 0NX01634 262266

St MartinsMartin Square, Larkfield, Aylesford ME20 6QJ01732 842628

Stangrove LodgeManor House Gardens, Edenbridge TN8 5EG01732 864975

The DynesNightingale Road, Kemsing, Sevenoaks TN15 6RU01959 523834

WoodgateTudeley Lane, Tonbridge TN11 0QJ01732 350952

Extra care schemeWatling CourtIfield Way, Gravesend, DA12 5BP01474 352201

Supported housingDrewery DriveWigmore, Gillingham ME8 0NX01634 364375

Margaret Fisher House30 Old Kent Road, Paddock Wood, Tonbridge TN12 6JD01892 834550

Northwood Road59 Northwood Road, Tankerton, Whitstable CT5 2HA01227 771310

Old Tovil Road105 Old Tovil Road, Maidstone ME15 6QE01622 677793

St Mary’s15 The Glebefield, Riverhead TN13 3DR01732 460545

Contact details

The Abbeyfield Kent Society

19

0800 112 3166

For all home enquiries call us today on:

Speak to a member of our staff for more information, or book a free

sample stay.


The Abbeyfield Kent Society

Saturday 24th November 7pmTurkey Mill, Maidstone

Buy a table of ten and get the tenth ticket free!For more information, or to purchase your ticket please contact

our media team on 01634 729173 or email [email protected]

In celebration of our 45th anniversary, The Abbeyfield Kent Society is very excited to announce that we will be hosting a charity ball in aid of our Who

Cares? Initiative.

Join us in celebrating our birthday, with a delicious three course meal, entertainment, including a live band, and an auction delivered by local TV

auctioneer Clive Emson – all in aid of a great cause!

Every penny raised on the evening will be spent on continuing to provide peace of mind to those who need that extra support, so that they can remain in their home, as part of the Abbeyfield Kent family.

aks times - 2012/2

Documents

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history of abbeyfield

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