FEATURE

“My experience at Clober Farm was good. I stayed as part of a dry run in preparation for HRH Princess Anne’s visit so that she could actually talk with someone who had used the building.

We only stayed overnight but it was a comfortable evening. We weren’t very familiar with Milngavie beforehand so we went to explore and managed to find the town centre where we bought some food to cook. That was the first meal ever cooked in the kitchen!

My Mum and I both enjoyed our stay. It wasn’t 100 per cent perfect but we managed. At the time the building wasn’t quite setup for high-level spinal injuries. The bed wasn’t height adjustable making it difficult for a carer to assist with dressing etc as the bed was very close to the ground. The ceiling track hoist system hadn’t been installed either so the hoist was a floor standing model which was a little awkward to move.

However all of these small issues have been resolved. If I ever stay again I know it will be perfect for my needs. Marianne the caretaker, with all her local knowledge is a real asset to guests.”

Graeme Quinn, Peer Support Volunteer

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Clober Farm has hosted hundreds of guests over the past five years and has provided a relaxing space where guests can unwind knowing that all their needs are catered for, therefore removing the stress of finding suitable holiday accommodation. For some guests their visit to Clober Farm was their first holiday since suffering a spinal cord injury years ago. Many of Clober Farms guests have expressed great delight with the accommodation writing in the guest book:

“I stayed at Clober Farm over Christmas 2016 with my daughter and son in law. When we arrived we discovered that Marianne, the Caretaker, had put up a Christmas tree and Christmas decorations, making us feel welcome and ‘Christmassey’. We really enjoyed our stay.

The facilities provided at the farm are exceptionally good for wheelchair users and their friends or families, with their every need catered for, including a well equipped open plan kitchen, dining and living area, a large double bedroom with ensuite wet room and another 2 bedrooms, a double and a single. The accommodation is spacious, there are remote controlled doors and window blinds, and plenty of room for everyone.

Clober Farm is situated in Milngavie, on the outskirts of Glasgow. The train station is within a 20 minutes walk, and you could be in Glasgow Centre within the hour or if you’re driving. Loch Lomond is about 20-30 mins drive away.

I would thoroughly recommend Clober Farm to anyone who needs the special facilities provided there. Christmas 2016 was my second stay there, and I hope to return the next time I go to Scotland.”

Judy Harrison

Marianne Prentice has been the caretaker at Clober Farm and has greeted guests with a smile and biscuits for the past 5 years.

“I find it very rewarding when the guests pass on favourable feedback such as: “Thank you so much for your help. Had a really relaxing weekend and for the first time ever, no worries!! Everything is amazing and I look forward to coming back really soon for longer.” And “It’s like having a whole hotel to yourself.”

We also receive suggestions from guests on how we can improve their experience. With that in mind we have replaced the Invacare mattress and Out-a-sight shower curtain, employed a gardening contractor, bought new linen and towels, and had the garden paving jet washed and sanded. The most noticeable change is the décor. No more magnolia! The Clober Farm group of Joanna Martin, Graeme Quinn and Alex Findlay chose a palette of warm neutrals to update the colour scheme. Thanks are due to Sharon Black from 154 (Scottish) Regiment RLC and her team for the hours spent on painting our home from home.

The Clober Farm group are working closely with Visit Scotland with a view to joining their internationally recognised Quality Assurance Scheme. Part of this process will involve updating the Clober Farm website to enable online booking and fundraising for a high back chair and a larger television for the living room. One of our regular guests requested the TV for her movie nights. I am keen to take forward these ideas for Clober Farm in my new role as Fundraising Coordinator. This will mean we are building on the success of the first five years and ensuring that we meet and exceed the expectations of all our guests.

Spinal Injuries Scotland planned to have an open day at Clober Farm to celebrate the 5th anniversary, but unfortunately it had to be cancelled due to the extreme weather in Glasgow. We will let everyone know of the next date in due course.

We would also like to thank everyone who has stayed at Clober Farm over the last 5 years, and all our sponsors who helped this project to be realised.

For more information please visit www.cloberfarm.co.uk or follow Clober Farm on twitter @cloberfarmSIS.

Wonderful first time holiday since my injury. Made life so easy and enabled us all to be together with my family in Scotland. My son loved every minute at Clober Farm with all the gizmos and gadgets. You have thought of everything!

Hannah Miller and Family

We stayed at Clober Farm for seven months during Tony’s rehabilitation at the Spinal Unit. Absolutely fantastic house with everything well thought out for disabled needs. The garden is an additional treat which makes the stay even more enjoyable.

Tony & Jacquie Steeple

Our first stay at Clober Farm when we first arrived we were amazed by the adaptations, especially the universal controls. We initially didn’t know how to work them as we don’t have them at home and felt like we were in a ‘millionaires house’ because it was so techy! It far surpassed our expectations! We used Clober as a base to explore Scotland as it is perfectly placed to easily travel to Luss, Loch Lomond, Edinburgh and Glasgow. We will certainly recommend this to our friends!

The Smyth Family

Wow! As soon as we walked in we could see how much work has gone into Clober Farm. For Spinal Injured people and their families this is just like a five star hotel! Everything has been considered. Well done. We will definitely be back.

Raymond & Francis Brown