Richmond Retreat opened in honour of former resident

A POPULAR Sturminster Newton man has had a therapy room named after him at the care home where he lived for several years before his death.

Team members at Colten Care’s Newstone House were saddened to lose long-term resident Graham Richmond, a retired BBC cameraman, in 2021.

Born and brought up in London, he became well known in his later years as a classic car enthusiast, exhibiting regularly in his adopted Dorset town.

After his passing, Graham’s family made a donation to the home, prompting discussions to start about the idea of creating a ‘Richmond Retreat’ room.

Companionship team leader Karlene Horswill said: “Graham’s family very kindly donated £5,000 with a hope that we would purchase something to benefit our residents at Newstone House.

“After a few meetings we all agreed we should use the money to not only benefit our residents but as a tribute to Graham as well.

“Many people, including our residents, have described him as a sociable, knowledgeable and very witty man who is sorely missed.

“The Richmond Retreat is a sensory based room that promotes well-being and relaxation for our residents living with dementia.

“The family were very supportive with the decision, and we added little touches of some of Graham’s favourite things such as being outdoors, bird song and his love of living in Sturminster Newton.” building.”

The Mayor was given a tour of the new facility which will include a state-of-the-art cinema, a hair and beauty salon, and a café which will serve complimentary drinks and homemade cakes and biscuits.

The spacious bedrooms will each have their own full en-suite wetroom and all bedrooms on the ground floor will have access to the garden. The suites will include a dining area and lounge, as well as a large en-suite wetroom.

The Mayfield Care Home’s design incorporates the latest innovations throughout to ensure its residents’ comfort and safety.

The home’s solar panels, ground source heat pump and battery pack will enable it to generate its own energy requirements.

Tobyn added: “I’d like to thank The Mayor of Whitby and Councillor Nock for joining us for our topping out ceremony – it was an absolute pleasure to welcome them and give them a tour of our home.

“The Mayfield Care Home is coming together well and I’m sure our future residents will love everything we have to offer.

“The home will become a key part of the local community. There is a significant shortage of care home beds in Whitby, and we look forward to helping improve this situation.”

The Mayfield Care Home is scheduled to open its doors to its first residents in March.

The room includes mood lighting, pictures of waterfalls and plants, comfortable seating, bird music, a picture donated by local artist Charlotte England and a large-scale, wallpaper photo of Sturminster Newton Mill.

Karlene added: “We are hoping the room will be enjoyed by our residents and we welcome their families to come and experience the space with their loved ones too.”

Residents and team members came together for an official opening of the Richmond Retreat with a toast of wine and a ribbon cutting.

Six homes disposed for £56m

KNIGHT Frank has sold a portfolio of six care homes which were owned and operated by Morris Care Limited to Impact Healthcare REIT. The purchase price was £56million, which will partly be paid in cash and partly with an issue of Impact shares.

Julian Evans, head of healthcare at Knight Frank, said: “We are pleased to have advised Morris Care on the sale of their best-in-class care home portfolio to Impact REIT.

“The transaction is a credit to the Morris family and all staff associated with the care business, in providing a first-class service, which has been created over the past 25 years.

“The business is now under the excellent management of Welford Healthcare.

“Despite an uncertain political and economic climate, this transaction is yet another endorsement for the robustness of UK healthcare real estate.”

The portfolio comprises 438 high quality beds, of which 400 have en suite bathrooms, with five homes in Shropshire and one in Cheshire.

The vendors have granted a licence for the homes to continue to trade under the Morris Care brand for three years. The operational management team will transfer to Welford Healthcare, which will manage the homes, on 35-year lease terms.