• Local retirement homes win national recognition

Local retirement homes win national recognition

“I love living here. Even if I won a million pounds I wouldn’t leave Prior Park.”

Doreen Makin, resident (right)

local retirement homes win national recognition

An older people’s housing scheme in Ashby-de-la-Zouch, owned and managed by emh homes has won a Gold award at the Elderly Accommodation Counsel (EAC) Awards 2017.

Prior Park is one of 32 to have won a top prize out of the almost 25,000 retirement housing schemes or developments nationwide. Another emh homes scheme, St. Michael’s Court in Sutton-in Ashfield, was highly commended.

The winners were announced at an awards ceremony held at Edgbaston Cricket Ground in Birmingham on 16 May. The guest speaker was Tim Wonnacott, star of TV’s Bargain Hunt.

Now in their seventh year, the awards celebrate the best specialist housing for older people, and aim to help shape the future of housing in later life through engaging over ten thousand residents, staff, visitors and volunteers who were all able to vote for their favourite scheme out of the 1,180 nominated.

John Galvin, Chief Executive of EAC, explained the importance of the awards: "Specialist housing for older people plays an enormously significant role in helping them stay independent for longer. The security, support and great communities have a positive impact on individuals and reduce the need for NHS services.”

Debbie Oxford, Older Person’s Co-ordinator at Prior Park, said: “We are thrilled to have won this award as it means that residents and visitors are as happy with the scheme as we are. I feel very lucky to work in a place where there is such a great community spirit. The residents all look out for each other and support the events my colleague Joy Gadsby and I organise with gusto. We are both very proud of Team Prior Park.”

Resident Doreen Makin said: “I love living here. Even if I won a million pounds I wouldn’t leave Prior Park.”

Over in Sutton-in-Ashfield, Gail Wyatt, Older Person’s Co-ordinator at St. Michael’s Court, said: “We are delighted to receive national recognition for what we do here. I feel very fortunate that we have an age range of 55 to 92 and that everyone gets along really well.”

Resident Carole Springette echoed Gail’s enthusiasm: “We are all very pleased to receive our Highly Commended – it’s nice to know that our small scheme can compete with the larger ones. You can’t put a price on how safe we feel here.”