Oxfordshire care home moves into refurbished state of the art building

Richmond Fellowship’s Registered Care Home in Oxfordshire has moved into a brand new home.

The service, formally known as The Knowl, has relocated to a renovated property on Oxford Road, Abingdon called Holder House. The service was originally run by 2Care but became part of Richmond Fellowship along with several other registered care homes in 2011.

Holder House, a CQC registered ‘good’ care home provides support for individuals over 18 experiencing enduring mental ill health. It is staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and Richmond Fellowship’s dedicated team continue to provide the same high level of support to the individuals using the service.

The refurbishment of the property has been tailored specifically for the people Richmond Fellowship supports. It boasts 14 en-suite furnished residents rooms, a large commercial style kitchen downstairs, 2 additional kitchenettes upstairs and an extensive garden which provides plenty of space for leisure activities and growing plants and vegetables.

The property has excellent transport links with access to public transport, helping individuals to re-gain their independence and participate in even more local community activities.

The building takes its name from the Holder family, following a generous donation left by the estate of Gwen Holder on behalf of her late husband John Holder who was a chair of 2Care – as well as a donation from Richard Holder, also a former chair, who sadly passed away in 2007.

Doug Low, Area Manager for Richmond Fellowship’s Oxfordshire services said:

“We’re so thrilled to have moved into Holder House. The new building is amazing and will make a real impact on the lives of the people we support. I’d like to thank the residents of Oxford Road for making us feel so welcome. We’re also proud to have involved the people we support in the development and design of the property, harnessing on our Working Together approach”.

Derek Caren, Chief Executive of Richmond Fellowship said:

“This is a really exciting opportunity for both the team and people we support in Oxfordshire. The property enables us to offer state of the art accommodation for people living with mental ill health in a peaceful community setting. I’d also like to personally pay tribute to the Holder family for their generous donation which has helped towards developing the building”.

Richmond Fellowship’s Leicestershire Life Links service is Mayor’s Charity of the Year

Richmond Fellowship’s Leicestershire Life Links service has been chosen as Braunstone Mayor’s fundraising charity for the year.

Parminder Basra, Mayor for Braunstone, selected the service because she’s seen the impact that mental ill health can have on the local community.

Mayor Basra said:

“I have lived in Braunstone town for 23 years and amhonoured to be representing the community as Mayor. Prior to becoming mayor, I worked closely with disadvantaged communities to help improve their life chances, hence why I feel so passionate about helping others, as I know that with the right support, time and guidance people can achieve their goals and future aspirations and become active citizens in society.

“It is my great pleasure as Mayor to support our local charity Leicestershire Life Links, part of national mental health charity Richmond Fellowship as my fundraising charity of the year. I chose Life Links because through working in the community I have witnessed first hand the widespread effects of mental ill health, both on the individual themselves and also their  family and friends. I therefore want people to know that support is available to them and to know how they can find it – not just for their own mental health and wellbeing but also to help  support somebody close to them who may be suffering.

“Supporting Life Links also resonates with me on a personal level as I sadly lost my father to a lung disease. Being diagnosed with this illness  had a significant impact on him, as prior to his illness he was such an independent and active person and sadly his diagnosis led him to become withdrawn and feel low. I know if my father had had access to a service like Life Links it would have really helped him mentally and may have also given him the strength to fight his illness and live longer.

“We often talk about physical health and keeping fit, but it is crucial that we also raise awareness to the benefits and importance of maintaining our mental health. The more we talk about mental health, the more it will help to break down barriers to accessing support and thus reduce the stigma that many people still face.

“Mental Health is an illness that can affect anyone at any time in their life and if we continue to talk more about how it affects people, it will help educate us all in how we can help those suffering so they do not feel embarrassed or alone”.

To find out more about Richmond Fellowship’s Leicestershire Life Links service, visit their dedicated website at www.rflifelinks.co.uk.

Old Moat Garden Centre scoops Garden Centre Outlet of the Year

Richmond Fellowship’s Old Moat Garden Centre and Cafe in Surrey has won the Garden Centre Outlet of the Year Award at the Horticulture Week Business Awards, beating off competition from garden centres right across the UK.

And if that wasn’t enough of an achievement, they also won second prize, highly commended, in the category of Best New Build, Refurbishment, Refit or Extension.

A small team from The Old Moat attended the awards event on Thursday 27 June at a top London hotel to hear the results announced. They were “over the moon” with the awards, which they hadn’t dared hope they would win!

Garden Centre Manager Jack Shilley said:

“We’re absolutely thrilled. This is a massive achievement for all our incredibly hard working, talented staff, our wonderful volunteers, and of course we wouldn’t be here without the people we support – a massive thank you to everyone involved. We are also so grateful to our loyal customers and those who support us at our events – without them we couldn’t keep going.”

The Horticulture Week Business Awards are the most prestigious and respected in the UK horticulture industry. They are not just an accolade in themselves but come with a year-round package of media opportunities that will enable the garden centre to further raise its profile, so helping secure the service’s future.

The Old Moat supports individuals to gain confidence and skills by working alongside staff and volunteers in the garden centre, shop and café in a safe, supportive environment.

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