Dancing queens and garden scenes

Garden party and ABBA magic for our 70th birthday

A sunny British summer day is all you really need to get everyone in the mood for a party, and here at The Old Vicarage, we recently had the perfect excuse.

This year marks the incredible 70th anniversary of the Abbeyfield. To think we started with just a single house in Bermondsey, East London, and have now grown into a nationwide network of over 200 care homes, sheltered housing schemes, and independent living complexes is incredible. We wanted to mark seven decades of supporting older people with a proper celebration, and thanks to some wonderful volunteers and a bit of ABBA magic, we did just that.

A fresh look for summer

The celebrations kicked off with some hard work, courtesy of our friends at Churchill Environmental Services and Churchill Cleaning Services. While we already know the Churchill team well through their regular water hygiene maintenance work at The Old Vicarage, this time they traded their usual tools for paintbrushes and garden shears to give our outdoor space a completely new lease of life.

The volunteers spent the day rolling up their sleeves to paint the summerhouse, the garden shed, and the benches, even taking the time to repair the summerhouse door so it is fully functional once again. They also brought along colourful ceramic plant pots to brighten up the space, creating a welcoming area that our residents are already making the most of as they enjoy the beautiful view and the extra shelter.

Fay Brooks-Stevens, Churchill’s Community Ambassador, said: “It was an absolute pleasure to be involved with such a positive community event. Seeing the happiness of the residents and the fantastic work being carried out by the staff made the day extremely rewarding for our team. We are grateful to Abbeyfield for welcoming us and allowing us to play a small part in such a special day.”

Sherry, sunshine, and singing along

While the Churchill team were busy transforming things outside, the party was already getting started indoors as residents gathered in the Bond Room for an afternoon of entertainment, complete with glasses of sherry and a brilliant ABBA tribute act that soon had everyone singing and dancing along to the classics.

By lunchtime, the hard work in the garden was complete and the sun was shining brightly, meaning the newly refreshed space was perfectly ready to host a fantastic afternoon barbecue. Residents, relatives, staff, and volunteers all enjoyed a wonderful feast of fresh salads, pasta dishes, quiches, and classic favourites straight from the grill, with the Churchill volunteers staying on to help serve the food and spend some quality time chatting with families.

Memories to last a lifetime

The day was filled with so much laughter, and it was wonderful to see so many families celebrating alongside us, including Alix Mould, whose mother Joan lives with us at The Old Vicarage, who was full of praise for the delicious food and the wonderful staff who worked so hard to make the celebration so memorable.

For the residents, the afternoon was a beautiful reminder of what makes our community so special, and resident Rosemary said “What a day! The overall feeling was what a super time everyone had. The staff as usual worked so hard and they were all exhausted, but they knew they had done an excellent job for all the residents and to celebrate Abbeyfield’s birthday.

“A lovely day was had by all full of friendship, laughter, and food - what more could we ask for?”

We couldn't agree more with those lovely words, Rosemary, and we would like to extend a huge thank you to the Churchill team, our dedicated staff, and everyone who came along to help us celebrate 70 years of warmth and companionship.

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