HRH The Duke of Gloucester opens Sandford Station Retirement Village

More than 75 elderly residents, staff and invited guests in Sandford celebrated a visit from HRH The Duke of Gloucester this week (Wednesday,10th February) to mark the official opening of Sandford Station, the £27 million retirement village recently completed by the south west charity pioneering care, support and accommodation for older people, the St Monica Trust.

The Duke paid a special visit to 85-year-old new resident, Bridget Gallagher, who managed to give the Duke a bit of a hug when he visited her new home.

“He looked all round and asked me whether I did much cooking,” said Bridget. “We all met up in the lounge later. It was a really special occasion, a lovely party for all of us.”

On his tour of the village The Duke visited tried his hand at giant chess and visited the wide range of facilities available for residents including the computer suite and library.

The Duke also make a special visit to The Russets, a specialist care home developed adjacent to the village and providing unique accommodation for up to 71 residents living with various stages of dementia. A member of the Royal Institute of British Architects and with a keen interest in architecture, The Duke was interested to see the how the structural design of the whole facility works to create an environment that is understandable, homely and supportive, a key factor in minimising anxiety amongst the people who live there. He walked round the facility’s sensory garden and met with both staff and residents.

The Duke also inspected the restoration of the old station building, a rare piece of railway heritage refurbished for local enthusiasts and visitors by the St Monica Trust as part of the development. Once part of Somerset’s historic Strawberry Line, the ticket office and platform, which closed in 1963, will re-open to visitors later this year, restored to its 1950’s colours, with traditional GWR paintwork. The Duke met members of the local Heritage Group in the Ticket Office.

Residents, staff and local dignitaries gathered in the Sandford Station’s Pullman Restaurant, itself a restored former engine shed, for an opportunity to greet The Duke, who commented on the importance of providing the sort of continuity of care and support for older people that is available for residents of Sandford Station. The Duke then unveiled a plaque to commemorate the occasion with the help of Trevor Smallwood, President of the Trustees of the St Monica Trust.

Director of the St Monica Trust, Gerald Lee escorted The Duke who was accompanied on the tour by The Lord-Lieutenant of Somerset, Lady Gass. Said Mr Lee, “We are absolutely delighted to be able to celebrate an official opening for what is the fourth major development by the Trust but one that is particularly special in being the first for older people in North Somerset.“

108 carefully designed sheltered housing units, including one, two and three bedroom retirement flats and cottages, have been built on the site for both lease purchase and rental, some, like Bridget Gallagher’s, protected from the elements beneath a glass atrium, close to central facilities, which include a restaurant, activity centre, spa and gym. Historic buildings like the Station Master’s House have been renovated to become two and three bedroom homes. The Trust is close to completing a brand new 30-bed care home on the site, a single storey facility, with self-contained, en-suite rooms for elderly people in need of high quality nursing and respite care, providing additional support and continuity of care for village residents.

Work is also being completed on a new three-lane outdoor bowling green, with its own pavilion and adjacent croquet lawn which will form a positive addition to the social heart of this remarkable new community.