Edinburgh care home goes maul in for Scotland rugby fan with special visit

An Edinburgh care home resident’s wish came true when he visited the Oriam sports complex to see the Scottish national team train for the Six Nations tournament.

The special visit was organised as a surprise for 85-year-old Derek Reynolds, who is an avid rugby fan and resident at Care UK’s Murrayside, on South Beechwood.

Although born in England, Derek has always been a committed supporter of Scottish rugby. His love for the sport began during his time at Dartford Grammar School where he played as a tighthead prop for ‘The Dartfordyings’. 

Derek’s passion for rugby continued and saw him go on to play for the ‘Old Dartfordians’, a Kent-based side, completing a 19-year-long amateur playing career. 

The trip saw Derek, along with fellow rugby-fanatic residents, Audrey Russel and Ian Stevenson attend a Scotland rugby training session at at Oriam, Scotland’s national performance centre for sport. Together, they were given the opportunity to watch the national squad in action, and even got to meet some of their heroes – including Pierre Schoeman, Jamie Ritchie, Hugh Jones, Blair Kinghorn and Grant Gilchrist Daum.

The activity took place as part of the Wishing Tree, an initiative launched by Care UK which allows residents to suggest ideas for new hobbies they’d like to try, places they’d like to visit or even activities linked to past careers. This encourages residents to live fulfilling lives – from skiing to a fish and chip supper, no wish is too big or small.

Commenting on the special visit, Derek said: “It was a memorable experience and wonderful to see the tremendously high standard of passing, running and teamwork displayed in front of us. I was even fortunate enough to meet a fellow prop, who everyone knows as ‘Schoo’ – who was extremely pleasant!”

Suzanne Welsh, Home Manager at Murrayside, said: “Here at Murrayside, no wish is too big or too small – we know Derek is a big Scotland rugby fan, so we decided to take advantage of the Six Nations tournament to organise a special surprise for him.

"We found out the national team was training at the Oriam, just a stone's throw away from the home, so our team got busy organising a trip to remember. We had a wonderful day out at the stadium – Derek and his fellow sporting-mad residents were over the moon at getting to see the national team in action and talk with them after.

“Scotland may not have won the tournament, but we’re all very proud of our national team – I just know we’ll be glued to our screen supporting Scotland come the Rugby World Cup later this year!” 

Murrayside care home has been specially designed to enable residents to live active and fulfilled lives, while also promoting independence. The care home incorporates space for hobby and leisure activities, and has its own cinema, hair salon and café.

To find out more about Murrayside, please contact Customer Relations Manager, Cliona Robertson, on 0131 516 2487, or email cliona.robertson@careuk.com  

For more general information, please visit careuk.com/murrayside