VE Day 80 celebrated in style at Woking care home

A Woking care home proudly welcomed the community to join residents and their relatives for a joyful and nostalgic celebration marking the 80th anniversary of VE Day.

Care UK’s Kingsleigh, on Kingfield Road, pulled out all the stops to commemorate the poignant anniversary of Victory in Europe, and hosted a 1940s-themed street party with a lively performance by singer Amy Putt, who provided the perfect atmosphere for a dance and a sing-along.

On the day, guests also paid their respects to those lost during the war as a special memorial beacon was lit in the garden by members of the Royal British Legion.

Also in attendance at the special commemorative event were soldiers from Pirbright Army Camp, who served lunch and chatted to residents about their memories from the wartime. The Mayor of Woking, Councillor Louise Morales, also joined for the occasion.

Resident Diana Aldridge, aged 87, said: “The best part of the celebrations was when the school children visited us, and we got to tell them our own stories and memories from 80 years ago.

“The children are a similar age to what I was on VE Day, which made it even more nostalgic.”

Kelly Kelleher, Home Manager at Kingsleigh, said: “Here at Kingsleigh, we had a fantastic time celebrating VE Day 80 with residents, their families and the wonderful Woking community. Everyone was in high spirits as we marked this momentous occasion, but we also took time to reflect on the poignancy of the milestone.

“I’d like to thank the entire team for making this celebration possible and all the guests who joined us at Kingsleigh for our party.

“It was a privilege to honour this important anniversary and to see the residents enjoying the bag pipes performance, some delicious food and the company of the community as they shared their memories of times gone by. It’s so important to enable residents to foster meaningful connections with the local community and for us to host nostalgic events that can prompt reminiscence, so our VE Day celebration was a roaring success.”   

Designed to enable residents to live active and fulfilled lives, while also promoting independence, Kingsleigh incorporates plenty of space for leisure activities and hobbies. The home provides full-time residential, nursing and dementia care, as well as short-term respite care. The layout of the building is configured into a series of individual suites, each having a dedicated lounge/dining room to help facilitate the creation of close-knit communities.