Woking care home resident’s wish comes ‘marching true’

A resident at a care home in Woking was thrilled to be at ease after her wish to have lunch with the Chelsea Pensioners Club was made a reality.

When the team at Care UK’s Greenview Hall, in West End, heard that 89-year-old resident Marie Mackenzie wanted to reconnect with British Army veterans, they stepped into action.

Team members arranged a special visit from the Chelsea Pensioners Club – the iconic retired army veterans from the Royal Hospital Chelsea, famous for their red uniforms – as well as members of the Quick Response Memorial Woodland (QRMW).

More residents with links to the armed forces joined the occasion, and everyone traded stories while enjoying a delicious buffet prepared by the home’s head chef. David, one of the Chelsea Pensioners, gave a lively talk on life at the Royal Hospital, sharing fascinating facts and stories.

He was followed by Paul from QRMW, who explained how the charity began and shared moving anecdotes about its work and invited residents to visit the Woodlands in the future.

The visit brought back many memories for Marie, whose husband served in the Army. During these years, she travelled all over the world with him to Cyprus, Germany, Scotland, Wales, and more. She has many happy memories of Germany and “how clean it was”. The visit brought back those experiences to life once again.

Marie said: “It felt wonderful to be back in the company of people who understand army life. Hearing their stories brought back so many happy memories, it truly made my day.”

The visit was part of the home’s Wishing Tree initiative, which allows residents to make wishes – big or small.

Meera Govindapillai, Home Manager at Greenview Hall, said: “We knew this would be a special and emotional visit for Marie, and it was amazing to see how much joy it brought her on the day.

“Our Wishing Tree initiative is a wonderful way for residents to share their passions and ambitions, and it’s hugely rewarding to be able to make these a reality. Many of them were in the Armed Forces themselves, or had loved ones who served, just like Marie, so activities like these can really help bring back precious memories and encourage reminiscence.

“I’d like to extend a big thank you to the Chelsea Pensioners Club and the Quick Response Memorial Woodland, as well as to the team here at Greenview Hall – we all had a wonderful afternoon!”

Greenview Hall is accredited by the Veteran Friendly Framework – a collaboration between several armed forces charities. To achieve this status, they had to meet eight key standards, including noting Armed Forces status within care plans, addressing social isolation, and signposting to support services, such as their local Royal British Legion branch and other charities that provide support for veterans or their partners.

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