Rugby wish scores big for Edinburgh care home resident

A care home in Edinburgh has successfully tackled one resident’s wish by taking her to watch the Scotland women’s rugby team in action.

When the team at Care UK’s Lauder Lodge, on Wakefield Avenue in Portobello, learned about former sports teacher Sandra Millar’s desire to watch an international rugby match in person at Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium, they set about making her dream a reality.

Sandra, 81, has spent much of her life inspiring young people to get involved in sport. A keen athlete herself, she previously played international hockey for Ireland and continued to compete for Irish team Pegasus while she was living in Ireland before moving to Scotland.

As a passionate advocate for women’s sport, the care home team arranged for Sandra to attend the Scotland v England Six Nations fixture, allowing her to experience the excitement of live sport once again.

Sandra said: “I have had the most fantastic day. I loved the atmosphere of the crowd and watching a sport I love live and in person. I loved hearing the national anthems and the roar of the crowd!

"What made it more special was I got to share it with my son Paul, my good friend May and the amazing care team in Nicola and Alex.”

Sandra’s experience was part of Care UK’s Wishing Tree initiative, in which each care home encourages residents to put forward their dreams, allowing them to reconnect with a past hobby or try something completely new.

Anees Riaz, Home Manager at Lauder Lodge, said: “Sandra adores sport and has always been a huge rugby fan, so being able to arrange for her to visit Murrayfield Stadium and watch such a major match was incredibly special.

“Seeing the smile on Sandra’s face and watching her light up when the crowd roared with support for Scotland was truly priceless. It was a brilliant day filled with joy and excitement!

“Moments like this show just how important it is for residents to reconnect with the things they love, and we were delighted to help make that happen. A big thank you to our Deputy Manager, Jacqui Kerr, and the team at Murrayfield Stadium for making the day one to remember.”

Lauder Lodge is a state-of-the-art care home that provides full-time residential, nursing and dementia care. Designed to enable residents to lead enjoyable and fulfilling lives, it has its own cinema room, pub and hair and beauty salon, and there is plenty of space – both indoors and out – for relaxation and recreation.