Bury St Edmunds care home residents team up for matchday magic

Football fever has officially kicked off at a care home in Bury St Edmunds as residents welcomed other local homes for a morning of sporting fun.  

Care UK’s Mildenhall Lodge, on St John’s Close in Mildenhall, teamed up with visitors from Kentford Manor and Waterhouse Manor to take part in a football tournament and join the nation in celebrating ahead of a huge summer of sport.  

The event saw plenty of friendly competition, with all three care homes battling it out in a series of short matches. The players – made up of residents and team members – showcased impressive teamwork throughout, with the squad from Kentford Manor crowned the overall winners of the tournament.

Reflecting on the day’s activities, resident Carol Stiles, age 80, said: “I had a brilliant day. It reminded me of watching my favourite team, Chelsea – my dad gave me the choice of which team to support as we lived between the Tottenham and Chelsea stadiums. We had lovely food, good atmosphere, and it was lovely to have other homes join us – bring on the next one!”

The event was part of Care UK’s ‘Goal-den Moments' initiative, which encourages residents to reminisce about cherished football memories with the local community and create new experiences together.

Edward Benton-Bye, Home Manager at Mildenhall Lodge, said: “We had a ball opening our doors to our neighbouring homes to take part in the tournament!

“For many residents, football is more than just the beautiful game – it represents a lifetime of treasured memories and traditions. This event allowed us to honour these special moments and bring them to life once again. 

“It was a wonderful opportunity to bring everyone together for a day of matchday magic. It was truly heartwarming to watch residents reminisce and share their favourite football stories from years gone by. 

“We’d like to extend a huge thank you to Kentford Manor and Waterhouse Manor for joining us and making this a day to remember. With spirits high, everyone involved proved they still have plenty of goal-den skills to show off!”

As part of the campaign, Care UK has made donations to local walking football foundations, including Cambridge United Foundation.

Vicky Neal, Head of Cambridge United Foundation, said: “We are incredibly grateful to Care UK for its generous donation in support of our work with older adults across the Cambridge community. Partnerships like this help us continue delivering programmes that make a genuine difference to people’s physical and mental wellbeing.

"Our walking football sessions in particular have become a vital lifeline for many participants, improving fitness, confidence and mobility while also tackling loneliness by creating meaningful social connections and friendships. The support from Care UK will allow us to reach even more older adults and continue using the power of sport to bring people together and enhance lives across our city.”

For more information about Goal-den Moments, please visit careuk.com/goal-den-moments.

Mildenhall Lodge is a modern care home providing full-time residential, nursing and dementia care, as well as short-term respite care. Designed to enable residents to lead active and fulfilling lives, the building has its own cinema, pub and hair and beauty salon, and there is plenty of space – both in and outdoors – for relaxation and recreation.