Stansted care home makes Gunners fan’s dream come true

A resident at a care home in Stansted has had his long-held wish fulfilled with a pitch-perfect outing to the stadium of his favourite football team.

When the team at Care UK’s Mountfitchet House, on Coltsfield, heard about 96-year-old Ronald Hall’s lifelong love for Arsenal, they were determined to do something special for him.

They arranged a behind-the-scenes tour of the Emirates Stadium, including a pitchside walk, a visit to the club museum and a look at Arsenal’s trophy collection.

Ronald also spent time in the exclusive Diamond Club, giving him a taste of matchday hospitality at the famous ground.

A devoted Arsenal supporter since childhood, Ronald has attended home matches for decades having first gone to games with his father, Harry, at just five years old. Throughout the tour, Ronald enthusiastically shared memories of famous matches and players from years gone by, regularly breaking into chants of “Come on you Gunners!”.

Ronald said: “I had the best day. It felt like being back home.”

Ronald’s experience was made possible thanks to Care UK’s Wishing Tree initiative, 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 lead fulfilling lives – from skiing to a fish and chip supper, no wish is too big or small for the team to try to grant.

Joanna Duke, Home Manager at Mountfitchet House, said: “It was wonderful to see how much joy the visit brought Ronald. Football has played such an important role in his life and seeing him reconnect with so many happy memories from over the years was very special for everyone involved.

“From the moment he arrived at the stadium, Ronald was full of energy and excitement, chanting for Arsenal throughout the tour and sharing stories from matches he attended over the decades.

“He smiled non-stop throughout the day and continued celebrating the experience long after returning home. It was a real privilege to help make his wish come true.”

Mountfitchet House is a state-of-the-art care home that provides full-time residential, nursing and dementia care, as well as short-term respite care. It incorporates plenty of space for leisure activities and hobbies, and includes its own cinema, hair and beauty salon and pub.