Edgbaston care home residents get into the sporting spirit with special visits

Football fever has officially kicked off at two care homes in Edgbaston as residents celebrated the start of the huge summer of sport with a series of activities.

Care UK’s Edgbaston Manor teamed up with local schoolchildren, while Metchley Manor marked the occasion with a trip to a football stadium. 

At Metchley Manor, residents enjoyed a special visit to West Bromwich Albion FC. They were welcomed by John Homer, President of the supporters’ club, who gave them a private tour of The Hawthorns, allowing them to experience the excitement of being in the stadium again.

As they walked around the ground, the proud Baggies supporters swapped memories of attending games with their families when they were younger.

Wesley Jordan, who accompanied his wife, Maureen Jordan, a resident at Metchley Manor, fondly recalled his first visit to the grounds on Boxing Day in 1935, when he was four years old with his dad and three uncles. 

Resident Jim Williams said: “The trip brought back memories of my teenage years, when my two mates and I used to go and watch the football. Back then the crowds were quite unruly, but nevertheless we always had a good time

“I only went a few times with the same two people but always had a great time watching the lads play. I didn’t really play much football; I only played it at school, but I really enjoyed going to the football to watch the lads play.” 

Kim-Marie Newton, Home Manager at the Church Road home, said: “We had a blast visiting The Hawthorns. Many of the residents are proud Baggies supporters and regularly talk about attending games when they were younger. This event allowed us to honour these special moments and bring them to life once again. 

“We’d like to extend a huge thank you to the team at West Bromwich Albion for making this a day to remember.”

Over at Edgbaston Manor, pupils from Harper Bell Seventh Day Adventist School travelled to Speedwell Road to get their creative juices flowing and design their own football shirts using paint. 

During the session, residents shared their top creative tips and reminisced about their own football memories.

Resident Micheal Harvey said: “Seeing all the children designing their own shirts and getting creative reminded me of when I was a teacher and seeing the creativity come together.”

Zoe Steventon, Home Manager at Edgbaston Manor, added: “We had a ball opening our doors to Harper Bell to design football shirts!

“It was a wonderful opportunity to bring different generations together for a day of matchday magic, and truly heartwarming to watch residents reminisce and share their favourite football stories from years gone by with the youngsters.”

These events were organised as part of Care UK’s  ‘Goal-den Moments' initiative, which aims to bring generations together and encourage residents to reminisce about cherished football memories while sharing new experiences. 

For more information about the programme, please visit careuk.com/goal-den-moments.

Edgbaston Manor and Metchley Manor have been designed to deliver the very best standards of care and enable residents to lead active and fulfilling lives, while also promoting independence. The homes have been configured into a series of neighbourhoods to facilitate the creation of close-knit communities and encourage social interaction among the residents. There is also plenty of space – both indoors and out – for relaxation and recreation.