Whatever floats your boat – Hailsham care home grants residents’ wish

It was plain sailing for two Hailsham residents whose dreams came true when they took part in a cruise in Eastbourne harbour. 

Gill Relton and Barry Wardle, residents at Care UK’s Bowes House, on Battle Road, enjoyed a special nautical trip and reminisced about their younger years.

In the past Gill owned a boat on the River Medway in Kent. She was a member of the Medway Yacht Club and enjoyed sailing with her family over many years. Barry also enjoyed leisure sailing with the family.

As a result, a group of residents and Bowes House team members travelled to Sovereign Harbour, in Eastbourne, for a cruise to the Beachy Head Lighthouse. The residents enjoyed a picnic lunch on board before returning to the harbour.

The trip formed part of the home’s ‘Wishing Tree’ initiative, which encourages residents to put wishes forward, allowing them to reconnect with a past hobby or try something completely new. This could be flying a plane or enjoying a fish and chip supper, no request is too big or small.

Karen Milligan, Senior Customer Relations Manager at Bowes House, said: “We love to go the extra mile for residents here at Bowes House and our wishing tree is a fantastic way to understand what’s really important to them.

“We are thrilled we could help Gill and Barry to reminisce and share this experience with us. It was wonderful to see their faces light up the minute they stepped on board and to hear so many stories and anecdotes from their younger years. It was a fantastic experience for everyone involved and I am so pleased we were able to make Gill and Barry’s wish come true.” 

Bowes House is a state-of-the-art care home which provides full-time residential, nursing and dementia care, as well as short-term respite care. Designed to enable residents to live enjoyable and fulfilling lives, the care home has it very own cinema and hairdressers and there is plenty of space both indoors and out for relaxation and recreation. The home has a comprehensive activity programme offering a mix of themed events, group activities and days out.

For further information on Bowes House, please call Customer Relations Manager, Karen Milligan, on 01323 888 611 or email karen.milligan@careuk.com.                     

For general information please visit careuk.com/bowes-house.