New Southampton care home unveils name inspired by former cricket ground

 

A new care home in Southampton has been named in homage to the former cricket ground adjacent to site on which it is being built.  

The Wickets, the new Care UK home on Banister Road, is being constructed on a site close to the former Hampshire County Cricket Club ground on Northlands Road. The name “The Wickets” pays tribute to the three stumps, with two small bails balanced on top, which are positioned behind the batsman in cricket. 

To celebrate the naming of the home, Care UK has donated £250 to Totton & Eling Cricket Club, one of Hampshire’s leading cricket clubs, with a long tradition of providing enjoyable and competitive cricket for men, women and juniors.

The club will use the funds to replace an ageing lawnmower with an environmentally friendly green electric mower, which will support the club in maintaining its pitch. 

Justin Daley, Development Project Manager for Care UK, said: “The home naming process is one of the key milestones for a new home, and we wanted to root the new home firmly in the area by honouring the site’s local history.

“We’re proud to be supporting Totton & Eling Cricket Club on their journey through our donation.”

“We’re very much looking forward to the new home taking shape and opening with its name of The Wickets in 2025.”

Once complete, the multi-million-pound purpose-built care home will provide full-time residential, nursing, respite and specialist dementia care for up to 80 older people in Southampton, and it will provide 97 new jobs.

 Designed to enable residents to live active and fulfilled lives, while also promoting independence, The Wickets will incorporate plenty of space for hobby and leisure activities.  

The new home, which is expected to welcome the first residents in December 2025, will feature high-quality facilities, including a cinema, pub and coffee shop. Secure and wheelchair-friendly landscaped outdoor space will include sensory gardens, water features and seating, to allow residents to spend quality time outdoors.

The layout of the building will be configured into a series of individual suites, each having a dedicated lounge/dining room to help facilitate the creation of close-knit communities.