Primary school children name suites at Thame’s newest care home

PUPILS from a primary school have won a competition to name the suites at a new care home in Thame. Keen for names with cultural or historical significance to the area, the team at Care UK’s Cuttlebrook Hall reached out to locals for suite names, knowing that those with connections to the town would be the best to help with the task.

The winning entry came from the school council at John Hampden Primary School, which is made up of 12 pupils aged between five and 11. Inspired by iconic landmarks around Thame, Phoenix, Elms, Tudor and Greyhound have been chosen for the suites currently being built at the care home.

Angela Zuraw, regional director for Care UK, added: “Choosing the suite names for a new home in preparation for opening is a key milestone, so it was important that the community were involved in the decision.

“We received a number of brilliant suggestions, making our decision a difficult one, but we felt using the names of well-known spots around Thame a fitting choice.

Many members of the community and future residents will have some sort of connection to these areas and they are a great way to reflect the relationships we hope to form at Cuttlebrook Hall.

“We’re incredibly grateful to everyone who took the time to submit an entry and to the pupils at John Hampden Primary School for coming up with the winning suite names.

“We’re already looking forward to welcoming the children for future activities when we open later this year.”

Cuttlebrook Hall will be divided into four suites, each comprising a number of bedrooms and a lounge for residents.

This encourages the creation of tight-knit communities within the home and provides space for group activities.

The children based the suite names on local points of interest in their hometown.

The Phoenix Suite is named after the Phoenix Trail, an old railway line which is now a popular cycling route. Elms Suite was taken from Elms Park, which is located next to the school and a popular with the pupils. The Tudor Suite pays tribute to the historic buildings located around Thame, while the Greyhound Suite is named after an old inn, which is now the site of a well-used walkway known as ‘Greyhound Walk’.

Designed to enable residents to live active and fulfilled lives, while also promoting independence, Cuttlebrook Hall will incorporate space for hobby and leisure activities and is set to open in September.