Issue 67 28.07.21
The weekly online newsletter for the care sector
Derrick vows to ride again following fall A PLUCKY 94-year-old has moved into Broughton House – the UK’s first veteran care village – after toppling from his electric scooter and breaking an ankle – but is vowing to ride again once he has fully recovered. Derrick Corfield was riding in Swinton, Greater Manchester when he hit a kerb and was thrown off. He suffered a head injury, and the next day was found to have broken his right ankle. Until the accident, Derrick had been living in nearby Irlams o’ th’ Height but it was felt afterwards that it was the right time to be in a more supported environment. He said: “The accident hasn’t put me off riding my scooter. I’ll take precautions next time and if I see a heavy kerb I’ll turn round and go back. “I’m being well looked after at Broughton House, and that’s the main thing.” Derrick was too young to serve in the armed forces before the Second World War so, in 1943 at the age of 15, he joined the Home Guard and was attached to the Manchester Regiment, then the Lancashire Fusiliers. Having previously been a Sea Scout, he volunteered to serve in the Merchant Navy and his mother reluctantly agreed to let him go to sea at the age of 16.
Derrick set sail in February 1944 as a crew member on the ocean-going passenger liner the RMS Orion, which had been refitted to carry 7,000 troops on wartime service. In the run-up to D-Day, Derrick and his comrades ferried US and Canadian troops across the Atlantic to Liverpool for the invasion of Europe. Derrick manned one of the anti-aircraft cannons after undergoing a ‘crash’ gunnery course with the Royal Navy. He had a brush with death while embarking troops in New York, when he was overcome by fumes in the ship’s paint locker and was rushed to hospital. After D-Day, the RMS Orion continued to sail all over the world, ferrying troops to Malta, then from Egypt to Naples, and back to the UK. After hostilities ended, the ship ferried survivors back to North America, Australia and New Zealand. When the ship was returned to its owners in 1946, Derrick stayed at sea aboard other merchant vessels before coming ashore in 1948 because his mother had become ill. Derrick, who has four service medals, was later a fireman for 25 years and had spells working for the probation service and the Ocean Yacht Club charity.
Community builds new solar field
Friars Mead residential care home in King’s Langley, managed by the Abbeyfield Hertfordshire Residential Care Society, has bid farewell to its manager of 13 years, Karoline Gullin. Karoline, who has worked at the home for 23 years in total, was treated to a retirement afternoon tea with her colleagues, the residents, and some of their family members who wanted to express their gratitude for her hard work and dedication in keeping their loved ones happy and safe. Karoline was joined by her husband Tony, who was also stepping down after spending five years as the home’s caretaker. Homemade cakes were on offer, presented on wooden cake stands made for the occasion by the residents, and the room was decorated with flowers and ‘good luck’ balloons. Karoline ended her speech by handing over to new manager Julie Hutchins.
A BIG THANK YOU
FROM ALL OF US TO ALL OF YOU FOR ALL YOU ARE DOING TO KEEP OUR MOST VULNERABLE SAFE AND HAPPY …
WE’RE IN AWE OF YOUR SELFLESS HARD WORK AND DEDICATION.
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A CAMBRIDGESHIRE care community has built a solar field on its land as part of its 2021 sustainable goals – helping to take pressure off the national grid and become more self-sufficient. Askham Village Community, a specialist family-run care and rehabilitation community, near Doddington, has installed a 150kW solar photovoltaic system in a field adjacent to its care and rehab centres, enabling it to offset a large proportion of its daytime electrical consumption. Aliyyah-Begum Nasser, director at Askham, said: “This project has been in the pipeline for a long time now, so we’re delighted to see it come to fruition. “While our new solar field will only occupy approximately 150m/2, it’s the size of the environmental impact which cannot be ignored. Self-generating our electricity will significantly decrease our overall carbon footprint and is the next step in our decarbonisation strategy. “It’s important we play our part in helping the country become greener by taking some pressure off the national grid. Reducing Askham’s environmental impact was one of our key strategic goals for 2021 so we’re glad to see the solar field up and running.” The new solar field is projected to save Askham as much as 800,000 kg/CO2 over the next 20 years. The carbon-saving system is made up of rows of groundmounted solar modules, each with the capacity to provide up to 330w of electrical generation.
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