HC-One’s Magna Care Home in Wigston, Leicestershire, held the grand opening of their new pub, the Robin’s Nest – inspired by resident Colin Mayes - on Friday, September 27, 2024, to mark World Alzheimer’s Month.
The Robin’s Nest is located in Magna’s garden area, and was inspired by Colin, who moved to Magna, in November 2023. Colin lives with dementia and the team at Magna have really enhanced his quality of life. Having come to Magna displaying challenging behaviour, Colin is now much calmer and happier, and a real character in the home.
Colin has developed great relationships with the team at Magna, including Head of Housekeeping, Selina Gilroy, who it turns out had lived on the same street as Colin had once. Colin shared with Selina memories of living on the street and spoke about his memories of playing darts against legends such as Eric Bristow and John Lowe, and Colin enjoyed going for drinks at his local clubs.
Colin asked Selina if he could go out for the day, and Selina took Colin out for a drink to one of the nearby pubs where he enjoyed the lively environment and had a drink. Upon returning to the home, Colin said what a wonderful time he had and that he wished he could have a pint with all the staff.
This inspired colleagues to make Colin’s wish a reality by creating an environment that all residents could enjoy within the home, no matter the weather. Colin had a lot of input into how he wanted the pub to look, and he was actively involved in the creation of the pub, along with many of the colleagues at Magna, from Chipo Mupunga, Home Manager and Danielle Smith, Home Administrator through to Suhale Sweetman, Maintenance Operative and Samantha Bell, Wellbeing Coordinator.
These colleagues all played special roles to bring the pub to life, including painting and designing the pub and surrounding garden area. The pub was created using the visiting pod which was previously used at the home during the pandemic.
The team used recycled materials, including palettes and timber to create a nostalgic environment for residents to relax and enjoy. The home also received assistance and generous donations from their contractors who own pubs and kindly donated glasses, beer mats and other accessories that could be used in the pub.
With the addition of the Robin’s Nest pub, residents can get dressed up and go down to the pub to enjoy a drink, play games and watch TV. They can also listen to music, dance, do karaoke, socialise and have a laugh.
The home created a drinks menu for residents to choose a selection of drinks from including non-alcoholic beverages such as mocktails, lager and gins. The name of the pub – the Robin’s Nest – was decided by residents living at the home and their relatives.
The Robin’s Nest was inspired by the fact that during the previous summer, a robin’s nest was located on top of the pub where a couple of robins were found nesting.
The home has gone on to create a beer garden area just outside of the pub for residents to enjoy a drink in the outdoor area of the pub in the warmer weather. Since the pub was created, Colin has a routine of going out to the garden area each morning and sits on a chair adjacent to the pub before starting his day.
Magna held an open event on September 27, 2024, as part of World Alzheimer’s Month. The awareness month seeks to challenge the stigma surrounding Alzheimer’s disease and types of dementia. A ribbon cutting ceremony and special plaque for the pub was unveiled during the opening, by Colin Mayes.
Attendees included colleagues and residents from Magna, HC-One’s dementia care team, and members of the local community were also in attendance during the opening. Guests enjoyed delicious food and drink, as well as a spot of dancing.
Chipo Mupunga, Home Manager at Magna Care Home, said:
“Thank you to everyone who attended the opening of our pub, the Robin’s Nest today to mark World Alzheimer’s Month. We’re absolutely delighted that we were able to make Colin’s wish come true and bring the pub to him and our wonderful community at Magna.
“It makes us feel proud that we’re catering for people’s needs like Colin. People living with dementia still have a chance to enjoy themselves, so it is great to know Colin can enjoy life here at Magna by coming to the pub whenever he wants to enjoy the usual environment he is used to.”