Thursday 7th October 2021
Celebrating the official opening of Middlefields House!
Alexandra Davis
On Saturday, 2nd October, supporters, friends and staff of Pilgrims' Friend Society gathered to give thanks to God for our new home Middlefields House and to declare it officially open!
We were delighted to be joined by Rosemary Howard whose mother was Leonora Gay and who had been instrumental in the opening of our old care home in Chippenham, Leonora. Rosemary opened Leonora exactly 47 years previously, on 2nd October 1974, and she repeated the honour at Middlefields House. As she cut the ribbon, Rosemary said:
“It gives me great pleasure to see the wonderful legacy of Christian care in Leonora Home move into this new chapter at Middlefields House, so I’m excited to declare the home now officially opened. I think it’s important for the Chippenham community to feel that it’s part of them and hope that they will continue to be involved in the home. I think it’s an amazing step forward into the future and my mum would be absolutely thrilled and overwhelmed.”
During a short ceremony in the coffee shop at the home, we also heard from Alan Copeman, chair of trustees about the vision of the home, and from Spencer Shaw, Minister at Emmanual Evangelical Church, who spoken from Psalm 92, reminding us of God's promise that the righteous will flourish in older age. Gaie Marshall, Pastoral Lead at Middlefields House, prayed for the home, giving thanks for God's work at Leonora and for His faithfulness in bringing the vision of Middlefields to life.
After we had given thanks and dedicated the home to God, tours of the ground floor were taken. Visitors were able to see firsthand how the new household model will work, explore the Winter Garden, test out the seating arrangements, and see the new hair and nail salon and breakout space.
More staff, friends, and supporters gathered at Ladyfield Evangelical Church for a service of thanksgiving before moving to the home for more tours. All those who saw the home were very impressed with its design and layout, and very positive about the continuing ministry to older people that the home affords.
Middlefields House is a state-of-the-art care home which has been designed in the household model. There are four households in the home, each with their own lounge and dining area, as well as a second quiet lounge with views out to the garden. There is also a communal Winter Garden for family members to use, an activities room, a meeting room, and a hair and nail salon with a break-out coffee space.
At the entrance to the home is the Harvest Coffee Shop which will be open to the public very soon!
