Senior House Manager, Kerry Lee, and her team have taken two older benches from the garden and restored them, creating a lasting memorial that will be used by the residents for generations to come. The installation of the benches coincides with Abbeyfield Week, an annual fixture in our calendar that celebrates the friendly and neighbourly atmosphere that distinguishes Abbeyfield’s houses and homes, and promotes the legacy of our founder Richard Carr-Gomm.

One of the benches bears a plaque to pay tribute to NHS workers, while the other bears one acknowledging the contribution and dedication of Abbeyfield’s many frontline workers, both at Donaldson Lodge and at other services up and down the country.

Both benches have been painted by the residents, staff and volunteers together. The Abbeyfield bench carries its brand colours, while the NHS bench is decorated in the rainbow theme that has become synonymous with the doctors, nurses and other NHS staff battling coronavirus over the past few months.

Kerry’s daughter Shelby, who also works at Donaldson Lodge, has organised for her colleagues to each have their own rainbow t-shirt personalised with their initials, in order to show their support around the clock.

The Abbeyfield Society East Regional Director, Kirstan Sparshott, said:

Our theme for Abbeyfield Week this year is togetherness, and we are celebrating the special relationship that exists between our residents, staff and volunteers, and how we as a society are pulling together during these difficult times. The newly restored benches at Donaldson Lodge are a lovely way to recognise this and I would like to congratulate Kerry and her team for coming up with such a wonderful initiative.

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