The Official Grand Opening of Valerian Court

On Wednesday 26th April 2023, our team at Valerian Court Care Home was delighted to host our official grand opening, which was attended by our residents, staff, healthcare professionals, relatives, and members of our local community.

It was a great turnout and wonderful to see so many faces support us in the opening of our brand new, luxury purpose-built care home which is serving our local community. We were gratefully joined by numerous multi-disciplinary staff across various depts in the community including a range of our health care providers, local specialist services, and a very impressive Fire Engine with complimentary Fire Rescue teams.

We also had visits from some of our regular entertainers and musicians, including Ben Heaney from DeltaViolin and Clare Goodall who provide balloon modeling and storytelling. We were also joined by a group of students from a Didcot Girls School who played instruments and sang for us all.

In addition to the entertainment, guests were able to view Abingdon and District Model Railway Society’s “Port” layout. The event was a great opportunity for our residents to meet lots of new people as well as for our guests to take a tour of our home and see the luxury facilities we have to offer.

On these tours, we were able to show firsthand the full and enriching lifestyle we offer our residents, from our hair salon and treatment room to our beautifully decorated communal lounges and dining areas.

We then began our official grand opening ceremony with speeches from some key members of our home and community, including our Home Manager Sonia, who spoke about her gratitude for being welcomed so warmly into the community, her appreciation of her team who has helped the home become the place it is today, and of her plans and wishes for the future of Valerian Court Care Home.

We also were given a few words by Joan, who was the very first resident to move into Valerian Court, and she spoke of how quickly she settled in, how lovely and attentive the staff have been, and her enjoyment of the activities, which she looks forward to participating in more in the future.

Our special guest, Deputy Lieutenant for Oxfordshire, Mrs Elizabeth Paris then honoured us with a heartwarming speech about what the care sector means to her and how those who work in care hold a very special place in her heart. We feel very lucky to have had such a lovely warm reception from Deputy Lieutenant Elizabeth Paris and those in the wider community, and we look forward to making those in our community feel proud and well-supported by Valerian Court Care Home.

Following on from the speeches, we invited our residents to help officiate the opening with a ribbon and cake cutting alongside Deputy Lieutenant Elizabeth Paris. There was then more time for socialising and a glass of fizz, and our Head Chef and kitchen team had put together a fantastic spread of hors d'oeuvres and made the most magnificent cake for all to enjoy.

We would like to thank all those who attended and helped us celebrate the grand opening of our care home in Didcot, Oxfordshire, we look forward to this new journey and we are very grateful for all the support now and in the future.