Caerphilly Residents Make Model Home Town Village

Everyone at HC-One’s Church View care home decided that for they would try to recreate some of their memories from the local area, and bring them home to Church View. That’s when the mini-village project commenced.

A few Residents, and the home’s Wellbeing Coordinator, Marie Mills, gathered to share stories and spoke about the places local to them that are important.

Maureen Templeman, who lives at Church View, sat and told stories of how she was the PE teacher for years at the Twyn School, which Enid Evans, another fellow Resident also attended. So they knew that the school had to be a part of the project.

The home count themselves very lucky to have St Martins Church on their doorstep, which previously was a large part of local peoples’ lives; Residents had been christened there, married there and said goodbyes there, and in recent times (Pre Covid) Residents spent so many mornings there with coffees, singers and musicians.   So, St Martins also needed to join the project.

Afterwards Colleagues and Residents began making the project. Including both Maureen and Enid, as well as Mary Probert, Joan Meek and Victor Pitman. This turned into a mini version of the village which they all live in. Included were of course the church and the school.

This afternoon, Residents admired the homemade village. The many windows of the Twyn, the stained-glass colours of St Martins; all backlit with fairy lights shining through. And of course, the care home: Church View.

Enid read a beautiful poem, and everyone looked in throughout the course of the afternoon on the village, as it changed through the evening when it got darker outside.

“This is the best thing we have ever made,” remarked Enid.

A particular hit with the village was the lights, it brought an indescribable warm feeling around the home.

Another Resident added, “Can the village stay up forever?”

Ellen Smith, Home Manager, described it as, “Very emotional. To overlook our community all lit up beautifully, at a time we can’t really go to these places.”

“Our Wellbeing Coordinator and the rest of the team have all worked hard to keep spirits high and our Residents motivated”