MP Visits Fife Care Home To Celebrate Resident’s Legacy

Residents and colleagues at Leven Beach Care Home in Fife have been joined by Liberal Democrat MP for North East Fife, Wendy Chamberlain, to celebrate the legacy of a special resident.

Ms Chamberlain was invited to the care home to officially unveil a painting made by resident, John Picken, who sadly passed away in July. The ceremony took place to celebrate John’s life, legacy and lasting impact on the home, as they placed his painting in pride of place in the foyer of Leven Beach.

Back in June, John was crowned the winner of the Meallmore whisky label competition with the painting, which was inspired by a sunrise over the Leven promenade. The image was then featured on Meallmore’s limited-edition whisky – a special bottling that was available in all Meallmore elderly care homes across Scotland for residents and families to enjoy together on Father’s Day.

A much-loved resident, John had lived at Leven Beach for eight years and made a significant impression on all who lived and worked in the care home. He was especially well known for his sense of humour and artistic flair. On winning the competition in June, he proudly stated, “I may not be great at a lot of things, but I knew I was a genius at art.”

John’s daughter, Hazel Mitchell has organised the event while also raising funds for “Puppy Picken”, a puppy sponsored by Hazel and her family in her father’s memory. John was a huge dog lover, and following his win, he planned to raise funds for Guide Dogs for the Blind by producing prints of his winning design.

Ms Chamberlain said: “It was wonderful to visit Leven Beach Care Home and officially unveil John Picken’s beautiful painting. I was delighted to congratulate John earlier this year when his artwork was selected for Meallmore’s limited-edition Father’s Day whisky bottle, and it’s heart-warming to see his work continue to have such a positive impact.

“The fundraising Hazel has led in memory of her father, supporting ‘Puppy Picken’ through the Sunrise Painting, is truly inspiring and a lovely legacy to John’s creativity and generosity.”

Karen Radford, Leven Beach Care Home Manager, added: “John was such a big part of our Meallmore family and has been greatly missed these last few months. It felt only right that we had a special celebration of his life and put his much-loved painting up on display for everyone to see when they come into the home. He was so proud to win the competition, and we had a wonderful time celebrating his win, so I’m thrilled to see his painting up there to remind us of his cheeky personality and inspiring us to never give up on doing what we love. I know he’d be absolutely delighted to see it.”