Glebe House raises £1,000 as Captain Tom inspires everyone to get moving

Richard Coleby, aged 77, resident at Glebe House Residential Home in Hollesley has helped to raise over £1000 after following in Captain Tom Moore’s footsteps to walk around his garden.

Resident Richard joined forces with staff at the care home to raise money during lockdown.

Members of staff at Glebe House took turns in a skipping challenge, achieving 4,306 skips between them over 21 days.

Trish Middleton, manager of Glebe House Residential Home, explained: “Richard wanted to join in the fundraising and was inspired to walk laps of our garden, just like Captain Tom.

“He did extraordinarily well and managed 520 laps of the garden in just three weeks.

“When Richard first moved into Glebe House last year, he had poor mobility after suffering a stroke. He wasn’t very confident on his feet and had muscle wastage from inactivity.

“His mobility and confidence has improved greatly while he’s been at the home, but it’s been boosted further during his walking challenge. Richard used to always walk with the support of a carer but now he’s confident enough to walk with just the aid of his walker.

“We are all very proud of him!”

Activities coordinator Tracey Fletcher set up a Just Giving page for their fundraising efforts, which was promoted on the home’s Facebook page, including regular photos and videos of Richard’s progress.

The money has been used to buy a special chair for 96-year-old resident Ada Newman, who is unable to walk, to allow her to comfortably leave her room and join her fellow residents.

“The new chair is already making a massive difference to Ada,” continued Trish, “it’s designed to be accessed with a hoist so that we can easily transfer Ada from her bed to the chair, and it’s comfortable enough for her to remain seated in the chair in the lounge or dining room, so she can enjoy the company of her fellow residents.

“The new chair limits the amount of times we have to transfer Ada using a hoist, meaning it’s an easier and more comfortable experience for her.”

Richard added: “I just wanted to play my part in helping to raise the money. If it means it gives Ada better quality of life, it was worth every step.”

The 20-bed residential care home remains Covid-19 free. Glebe House closed to all but essential visitors in March, but family members are now permitted to visit their loved ones during social distanced visits in the home’s garden.

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