Downham Market care home staff recognised for years of hard work

Two staff at Downham Grange care home have been honoured for their long service.

Support worker Linda Flatt, 41, of Denver, and head of housekeeping Carol Hannan, 60, of Downham, were handed gifts including flowers and bubbly by operations manager Eugene Nyamande in a surprise presentation.

Both joined the Kingsley Healthcare run home within two weeks of each other 13 years ago.

Mrs Flatt said: “When we started working here it was a little house with 22 bedrooms. After Kingsley bought it they built a new home around it.

“Downham Grange, with its 62 bedrooms, was finally opened in 2013; our inner courtyard garden is where the old house once stood.”

She said there was still one resident at Downham Grange, Brenda Willett, who had lived in the original house.

Mrs Hannan said: “It was sad leaving the old house but it was an exciting time fitting out the new home. I was involved in bringing in the new furniture.”

She said it had been a great place to work over the years because they had such nice staff and residents and everyone got on so well.

“We have lots of happy memories but one that sticks in my mind is when the air ambulance came to the home a couple of years ago.

“We joked that Prince William might be the pilot and then he just walked through the door,” she said.