An Only Fools and Horses star opened a new sensory room at a Colchester care home alongside the mayor of Colchester.
Paul Barber, best known as Denzil from the BBC sitcom, greeted excited fans as he made his way through St Fillan's Care Home to cut the shiny blue ribbon.
The sensory room, named ‘Fillan's Forest’, is designed with ambient sounds and lighting, with a mural on all four walls and across the ceiling to immerse residents in a new world.
Forest- The room is designed to help residents relax, with rain sounds, warm lighting, and a cosy environment. (Image: Claudia Bradley, Newsquest)
Paul said: “This room is fantastic - I could move in here.
“It’s peaceful and lovely, with lovely lights and lovely pictures. To me it’s great and it's exactly what the residents need - security, comfort, and lots of colour.”
Mayor of Colchester Lesley Scott-Boutell also sung her praises for the sensory room.
She said: “I think it’s absolutely awesome.
“It’s so relaxing and having done various projects myself, I know the work, the background that has gone into doing this and creating it. It’s phenomenal.”
Teamwork- The St Fillans team worked hard for three months to make the idea of the room a reality. (Image: Claudia Bradley, Newsquest)
Thanks to a generous donation and three months of hard work from the St Fillan's team, the room is open to all residents in the home to use as a space to relax.
The care home contacted graffiti artist Scott King on Facebook, who has worked with Banksy in the past.
Fillan's Forest is the vision of Grant Muir, one of St Fillan's lifestyle coordinators, who aimed to “bring the outdoors indoors”.
“It’s for those who are now unable to go outside anymore,” he said.
“We can take them in there so they can still have the sense of nature around them.”
Ribbon- Paul and Lesley cut the ribbon together to open Fillans Forest. (Image: Claudia Bradley, Newsquest)
The room is wheelchair accessible and designed so that beds can be easily wheeled in.
Grant also has other ideas in the pipeline, one being for a 1950s themed room for the residents.
He added: “It will be an enhancing experience for them.”
St Fillan's Care Home offers a variety of long-term and respite care, including residential, nursing, dementia and end-of-life care.
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