Latest news with #StMonicaTrust
BBC News
21-06-2025
- General
- BBC News
Major Bristol care provider celebrates its 100th birthday
A major care provider has marked its 100th birthday with a large garden of St Monica Trust's villages and care homes celebrated with cream cakes, strawberries and glasses of Pimm's, as well as music from brass quintet and poetry party was held at Cote Lane Retirement Village in Westbury on Trym, where the charity opened its doors in June Williams, head of the trust, which has care homes across Bristol and North Somerset, praised the residents, saying: "They volunteer in the organisation, they run the shops, they're even brewing their own beer at the moment!" He said the trust "believe in contribution" and "want to enable people to flourish by allowing them to develop relationships".VIP attendees at the summer party – where temperatures hit 30C – included the Lord Lieutenant of Bristol, Peaches Golding. Monica Carp, who has lived at Cote Lane for almost 20 years, spoke about the benefits of activities at the trust."You get what you give in," she said. "You can do what you like or you can help to organise events. I organised a craft group which I called 'pin and needles'."The charitable foundation works with older people across the west of England to improve their quality of life.
BBC News
28-01-2025
- General
- BBC News
Woman given 'lifelong dream' of a naval cap on her 100th birthday
A care home resident has fulfilled a "lifelong dream" after being presented with a Royal Naval cap to mark her 100th Grey revealed to staff at St Monica Trust's Charterhouse Care Home, in Keynsham, that she had always longed to follow in her father's military footsteps. He had joined the Royal Navy aged 16, and sailed the world on a number of warships before moving to Bristol and working as an electrician on HMS Flying former headmistress said had she too been offered the chance to serve in the navy, she would "never have become a teacher". Ms Grey had set her sights on joining the navy from an early age - inspired by her father's courage and dedication."The only reason I stayed in school after 16 was to get three good A-Levels, so I could go into the executive branch of the Wren's," she said, referring to the then Women's Royal Naval Service."That kept me working at my books in order to get the qualifications, because they weren't all that keen on women. It was very much a male dominated force."Ms Grey's ambitious plans ground to a halt when both her parents fell seriously ill, and she could not bring herself to leave them and sail overseas. After studying English Literature at Bristol University, Ms Grey instead began her teaching career at Colston's Girls' eventually became headmistress at Merrywood Girls School, where she stayed until her retirement in 1984."Despite not being able to become a Wren, I did eventually warm to teaching and quite enjoyed it," she said."But I'd never have become a teacher if I'd been able to go and serve overseas."I was so looking forward to earning that lovely cap with the white stripe." However, Ms Grey says finally getting her cap provides a "great deal of sentiment", and serves as a testament to how times have changed. "Women can now have a total free access to the navy, and every kind of opportunity of progressing within the force," she said. "They are now willing to listen to new ideas, and willing to change things. "We've now got women who are the captains of the ship," she added.
