1st August 2024
Sanctuary Supported Living
![Care home residents raise a glass to revamped in-house ‘pub’ A group of six white men and women in their 30s, 40s and 50s, standing in a room decorated like a pub, each holding a drink and smiling to the camera.](/sites/default/files/styles/image_block/public/2024-08/tilmore-gardens-petersfield-july2024-tilmore-arms.jpg?itok=Q9ZH23sM)
Residents and staff enjoying a non-alcoholic tipple in the Tilmore Arms
Residents at a residential care home for people with learning disabilities in Petersfield, are giving three cheers to celebrate their newly refurbished in-house ‘pub’.
Tilmore Gardens offers residential care and support for 10 adults who have a range of learning disabilities and complex needs. Staff wanted to ensure that residents felt included in all aspects of life at the service, including supporting those who wanted to spend an evening together at the pub, in the same way other adults would, but who didn’t feel comfortable in busy and bustling local pubs.
Back in 2018, staff created an in-house ‘pub’, to help residents enjoy the same experience as other pub-goers, from within their own home. Residents named it the Tilmore Arms, and staff served non-alcoholic beer and soft drinks. Over time, the fixtures and fittings had become tired and worn, until the Tilmore Gardens team recently decided to revamp it, to restore its appeal and make it an inviting space for the residents once again.
The refurbishment was carried out by Tilmore Gardens’ caretaker, Jason Baker, and Care and Support Worker, Mandy Todd. The residents had input on how the finished space would look, including the new Tilmore Arms welcome mat and the communal dart board, giving it a proper traditional pub feel. Some residents also helped with decorating, including painting a large octopus-themed mural which now takes pride of place on the wall.
"I’m so pleased to see it up and running and looking its best again."
Michelle Wilson, Local Service Manager for Tilmore Gardens, said: “The newly refurbished Tilmore Arms is a great place for residents to relax and spend time together, and it allows them to have the pub experience, in a safe space where they feel comfortable.
“I’m so pleased to see it up and running and looking its best again, and residents have been enjoying it already. I’d like to say a big thank you to Jason and Mandy for making it happen – we couldn’t have done it without them!”
As well as services for people with learning disabilities, Sanctuary Supported Living also provides accommodation with personalised support for people with physical disabilities, mental health needs, and homeless young people and adults, as well as retirement communities for people over 55 or with long-term care needs. To find out more about Sanctuary Supported Living’s services, see the latest news or find a service near you.
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