00:00So we're here at the opening, official opening of Sturchley House and we're with Stephen Sorrell
00:04Social Partnership Director at? Preferred Homes. Cool. What is this? It's a bit of a special place
00:10isn't it? It's not just a block of flats. Fill us in on what Sturchley House is Steve. So it's extra
00:14care. What it means is older people who may have some care needs but can live independently
00:19can live in a community setting and get all the needs they have in relation to care but also have
00:25the opportunity to have their own front door, their own apartment and the ability to be part
00:29of the community either in the building or in the area where the building is situated.
00:34And how many residents do you have here roughly? There are 72 apartments that will be half filled
00:43with residents and we've got many on the waiting list and some ready to be allocated. So in
00:48terms of the care needs if you wanted to come and live here how do you kind of make sure that
00:52you tick the box and qualify in that respect? So the local authority will give them a care
00:56assessment, residence care assessment and if they feel under that assessment they do have
01:01care needs but they can live independently then that's the first hurdle. And then we move them
01:07in through our management system and they sign the tenancy and then they move in.
01:11And I've had a look you've got a wonderful rooftop garden. Talk us through so many other facilities.
01:17There's a bistro I believe? So yeah we have a community bistro which offers subsidised home-cut food
01:23for residents and also visitors and within the scheme there are various areas for people to
01:29recreate and then we have some quiet rooms, a snug and some multi-purpose rooms that community groups
01:35can use as well as for residents activities. And a little bird tells me a similar development may
01:41be on its way to Shropshire to Shrewsbury. Correct, yes we're just on site in Shrewsbury with a scheme
01:46right opposite the Percy Thrower garden centre. Oh fantastic. Well thank you sir for letting us,
01:52the Shropshire star come and look around your fantastic new Sturtsley house thank you. You're most
01:56welcome. So we're here at Sturtsley house, us and Spiderman and we're here with the artist himself
02:03Barry, hello sir. Hello, how are you? I'm good thank you sir. So we're here today, it's the official
02:09opening of Sturtsley house. You've lived there, you moved in in March? Yes. And what do you make of it then Barry?
02:16Put it this way, it's a complete transformation to myself personally regarding my health and everything
02:26and the people here are great going back to the staff from the management level down to the staff,
02:32carers and all that as well. They're fantastic. They're on, there we go, I do struggle with words
02:39at times. They're on the ball put it that way. I speak rapidly because it's me. Yeah well that's
02:45it, you've had a number of health things going on over time. I mean we'll flash up a picture,
02:49back in the day you were down the mines digging, digging record breaking tunnels. 25 years I did.
02:55Yeah and so you've had a number of health things, internal bleeds and that couldn't quite work out
03:00why but it's it's left you wounded a little bit is it fair to say from it? Well there's a lot of
03:10things. I've had two strokes. Yeah. I have epilepsy, damage to the temporal lobe because I used to do
03:16martial arts for 20 odd years as well you see, full contact fighting. Yeah yeah. And that's how I
03:21sustained my original you know epilepsy. So this place it's kind of it's it's very supportive
03:30isn't it? You've got like there's a lot of help here if you need it. More supportive than I've ever
03:35been. Yeah and that's just I mean the artwork's coming back on like you say because you're feeling
03:40more relaxed and at peace here. Yep. You've picked up the pens again. So this is it. It's a commission
03:45for a friend isn't it this one? Yeah it's just it's not a commission as such. I just want to do it.
03:54Yeah it's I'd like to please other people. I used to do commissions before. Yeah. Proper commissions
03:59and I forget where my folder is now but anyway I've done a lot of artwork now. Yeah. I'm getting into it
04:06back into it again. Yeah. Originally when I first started doing my artwork again after school
04:12because I got an A star in A levels for my artwork but I seem to concentrate working down the mines
04:22because my mother was struggling for money so I went down the mines instead. So overall Barry
04:27gets a thumbs up for you then you're very pleased living here. Absolutely. This place has been a
04:31dramatic change for my future well my past life what I've had. Yeah. They've been very supportive and
04:38unbelievably. Well we're glad. From management down to the carers just as much. Well we're glad you found
04:44your home then Barry. Thank you. Well just finally and just on a serious note before I hand over to
04:50our mayor to cook the cake. There are many things that people do in their lives but things like this
04:56really are legacy forming because for a hundred years or more from this point on if you consider how
05:03many people will come and live in a building like this how many stories how many memories will be
05:07created how much love will be spread in this building and each and every one of you has fed in
05:14in one way or another into forming that legacy and helping the future of Telford. So thank you very much.
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