New 'pub' opens at a charity care home in Shefford thanks to generous community

Learning disabled adults are buzzing after a ‘pub’ with a difference opened at a charity-run care home in Shefford.

HFT’s new £13,000 summer house, or ‘pub’ as it’s known, was built thanks to funding from local families and donors.

It has replaced an older summer house which was in disrepair and unusable.

What'll it be? Claire and Abigail behind the new coffee bar. Image submitted.

The new space has been fitted with a comfortable seating area, a non-alcoholic gin bar and a coffee bar, so the people supported at the service have an accessible hangout area separate from their residential space.

To mark its official opening, residents, staff, families and friends came together to celebrate at The Buzz Inn – so named to reflect the biodiversity theme of the project.

Despite the heavy rain on opening day, a large crowd gathered to enjoy soft drinks, a buffet and a performance from the Corby Male Voice Choir in celebration of the official opening of their new local.

Shefford town mayor, Ken Pollard, was also in attendance. He gave a speech prior to the ribbon-cutting and lent his civic chain to some of the residents for them to try on.

“It doesn’t get any better than this,” according to one resident, while another said “I love it, it makes me so happy”. Yet another resident has already enjoyed a ‘pub lunch’ with their family in the new facility.

Care home manager Claire Davies-Sond said: “The best part of all of this is that it’s life-changing for the people we support.

“We involved everyone in this project, did our background work and it has really paid off. It’s the best thing for the people we support, each and every person has already used their pub and the Honey Hut, which is an outside sheltered area where they can sit and enjoy the gardens and wildlife.

“Some people just listen to the music playing and they will often get up to dance while others enjoy a coffee under the shelter, which some say is the best part of their day. It’s the greatest feeling in the world to know the people we support are happy.”