Outstanding colleagues at local retirement community honoured on the ARCO Roll of Recognition

Retirement community specialist Inspired Villages, which operates Millbrook Village in Exeter, is proud to announce that 20 of its team members have been listed on the ARCO Roll of Recognition, with two from the Millbrook team in the top four for number of nominations. The Roll of Recognition, created by the trade organisation for retirement communities, ARCO[1], honours team members in retirement villages who have gone above and beyond to deliver a safe environment for residents throughout the coronavirus pandemic.

To qualify, those on the list have been nominated by either colleagues or residents in their villages. The outstanding work of Sally Griffiths, Interim Village Manager, and Lucy White, Welcome Host, at Millbrook meant they were among the top four nominees on the list, which covers the whole retirement villages sector, based on the number of nominations they received.

Inspired Villages acted quickly early in the year to help keep residents in all its six villages safe from coronavirus and to make sure self-isolation isn’t isolating. Communal facilities were closed early on and remained so through the height of lockdown, the number of colleagues coming and going from the village was slimmed down to essential workers at this time too, a system is in place to deliver cooked meals and groceries to residents doorsteps, a ‘virtual village centre’ on Facebook helps keep residents connected with virtual quizzes, gardening tips, recipe videos and more, and socially distanced activities like dancing sessions and coffee mornings are regularly organised in the spacious grounds of the villages.

Meanwhile, the response from residents has been overwhelmingly positive with many commenting on how living in a retirement village during this pandemic has given them greater peace of mind. You can hear what the residents have to say themselves, here.

The other Inspired colleagues nominated on the Roll of Recognition for their contribution to keeping residents safe are:

The nominated colleagues were formally announced by the ARCO board and Sir Muir Gray during the ARCO What Now? 2020 - Roll of Recognition and Digital Season Review on Wednesday 15 July. Supported by Urban Edge, the event also reflected on what the last few months have meant for the retirement villages sector.  

Jamie Bunce, CEO of Inspired Villages, commented:

“I’m hugely proud of the whole team at Inspired Villages for the way they have risen to the occasion during these challenging times. Thanks to their hard work, they have helped prove the retirement villages model, which creates supportive communities focused on resident wellbeing, plays a crucial role in our society.  I offer my congratulations in particular to Sally, Lucy and all Inspired team members on the ARCO Roll of Recognition – this achievement is a testament to the hard graft and positive attitude they have demonstrated over the last three months.”

Sally Griffiths, Assistant Village Manager, said:

“We all did what we did as we wanted to keep our residents and staff as safe as we could. It makes me feel that all the hard work and effort was worth it as I see how greatly it was appreciated.”

Lucy White, Welcome Host, added:

“Wow what a fantastic sense of pride I have to receive this recognition for doing a job I love. It has been a challenging time, yet with great team work from those who worked through this at Millbrook, we have kept each other’s spirits up to provide a great service and safe environment for our residents and staff. They became my family when I couldn't see my own. I am very proud.”

Millbrook offers a range of one to three-bed stylish apartments which can be easily adapted for changing mobility needs if required. The vibrant village centre provides a range of facilities for residents including a wellness spa and relaxation pool, café/bar, restaurant, gym, library and cinema. There is also a busy schedule of activities available within the village for residents.