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What I love about being here is you get to be there for people, you are a part of them. People know you here. My partner Gary stands on the balcony every night looking out and goes, ‘How did we get a place like this?’ He’s so happy here, he just loves it, and he can’t wait to retire.

Leslie

Lark Hill Village

Leslie Barber worked at Lark Hill Village for seven years, shortly after retiring she became a resident! Leslie tells us about her transition from carer to village member and why she’s so grateful for Lark Hill Village and the life she has built.

I was born and bred in Clifton. Early in my career I worked in medical centre as a cleaner and I heard about the care sector from a friend. I thought to myself, ‘I could do that’. I’m a people person and it leant itself to my strengths. I began community caring first, but it wasn’t guaranteed hours, I then worked at a care home before the job at Lark Hill came up. Coming here it was like a big community in one place. When I worked at Lark Hill Village I worked for the Care Team and I was a PSA. I only lived across the road so the village was just a seven-minute walk from me. The team here were absolutely brilliant to work with. I worked here for seven years, retiring last July and I got the phone call a week after saying they had an apartment for me, so I’ve been here as a resident since last August!

I found this apartment through the council. My husband and I had seen it already when I worked here. He always thought this place was brilliant. He’s still working full time and we’re both 63. I help out here at the Dementia group volunteering. I love going to the group, people tell me things about their past, all the different jobs everyone’s had, we have an incredible mix of people.

Leslie in her apartment.

It has been a nice adjustment going from working here to living here, as I know everyone well. It’s like we are one big family. The care team were always brilliant and they’re a wonderful team helping each other out. As a carer it’s teamwork that’s key, having people, you know you can trust. We would go on nights out together and it really unified us. When you’d go on holiday and return people were so glad you were back, it’s the little things like that, they miss you, the people you care for and their families really care for you too.

In terms of my family we have eight grandkids, and they are so glad that we are here, I pick my grandson up every Monday from school and he comes to tea, it’s a special place for our family. What I love about being here is you get to be there for people, you are a part of them. People know you here. My partner Gary stands on the balcony every night looking out and goes, ‘How did we get a place like this?’ He’s so happy here, he just loves it, and he can’t wait to retire. Lark Hill is our first place together on our own without children and it will be our last place together. We absolutely love it.

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