Maggie Hill

After living in Barton under Needwood for 35 years, Maggie moved into Barton Mews shortly after the development opened. Maggie and her husband had begun looking to make a move as he was spending more time in hospital due to illness.

Now that Maggie is on her own the decision to move seems even clearer. Maggie said: "Shortly before I moved in, I fell and broke my arm and it was so hard to cope on my own. Simple tasks, like filling the washing machine or making a cup of tea, were so difficult with no one to help."

Barton Mews offers the ideal solution for people, like Maggie, wishing to maintain their independence yet having the comfort of 24-hour support whenever it is needed.

"It's like living in a 4 Star hotel", says Maggie. "Everything is there when you need it but you live in your own apartment with your own front door.

"The funny thing is, now that I've moved I'm busier than ever. The social life is wonderful, with film nights in the main lounge, scrabble and supper nights, birthday parties and coffee mornings. The hardest part is fitting everything in. My daughters visit regularly and often complain that I have a better social life than they do. They recently asked me to move with them down to Cornwall, but I won't go. I wouldn't go if I won the lottery, I feel that I've truly found my niche here and wouldn't change if for the world."

Harry & Helen Evans

After living in Australia for 45 years, Harry and Helen Evans made the move to Barton Mews last November.

Helen said: "We knew we weren't getting any younger and wanted to spend more time with family, particularly our five grand children. We lived in a retirement community in Australia so our son and daughter started researching retirement schemes here in the UK and sent us the details.

"It must have been fate, because when we were over for a visit, one of the schemes our daughter had discovered was holding an open day. It was only 15 minutes drive from her house so we all went to have a look.

"We fell in love with Barton Mews as soon as we walked in. Our two-bedroom apartment is ideal, as we were used to having lots of space in Australia and had lots of things to fit in. What's more, there is a guest suite available to provide extra room for when friends from Australia or our grand children come over to visit"

Mr. Evans Said: "The services are a real help. You can wash your clothes in the laundry provided, your rubbish is collected by the domestic team and there are meals available all through the day"

Mrs. Evans said: "At Barton Mews you can live independently but the support is always there when you need it. The GP's surgery on the ground floor has been a great benefit as we registered with the practice once we moved and collecting prescriptions and doctors appointments are now so convenient. We didn't buy another car after moving from Australia but with the local shops, five pubs and a tea shop in the village, we really don't miss it anymore."

Kim Higgins – Scheme Manager

Kim is responsible for the management of Barton Mews, in addition to looking after the domestic and kitchen staff at the cottage hospital on the ground floor. After working for many years in the banking sector, Kim understands the importance of good teamwork.

"The most enjoyable part of my job is seeing everyone joining in, staff and residents alike, when we have an event. It is so gratifying when residents drop by my office to tell me how much they've enjoyed themselves, they seem to have such an active social life"

Kim has lived in Barton under Needwood for five years, after moving from Sutton, and in her spare time loves walking her Labrador, Charlie around the marina lakes and Dunstall.

An Award Winning Development

Shaw extracare has been awarded major honours from both the Elderly Accommodation Council and the UK Over 50's Housing Award scheme for the quality of its development at Barton Mews.

Barton Mews has also been awarded the EAC "Quality of Information" mark. The EAC Quality of Information Mark (QI Mark) aims to promote and celebrate all forms of retirement housing, and ensure that older people have access to accurate and detailed information when deciding whether to move home.