A retired powerboat racer living in a Bournemouth care home was reunited with his beloved boat and former racers to fulfil his special wish.
Kim, who lives in Castle Dene care home on Throop Road in Bournemouth, which is operated by not-for-profit charity Care South, spoke to the team about his former life on the waves which saw him take part in many offshore powerboat racing championships before retiring from competition in 1989. In response, the Castle Dene team arranged for Kim to attend Round 2 of the UK Offshore Powerboat Racing’s ‘Poole Bay 100’ event, where he sat in on the driver’s briefing and met the operations team.
Kim also looked around a range of boats including the 31ft wooden Unipart catamaran that he raced for many years which was berthed in the ‘wet pit area’ at Poole Quay Boat Haven, as teams prepared to head out to the Muster area. Afterwards Kim, his family and the Castle Dene team then travelled to Bournemouth Pier to watch the race take place.
Kim said: “It was the best day ever. I made so many happy new memories with my family.”
Danielle Strawford, Events Operations Manager at UKOPRA, said: “It was lovely to welcome Kim, his family and the Castle Dene team to meet our current racing teams and get to look around many boats including the Unipart boat that he raced in for many events. Although Kim retired many years ago, we will always welcome back one of our own. It was lovely to see him reconnecting with the sport while sharing his memories with the next generation of racing teams.”
The special visit was arranged as part of Care South’s ‘Make a Wish’ initiative, which encourages residents to share hobbies and passions they once enjoyed but are now unable to pursue without the home’s support. The care home team then works to bring the special wishes to life.
Laura Reilly, Home Manager at Castle Dene said: “Kim had an incredible day thanks to the UKOPRA team who welcomed him back as an honorary member for the morning. He was in his element getting a closer look at the Unipart boat he used to race in, while catching up with the Unipart team about how it has performed since his retirement. At Care South, we love helping residents reconnect with the passions, hobbies and interests that mean the most to them, so it was wonderful to see Kim enjoy a front-row seat for such a special experience.”
Castle Dene care home provides residential, respite and dementia care. Residents enjoy a daily programme of events organised by the dedicated activities team to enable residents to socialise and build friendships. Care South is a not-for-profit provider of high-quality residential care homes across Dorset, north Devon and Somerset, and care at home offices covering Dorset and Somerset.
For more information about the care services available at Castle Dene, visit care-south.co.uk or call 01202 712468 to book a tour.
