Respite centre for RAF veterans wins award

World War Two veterans Dave Fellowes and George Dunn enjoy catching up at Princess Marina House

Princess Marina House, in Seafield Road, looks after RAF veterans and their families, offering respite and care breaks for serving and former air force personnel.

The RAF Benevolent Fund home was awarded one of the Top 20 Awards 2017 from carehome.co.uk, the leading reviews guide to care homes.

Ratings by people who have stayed there and their families placed it among those at the top of the list of 3,119 homes in the south east of England.

Shirley Steeples, general manager, said: “We are thrilled to receive this award. It’s a real achievement to be recognised for being in the top 20 most recommended care home groups by the very people we care for.

“We pride ourselves on the support we offer to our RAF veterans and their families.

“This award is a great reflection of the hard work and commitment of the staff that has obviously made such an impression on both guests and their families who are giving us such good reviews.”

The awards are based on reviews written by care home residents, plus their friends and relatives.

Princess Marina House has a review score of 9.958 out of 10, based on the average rating and the number of positive reviews.

One grateful daughter wrote: “My father has enjoyed his stay here both times and very much feels it’s home from home could not wish for a better place for respite break and looking forward to returning again in the near future. The staff are always polite and friendly and nice to spend a week by the sea.”

The website is published by Tomorrow’s Guides.

Davina Ludlow, director, said: “We feel the best people to rate a care home are the residents and their families and friends.

“Their reviews reveal that many care homes are warm and happy places to live, where staff go that extra mile to ensure residents have a good quality of life and feel cared for.

“Princess Marina House proved that they provide a high standard of care and we’d like to congratulate them on being a top 20 care home in south east England.

“It’s a wonderful achievement to be recognised for being a highly recommended home by the very people you care for.”