A centre of excellence for dementia care that’s celebrating its 10th anniversary has created 245 jobs and pumps £25 million a year into the Gwynedd economy, it’s been revealed.
Bryn Seiont Newydd, on the outskirts of Caernarfon, opened its doors in November 2015 and a year later was crowned as the best new care home in the UK.
It is part of the award-winning Pendine Park care organisation which is also marking its 40th anniversary this year.
The organisation was established by Mario Kreft MBE and his wife, Gill, in 1985 because they couldn’t find anywhere suitable for their own grandparents.
They now run a total of nine homes – the others are located in Wrexham – with a total of 445 beds and more than 860 staff in all.
The history of the site in Caernarfon dates back to the Bronze Age and artefacts found there, including an incense cup, are now at the National Museum of Wales.
Just over 100 years ago the original building opened its doors as a breakthrough health centre of a very different kind when it was established as The Bryn Seiont Tuberculosis Hospital.
The bilingual centre was named Bryn Seiont Newydd as a salute to the community hospital, Ysbyty Bryn Seiont, which closed in 2000, and has a total 107 beds including 16 two-person apartments.
Residents and staff celebrated the 10th anniversary with a buffet and a birthday cake baked by resident chef Richard Thompson with a singalong to popular favourites led by creative practitioner and Welsh TV star Emyr Gibson accompanied by musician in residence Nia Davies Williams.
Mario said: “The hospital had been there since 1914 and stands in five acres of grounds so it was a natural progression and an opportunity for us to expand here.
“Ysbyty Bryn Seiont was a very important community asset and cherished by local people.
“We very much wanted to honour that legacy by providing much needed services and jobs, especially for young people as a route into care.
“It’s strange to think now that the authorities made it clear that when we bought the site they didn’t think there was a need or a demand for a facility like Bryn Seiont Newydd.
“Time has proved them completely wrong, so much so that we have a waiting list for places.
“We’re now one of the biggest employers in the area and are considered a leading dementia care centre home in North West Wales with people coming here from as far afield as Aberystwyth.
“We pride ourselves on having had a musician in residence here since we opened, on the breadth of the care we provide and in the way the Welsh language is respected here and very much part of our ethos and you only have to look through the windows to see how we have tried to bring nature into what we do here.”
Manager Sandra Evans, who has been there from the very beginning, said: “We employ around 245 staff in a variety of roles including nurses, senior and clinical care practitioners, are enrichment staff, catering, maintenance and gardening staff.
“That is a lot of jobs that helps pay a lot of mortgages and a huge contribution to the local Gwynedd economy.
“We’re also helping to underpin the NHS in Gwynedd, providing vital community-based services, with very nearly the same number of beds as the ones provided by the six community hospitals in the county.
“I’m proud that around 75% per cent of our staff are fluent Welsh speakers which is particularly important in this area as Welsh is the first language of many of our residents.
“It’s been wonderful to see the team grow and develop. We have staff members who are forging careers in nursing and gaining qualifications that, in some cases, they never dreamt was possible.
“Training and best practice is in Pendine Park’s DNA. We have our own training school at Wrexham and we have our own in house trainer here at Bryn Seiont Newydd.
“There is a great career path – we currently have seven people on Open University training courses.
“Using the arts to enrich the lives of our residents and staff is central to daily life here – it’s the golden thread that runs through everything we do.
“The 10 years has gone so fast but it’s always a lovely atmosphere here. It’s always fun and we make sure everyone enjoys their day.
“There’s a huge waiting list here and the staff are amazing. Pendine is a lovely organisation to work for.”
Amy Rowlands also began on opening day as a carer and took advantage of the training to become a registered general nurse.
Amy said: “I love it here and it’s so rewarding when the families of residents tell us how much they appreciate the quality of care and the atmosphere here.”
Nia Davies Williams added: “The staff here really do go the extra mile and 75 % per cent of them are Welsh-speaking. It’s really like a big family here and everyone supports each other.”