DOZENS of classic cars are set to help a care home race off the start line at its official opening.
Pride of Longbridge members will show off their locally built vehicles to visitors of Cofton Manor Park Care Home’s official launch on Sunday, June 4.
The event will include a range of musical entertainment, a barbecue and local craft stalls, plus plenty of ice cream and a showcase of the area’s automotive history.
The home on the former Clark’s Motors site on Lickey Road opened earlier this year, creating 45 jobs and offering residential, dementia and nursing care for local people.
Cofton Manor Park regional community relations lead, Matthew Brown, said: “We’re fortunate to be set in an amazing community, and we would love everyone to come along and celebrate with us on June 4.
“Since the home is built on a former car sales showroom, it seems the right thing to get some of those wonderful vehicles back.
“We cannot wait to meet members of the Pride of Longbridge and talk to them about their collections and memories.”
The event will take place form 2pm to 4pm.
When Cofton Manor Park opened, Rev Sheri Gidney from nearby Holy Trinity Church blessed the home.
Home Manager Kerry Hill, who has worked in care for more than 25 years and is a registered nurse, said the team were thrilled by the church’s kind gesture.
“We received such a warm welcome from the local community, and were so pleased Rev Gidney gave our care home this blessing.”
The home ran a competition with Lickey Hills Primary School to name different areas in the care home.
More than 400 children received a tube of smarties and a suggestion slip which they inserted inside the smarties tube and returned it to the home.
Four lucky winners were chosen and those selected went to the home to collect their prize and to see their winning name on the doors of each community inside the care home.
The names chosen for the community areas were Rose, Bilberry and Beacon – after the three Lickey Hills.
Other names suggested which were incorporated into the home include the ‘Austin Arms’ bar – a nod to the motoring heritage, the ‘Cofton Cuts’ salon, the ‘Beacon Bistro’ cafe and the Rivendale dining room – a reference to The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings author JRR Tolkein’s links to the area.
