The team at Davers Court care home in Suffolk really did reach for the skies to make the wish of one resident come true recently.

Not content with organising a sail in a two-person dinghy or a spin in a rickshaw for other residents, the team took things up a notch when they fulfilled the wish of 99-year-old Olwyn Hopkins, who lives at the Care UK home in Bury St Edmunds – arranging for her to take to the skies.

Olwyn’s first experience of flying in a small aircraft was 81 years ago, when she was just 19 years old and flew from Portsmouth to the Isle of Wight. She didn’t enjoy the experience and hasn’t been on a similar small plane since, although she has enjoyed many flights on big passenger planes. However, as she approaches her 100th birthday, Olwyn decided that the time had come to put her first experience of flying behind her and to take a trip in a small aircraft.

With the help of Rattlesden Gliding Club, Olwyn travelled to the airfield for her chance to take to the skies once more with experienced pilot Elizabeth Russell. Leaving from the site of an old WW2 American airbase in rural Suffolk, Olywn was able to take in the views of the county beneath her. Making the day even more memorable, the flight was filmed by the BBC digital team who sent along a crew and put a Go Pro in the cockpit to record Olwyn’s reactions. The footage was shown on the BBC website and even mentioned on the BBC’s One Show.

Like most Care UK homes, Davers Court actively encourages residents to submit wishes of memorable things that they would like to do.

Regional Director, Phillip Steyn, said: “Olwyn’s desire to take to the skies is just one of a range of wishes that we have lined up to fulfil across our homes. People outside the home are often surprised at the adventurous things residents want to get up to, but why not? Living in a care home is just another chapter in someone’s life.”

As she landed, Olwyn was all smiles, declaring that she had loved it and wanted to repeat the flight on her 100th birthday next year.

Olwyn added: “I wanted to show people that you can do anything you want to, no matter how old you are – age has no boundaries!

“It was a wonderful day and I was delighted to be able to get back into an aircraft. I didn’t think I’d get the chance again after all these years, so it was a fantastic surprise. It was a really memorable day – I can’t thank Liz the pilot, Rattlesden Gliding Club and the team at Davers Court enough for organising this experience for me.”

http://www.careuk.com/