Celebrating the Grand Opening of Our Redeveloped Home

On Friday 31st July, we celebrated a very special milestone at Oaklands, as residents, families, friends and members of our local community joined us for the grand opening of our newly redeveloped home.

After months of work, it was wonderful to finally open our doors and give guests the opportunity to see the changes for themselves, and most importantly, to celebrate what they mean for everyday life at Oaklands.

A Special Afternoon at Oaklands

Throughout the afternoon, guests enjoyed guided tours of the home, homemade afternoon tea and live music from Holly Briard.

Councillor David Harrison joined us to officially mark the occasion with a ribbon cutting, while guests had plenty of time to explore the new spaces, catch up with familiar faces and enjoy the celebrations.

It was lovely to see so many people connected with Oaklands, both past and present, joining our residents and team for the afternoon.

We’d also like to say a special thank you to New Forest Flowers for their help on the day and The Pilgrim Inn for kindly allowing our guests to use its parking spaces.

What’s New at Oaklands?

The redevelopment has given us the opportunity to create more space for residents while keeping the familiar, welcoming feel of Oaklands.

Our home now has 35 bedrooms, alongside improved communal living areas, enhanced outdoor spaces and a brand-new hobbies room.

The hobbies room has already become a popular addition. Having a dedicated space gives residents more freedom to choose how they’d like to spend their time, whether

that’s continuing a favourite pastime, getting creative or trying something completely new.

The improvements to our indoor and outdoor areas also provide more places for residents to relax, spend time with others or enjoy visits from family and friends.

As our Manager, Nicola, explains:

“We’ve been able to improve the home without losing what makes Oaklands feel so welcoming and familiar. The new hobbies room has been a standout favourite, giving residents greater freedom to choose how they spend their time, continue the activities they enjoy and try something new.”

Still the Oaklands Our Families Know

Although our surroundings have changed, what makes Oaklands home hasn’t.

For us, the redevelopment was never simply about creating new rooms or updating our facilities. It was about improving the environment around our residents while retaining the friendly atmosphere and familiar faces that are such an important part of life here.

Su, whose mother lives at Oaklands, summed this up beautifully:

“The redevelopment has been lovely. There are beautiful new rooms and more indoor and outdoor spaces for residents to enjoy, but what really makes Oaklands so special is the staff. Residents see familiar faces each day and I am eternally grateful for the people who work here and the environment they have created. Mum is happy, and that means my sister and I are happy too.”

Hearing feedback like this means so much to our team. While we’re incredibly proud of our new spaces, it’s the people who live and work at Oaklands who continue to make it the home it is.

Come and See the Changes

Thank you to everyone who joined us for our grand opening and helped make it such an enjoyable afternoon. It was the perfect way to celebrate this new chapter, and we’re already enjoying seeing residents make the new spaces their own.

If you weren’t able to join us and would like to see the redevelopment for yourself, we’d be delighted to welcome you to Oaklands for a visit.

To arrange a tour or find out more about life at Oaklands, please call 02380 012029 or email info@oaklandsresthome.co.uk.