A former pub landlord and amateur poet whose verse is inspired by real life events has penned a moving tribute to the owners of a residential home where she now works.
Michelle Williams, a care practitioner at Hillbury House in Wrexham wrote the poem to help celebrate the 40th anniversary of Pendine Park care organisation run by Mario Kreft MBE and his wife, Gill.
The Krefts first launched Pendine Park four decades ago when they converted a Victorian villa, Gwern Alyn, in Wrexham, into a residential care home.
They went on to open Hillbury House, next door to Gwern Alyn, and to further extend the Pendine family by building more homes at Summerhill, near Wrexham, and in 2015 a specialist dementia centre at Bryn Seiont Newydd, Caernarfon.
Michelle, 57, of Ruabon, has worked as a carer for nine years and says she would not want to do anything else.
She said: “Believe it or not I followed my daughter, Emily, into this line of work. She came here from school on work experience and she enjoyed it so much that on leaving school she was thrilled to land a job here.
“I always thought that I wouldn’t want to work in a care environment, having done various other jobs, including as a shop assistant, then as a pub landlady and then in an office for 10 years before I came to Hillbury. But after talking to Emily, and seeing first-hand how much she liked it, I decided to give it a try.
“I’m so glad I did as I loved it from the start. It can be highly emotional at times, but in the end it is such a fulfilling and rewarding job. I found my vocation, and now I wouldn’t want to do anything else.”
During the Covid epidemic she turned to writing poems as a way of relieving the stress of working in a front-line environment.
She said: “I find it therapeutic and a way of expressing what I feel in a positive way. I usually write first thing in a morning, when my mind is more fresh, often with a cuppa by my side.”
She said she is inspired by events going on in her life rather than fantasy or fiction. She wrote a poetic tribute for her father’s funeral and is currently penning one for her daughter’s wedding in June.
For her poem about Pendine Park, entitled “Celebrating 40 Years”, Michelle was inspired by the story of how Mario and Gill Kreft gradually built up their care organisation from a single home to an award-winning group of nine homes over the past four decades.
She said: “I wanted to focus on how they have never lost their determination to do the best they can for all the residents in their care.”
In one part of the 12-verses poem Michelle describes how Pendine Park is a real home from home:
“Welcoming more residents and staff within,
Into the heart of Pendine to be loved and cared for
To share memories, laugh and so much more.”
Michelle is among nearly 30members of staff and residents who were encouraged by Pendine Park Consultant Artist in Residence, Sarah Edwards, to write a poem marking the 40th anniversary.
Sarah said: “Michelle was the first to respond to my appeal for everyone to get creative and put their thoughts about the anniversary celebrations into poetry form. I know she has written a few poems before and so I was not surprised when it was so good.”
Sarah also wrote a poem herself, which she turned into a short video, in which a number of residents and staff from across the Pendine family were filmed as they read out a line each.
She said: “After Michelle sent me her poem, slowly but surely I started to receive more poems from numerous other staff and residents. They are all very touching and perfectly capture in words the ethos of community and well-being which is at the heart of Pendine Park.”
Among the other contributions is a poem by Michael Williams, 65, a resident of Cae Bryn care home at Summerhill.
Michael, originally from Connah’s Quay, inherited his love of poetry from his late mother who would take him to poetry recitals. He has met several professional poets including former Poet Laureate Andrew Motion, and TV performance poet Pam Ayres, both of whom he met backstage when they appeared at Theatre Clwyd, Mold.
Michael said: “I gave Pam Ayres one of my poems about how it feels sometimes to be in a wheelchair and people automatically assume you have no conversational skills. I was really chuffed when she later read it out during one of her television appearances.
“I love to write. For me it is a form of communication like no other. I will write about serious subjects sometimes, but also I like to inject humour into my poems quite often.”
Sarah is hoping that they will eventually have 40 poems, one for each year of the anniversary. It is planned for them to be bound into a commemorative book to be presented to Mario and Gill at an official anniversary party in December this year.
She said: “We think it would make a lovely gift for them and be a heart-warming way of showing them how much they are appreciated and how they are still held in such high regard by residents, their families and staff, even after all these years.
“When we first embarked on this project I wasn’t sure how many poems we would receive but since that first one from Michelle it has really snow-balled and we have almost enough now to create that book.
“I want to thank everyone who has contributed so far for all the hard work they have put in, not just the homes, but also the administrative team at Bromfield House Technology Park. They have all put on their thinking caps and come up with some really good reads. A big thank you to all.”
Celebrating 40 Years by Michelle Williams
In this poem I have a story to tell
To give thanks and congratulations I hope I do it well
Forty years ago, Gill and Mario Kreft
Were feeling bemused and a little bereft
In search of a care home for a family member
This will be a time they will always remember
When nowhere suitable could they find
There was only one question on their mind
So a care home of their own they sought
And in 1985 Gwern Alyn was bought
Pendine Park Organisation was raised from the ground
To provide high quality care, the best around!
Five years of hard work and Mario cooked
A wedding in the grounds of Gwern Alyn was booked
Of course the residents were invited too
To watch Gill and Mario say ‘I Do’
In 1990 they opened Cae Bryn
Welcoming more residents and staff within
Into the heart of Pendine to be loved and cared for
To share memories, laugh and so much more
Followed closely by Highfield in 1995
Pendine Park was coming alive!
Independence, fulfillment, dignity and choice
At Pendine the residents could have their own voice
In 1998 Bryn Bella opened its doors
Inviting residents, staff and many more chores
But this didn’t stop Gill and Mario as you can see
As Hillbury House opened in 2003
A beautiful building set in lovely grounds
Where once you would see the nuns doing their rounds
Not much later in 2007 opened Pen Y Bryn
The heart of Pendine was growing within
This care service was growing, much needed and strong
When in 2010 Bodlondeb came along
Pendine was growing spreading its wings
To the local area bringing great things
In 2015 Pendine moved further afield
In Caernarfon, Bryn Seiont was to yield
Continuing the principles of Pendine Park
This organisation was making its mark!
Now forty years later and still going strong
440 residents and 850 staff belong
To this amazing organisation started in 1985
Where dreams and aspirations all came alive
I’m proud to be a part, my story is told
In all of our hearts Pendine we hold
The only words to say that are left
Are congratulations and thanks to Gill and Mario Kreft!
