?All in all we are very lucky.?
By Chrys Ayley
The Governor General Anand Satyanand will officially open the extension to Britannia House on Friday March 27. Britannia House Board of Trustees Chairperson Maureen Freeman said she is really excited and has been looking forward to it for ages. Five bedrooms and a recreation room have been added by extending the premises at the rear of the house. A cottage, once the home of Daph Turner nurse/manager, has been converted into a recreation area with a kitchen and several new bedrooms. The old recreation area has also been converted into bedrooms. That brings the total capacity of Britannia House up to 17 which is the maximum they will accommodate, she said. Ongoing support from the local community is tremendous ? Petone Working Men?s Club, Rotary, Pub Charity and the Hutt Mana Trust to mention a few. ?We could not manage without them.? A local person had just donated $2,500 raised from selling ?some things?, she said. ?So really we are quite lucky-all in all we are very, very lucky.? Daph Turner said every Governor General had visited Britannia House since the opening in August 1980. When Ms Turner started work there were just 11 rooms but now there are 13 residents and two or three people attend their day care facility. Interest has been strong in the five extra rooms and there is a waiting list. Two new rooms will be kept for respite care, she said. ?It?s really nice to see and it makes the place much more viable,? she said. Britannia House is still small and has a homely atmosphere. ?They get one on one personal care and don?t get lost,? she said. Builders are putting the final touches to the extension before a follow up health audit in early March. Photo caption: Builder Scott Jones, left and Simon McCarthy with Britannia House nurse/manager Daph Turner at the rear of Britannia House.
