There’s an extra special date circled in the Milkwood Group diary this year… on November 1st  2019, it will be 20 years ago to the day that Janet and Robin purchased the first Milkwood Group home!

Back in 1999, Janet was the manager of a care home and Robin worked in the building industry. They learnt that there was the opportunity to buy a 20 bedroom care home, called Karen House, which had planning permission to extend by an extra 22 bedrooms. They decided to pursue, and successfully secured, buying the business.

To mark the beginning of a new chapter for their home, Janet and Robin chose to rename it. Janet is Welsh and both Janet and Robin have a mutual love of poetry; so they chose the name ‘Milkwood House’, which derives from the famous play ‘Under Milk Wood’ featuring poems about a Welsh town, written by Welshman Dylan Thomas.

The couple’s vision was to create a home where residents would be looked after exactly as they themselves would like to be looked after. Their aim was to provide the best possible care for residents, and to employ, develop train and retain the best staff. It follows that Robin and Janet’s own parents were cared for as residents in several Milkwood homes and some of the fantastic staff there have been with the Milkwood team for more than 18 years!

Twenty years on, there are now nine Milkwood homes, each one developed and operating with the same guiding principles; to strive to make life in a Milkwood home a positive, life-enhancing experience in a relaxing, yet uplifting, sanctuary. We think that our staff, residents and friends would agree that we’re all working in, living in or visiting a very special set of happy homes.

In true Milkwood Group style, we are planning to mark our important 20 years anniversary with a celebration… watch this space for details!