94-year-old Wolverhampton care home resident’s wish comes true

A resident at a care home in Wolverhampton has had an uplifting experience as his dream to ride in a helicopter took flight.

When Dennis Winning, 94, had the chance to share his lifelong wish, his daughter and the team at Care UK’s Foxland Grange, on Wergs Road, set out to make it come true. 

More than anything, Dennis has always wanted to fly in a helicopter, so his daughter organised the experience of a lifetime with support from the team – a scenic flight over Bridgnorth and the Severn Valley Railway on a sunny weekend.

Dennis said: “It was exhilarating as the helicopter leaned from side to side.

“It really was a thrill. Everything looked beautiful from above with clear blue skies.”

Dennis was born and raised in Smethwick and worked for 25 years as a lecturer in accountancy at Wulfrun College. He was married to his wife Beryl for 66 years and has four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. 

After the experience, Dennis shared that the ride has given him the courage to pursue more items on his bucket list and live life to the fullest.

Dennis’s experience was part of Care UK’s Wishing Tree initiative, in which each care home encourages residents to put forward their dreams, allowing them to reconnect with a past hobby or try something completely new. From flying on a plane to enjoying a fish and chip supper, no wish is too big or small.

Katy Anderson, Home Manager at Foxland Grange, said: “We love helping residents to explore their old passions, fulfil their lifelong goals and share their dreams. When Dennis told us about his bucket-list wish of riding in a helicopter, our team was delighted to help him take flight.

“Care UK’s Wishing Tree initiative has been such a rewarding part of our community. Seeing residents leading independent and rewarding lives is a real treat for all of us, and something we feel is essential to their wellbeing. 

“I’d like to say a huge thank you to the team at Halfpenny Green Airport in Bobbington, Wolverhampton, for helping us make Dennis’s dream come true.”

Foxland Grange provides full-time residential, dementia and nursing care, as well as short-term respite care, in a luxury environment. Designed to enable residents to live active and fulfilled lives, while also promoting independence, the home incorporates plenty of space for leisure activities and hobbies, and also has its own café, hair and beauty salon and gardens. The building has been configured into a series of neighbourhoods to facilitate the creation of close-knit communities and encourage social interaction among the residents.