A prominent Ashford care home is due to close after three decades of service due to health and Covid strains.

St Valery in York Road, Kennington, was launched by Pat Ireland in 1992 and has seen hundreds of elderly residents pass through its doors.

The home was deemed outstanding in care by the Care Quality Commission, and has also worked to raise money for community projects and charities throughout its years of operation.

After a serious road accident in 2012, Mrs Ireland was unable to continue running the home.

Mrs Ireland's daughter Sam who, as deputy manager, had been with her from the outset was propelled into a new role without any notice.

It was always intended that Sam would take over when her mother retired but “she was, in effect, thrown in at the deep end” according to her mum.

St Valery has grown in size over the years with a number of extensions and room conversions, increasing the capacity of residents from nine to 15.

Regarding the closure, which is expected to happen in the coming days, Mrs Ireland, 67, said: “The residents are the priority, and all of the staff are working with their families and the local authority to ensure a smooth transition to alternative accommodation.

“Since the pandemic began we have kept all residents and staff safe, however the additional stress has been far too much.

“It is absolutely devastating that we have had to close, some of our staff have been with us for 20 years and residents for eight to nine years.”

Mrs Ireland refers to her daughter as a “saint”, noting she would have closed down St Valery in 2012 had Sam decided not to take over.

The mother and daughter team would like to thank all of the staff past and present for their care and dedication, and said they will be sadly missed both as colleagues and friends.

Mrs Ireland added: “We have many memories of residents, their families and staff - some sad, some heart-warming.

“Thank you so much to everyone who made the last 30 years so special.”

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