by Katie Alston

kalston@thekmgroup.co.uk

Jaws dropped as Hollywood A-lister Hugh Grant paid a special
visit to Faversham to celebrate the opening of a new home for
adults with learning disabilities.

The Four Weddings and a Funeral star rolled into town in his
sleek black Audi on Saturday afternoon. Rumours that the patron of
the Fynvola Foundation was unable to make it had circulated, and
staff said they didn’t know until an hour before his arrival that
he would be joining the party.

The event was organised to celebrate a milestone in the
charity’s history of the opening of the new £1.8m specialist
residential home. Lady Dane Farmhouse, in Love Lane is the first
purpose-built residence for learning disabled adults in the
country. The home, which has 15 rooms, will operate under a
flexible structure to ensure residents needs are fully catered for
until the end of their lives.

The Fynvola Foundation, named after Hugh Grant’s mother, was set
up in 2007 by Jenny Gurney, who’s work in setting up five care
homes for younger sufferers, has already earned her an
MBE.

The grandmother of eight, who lives in Faversham, has been
working with learning disabled adults for almost 40 years. She got
involved in the cause after her eldest daughter, Susie, was born
with Down’s syndrome.

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Hugh Grant drops in at
Kent charity

Mrs Gurney said: “Over the years I have discovered there is
almost no provision for older learning disabled people needing
nursing or palliative care, or with terminal illness.

“Hopefully this home will go some way as to bridging the gap or
even showing others what can be achieved.

“It is lovely to have Hugh on board and brilliant that he was
able to join us. Like the other patrons and trustees, he has been
extremely generous to the foundation.

“It has taken a lot of hard work and it is great to have been
able to start moving residents in.”

As well as pledging his full support to the foundation Grant has
also given financial support. He said: “The home is unbelievable. I
can’t believe all this has been done in such a short space of
time.

“I’m very proud that the Fynvola Foundation is named after my
mother. This is a brilliant charity and I’m right behind it.

“I got involved as a close family friend had Down’s syndrome, and
Jenny is very persuasive.

“She is an incredible woman and very special, she twisted my arm
to get me down here. She is a force of nature. I never do anything
nice for anyone and she made me do this. I am very grateful for
getting me here and I feel a great pride in the work that has been
done.”

For more information on the Fynvola Foundation visit: www.fynvola.org.uk or email
info@fynvola.org.uk