New Mills care home resident celebrates her 103rd birthday

After an appeal was made by Watford Care Home in New Mills for the local community to help make a resident's 103rd birthday memorable, over 1500 cards have been sent to her. 

Mabel White of New Mills has celebrated her birthday today. To make her day extra special, the staff asked people to send birthday cards to Mabel and now she has received over 1500 birthday cards. 

Mabel was born in 1922 in Ashton. She has outlived her family - she has no children, and both her husband and parents have passed away. She spent her youth during World War II, she worked in a post office and likely cared for children during those challenging years. Mabel’s diaries also provide a glimpse into her father’s aviation work, where he helped bring bombers and fighter planes from Canada to Britain.

Her love for cats and a passion for travel kept Mabel’s spirit alive through the years. She enjoyed planning holidays, walking and relaxing at home. Though she has dementia and is gradually losing the ability to speak, the staff at Watford Care Home say that Mabel’s personality still shines through, and they wanted to ensure her 103rd birthday is celebrated in a way that makes her feel loved.

Matthew Cox, the activities and wellbeing manager at Watford Care Home, explained that Mabel’s previous birthdays have been somewhat subdued, especially during the restrictions of the COVID-19 pandemic. Her 100th and 101st birthdays were celebrated quietly, but this year, the staff wanted to make her 103rd birthday unforgettable.

“We all love Mabel,” said Matthew. “She’s been with us for five years, and we want to do something special for her this year. We’ve been through so much together, and this birthday really feels like a milestone we should celebrate properly.”

Matthew emphasised that Mabel has no family to celebrate with, and that the staff are hoping to fill the gap with love from the wider community, he added: “We didn’t think she would be here for her 103rd, but she’s still with us, and we want to make her feel truly special,”.

Pictured is PCSO Bardsley visiting Mabel at the home.