Housing and care provider Bield has celebrated the 30th year of its Grendon Court development in Stirling.

The forty owners in the development, which first opened its doors in 1985, kicked off its 30th anniversary celebrations with a birthday lunch, allowing them to mark the special milestone.

Helen Kemp, scheme manager at Grendon Court, has worked at the development since the beginning, and thought the lunch was a worthy celebration of the past three decades.

Helen said: “The 30th anniversary celebrations went really well and we are all delighted to be part of such a memorable year.

“We often take the owners on local excursions, so it was only fitting that we all went to one of our favourite local restaurants to celebrate the milestone.”

Helen began working at Grendon Court in May 1985, and has witnessed the development transform itself over the years.

She added: “When I first came to Grendon Court, there were only four owners, the builders were still on site finishing up and the gardens were still in the process of getting laid out.

“Now, many of the flats have been upgraded and modernised and we have beautifully landscaped gardens in which the owners enjoying sitting out in the summer months.

“The biggest change would be the installation of modern technology – I no longer need to write lots of letters by hand to inform of any updates going on in the development and many of the owners now have computers and iPads, which are very beneficial for them when it comes to talking to their families and friends.”

Although Helen has many unforgettable memories from her 30 years with Bield, she added that her favourite aspect of working at Grendon Court is getting to know and spend time with those who stay there.

She said: “The best part of working here has to be meeting and socialising with the residents and their families. We have had such a wide variety of characters – including Brigadier Mackenzie who was portrayed in the film A Bridge Too Far.

“I have had tremendous support from Bield over the years. It’s incredibly motivating to know that I am helping to make a difference to the owners living at Grendon Court and am able to give them the good service and support that they need.

“I honestly can’t believe it’s been 30 years already – it feels like just yesterday that I walked through the doors for the first time!”

Bield’s Owner Services on site staff look after the day to day management of the development and each development is visited on a regular basis by Bield’s Service Manager and Property Officer for Owner Services.

@BieldScotland