Having already ticked-off horse riding and chocolate-making from her ‘Bucket List’, 99-year-old care home resident Joyce Ward switched it up a gear with some high-speed laps of of Goodwood Motor Circuit.
Joyce, who is a wheelchair-user and lives at Colten Care’s dedicated dementia home St Catherines View in Winchester, will celebrate her 100th birthday in May.
To celebrate the milestone, she was helped to compile a list of 10 things she wants to do before her big birthday – her Turning 100 Bucket List.
In December, Joyce realised her wish to enjoy horse riding again with a trip in the specially adapted carriage at Broadlands Group Riding for the Disabled in Medstead.
And in January she experienced chocolate-making when she visited Chocolate Craft based in Old Alresford.
Now, thanks to the dedicated St Catherines View team – including daring Colten minibus driver Martin Williams – she has received her wish to ‘go all out’ at one of the country’s most famous tracks, Goodwood in West Sussex.
Companionship Team Leader Laura Sheldrake explained: “When Joyce said she wanted to ride around a race track we were a little stumped at first because her health prevents her getting into a racing car.
“But with the help of Cameron Green, Motor Circuit Operations Steward at Goodwood, we managed to come up with an alternative – they cleared the track for us and allowed Martin our minibus driver to race around it, enabling Joyce and her granddaughter Hilary Bloomfield to feel the experience of racing around the track.”
Laura continued: “Goodwood were so helpful in organising and helping on the day to make sure Joyce had the best experience. She was absolutely over the moon and was still beaming after four laps.”
After the track run, Joyce was also able to look around the cars in the paddocks including Ferrari and Porsche.
Laura said: “All the owners of the cars where so welcoming, showing Joyce around and talking about them and as they headed out they all lined up and drove past Joyce as they headed to the pits to start.
“Joyce was then able to go sit on the balcony of the Jackie Stewart Pavilion to watch the cars race around the track.”
After an amazing few hours at Goodwood Joyce was taken to Colten Care’s Wellington Grange in Chichester for some lunch and a tour from Home Manager Hayley Geddes.
Speaking after her high-speed experience she said: “I’m so spoilt, it has been a wonderful day. Thank you for bringing me. I have had so much fun.”
Cameron Green from Goodwood said: “It was a pleasure to be able to help Joyce tick off one of her wishes for her birthday bucket list. It was great to see her so happy and enjoying herself. Everyone at Goodwood would like to wish her a happy 100th birthday when the day comes.”
Laura and Companion Naomi Rides are helping Joyce make her bucket list a reality before her big birthday comes around in May.
Her full list is: playing a piano, going in a boat, cooking a meal for everyone at St Catherines View, using a sewing machine, a ride in a fast car, a visit to a chocolate factory, a visit to the forest, a visit to a castle, throwing an American-themed party and a steam train ride.
The Companionship team is now planning for Joyce’s next Bucket List challenge when she will be swapping the race track for the waves – to go sailing!
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