Home Press Releases Care home cleaner Brenda, 80, gets surprise birthday party
OCTOGENARIAN care home worker Brenda Tooby was given a surprise when she came on shift on her 80th birthday.
Colleagues and residents at Alderwood Care Home, in Worsley, Greater Manchester, decided to celebrate her milestone with a party.
They asked Brenda, a domestic cleaner at the home, if she would help set up for tea in the dining room – when she was surprised with decorations and a cake.
She was showered with gifts and flowers before cutting and sharing her cake with the residents and staff.
She said: “It was such a nice surprise and I can’t thank the staff and residents enough for such a lovely birthday.”
Brenda started working at Alderwood Care Home in 1998, at the age of 59 – her first care home job.
Having lived in Salford her entire life, she previously worked at Worsley Hall Gardening Centre and volunteered at her friends’ shops, Jess and Walters Bakery and Green Groceries Shop.
She has celebrated her 60th, 70th and now 80th birthday at Alderwood Care Home but does not plan on retiring anytime soon.
Even a recent broken wrist didn’t stop Brenda from working for long. As soon as she got the all clear from her doctor she was back to her regular shifts.
She said: “I want to work here for as long as possible.
“Working at the home is like spending time with family and I adore each and every one of the staff and residents, past and present.
“I feel fit, healthy and active and I regularly go on walks with my husband Norman around Wigan, Leigh, Worsley and the Trafford Centre.
“That’s the key to a good, healthy life, as well as plenty of vitamins, lots of fruit and even garlic daily.”
Emma Willoughby, home manager at Alderwood Care Home, said: “We all wanted to wish Brenda a massive, happy 80th birthday.
“She is a breath of fresh air here and often helps out voluntarily with trips out with the residents in her spare time.
“Everyone at Alderwood Care Home has a lot of respect for someone who continues to work for all these years – especially when they are making others feel happy and safe.”