His Worship the Mayor Councillor Jon Joughin JP, officially opened a new unit for physically disabled clients on Friday July 6.

The Mayor and Mayoress with Sunnydale's manager Caroline Hughes and Sunflower Way's project manager Julie Clarke

Sunflower Way, located within the Sunnydale residential care home in Stanley View, Douglas, is a self-contained residential unit of six bedrooms for physically disabled clients under the age of 65 

One of the six new bedrooms in the Sunflower Way unit

Ahead of declaring the unit open His Worship, who was accompanied by the Mayoress, Mrs Angela Joughin, said that Sunflower Way was a 'much needed' and welcome addition to care provision in Douglas and would ensure clients could live independently in the community so were not isolated by their disability. In closing he wished Sunnydale's manager Caroline Hughes and project manager Julie Clarke and their colleagues every success with the new venture. 

Project manager Julie Clarke points out features on one of the new Sunflower Way bedrooms

A (non-alcoholic) toast to the new venture

Julie Clarke said Sunflower Way clients would become very much part of a 'close-knit' community and that the project had begun with more than a year's research, in collaboration with the Stroke Association and the Pearl Healthcare Group, before designing the unit which was completed within three months, thanks to the support of local businesses and suppliers. The bedrooms feature Google voice recognition technology for turning on lights and appliances and, in closing, she said Sunflower Way 'would open up a whole new world'. 

The visit also provided an opportunity for His Worship to meet Sunnydale resident Moira Milne (pictured above) who would be celebrating her 100th birthday in August.