St Martins celebrated the tenth anniversary of Webster Court, a residential service in the Lakenham area of the city for people aged over 50 who have experienced homelessness at some point in their lives. The H block designed building comprises 32 self-contained apartments where people live independently, with additional support available if required.
At the celebration, residents gathered in the large communal area and courtyard garden to enjoy a visit from Norfolk Owls, a buffet and special anniversary cake. The Lord Mayor of Norwich, Councillor Paul Kendrick, and Sheriff Stuart Wright attended, learning more about the Webster Court community from registered manager Chris Bignall and joining in with the celebrations, formally commemorating the event with the unveiling of a new plaque.
Chief Executive of St Martins Dr Jan Sheldon said, ‘We offer a wide variety of services at St Martins – no one size fits all. Webster Court provides vital, sometimes lifesaving services to people over 50 who have slept rough or who have been vulnerably housed’.
Webster Court, named in memory of St Martin’s founder, the late Dean Alan Webster, was first opened on the 23rd June 2015, and has since provided support to over 100 people.
Jan said: ‘It has been a pleasure to see how much this service has grown and developed over the last 10 years. Chris and the team work tirelessly to provide the best possible care and support to people who live at Webster Court. We look forward to the next ten years of this amazing service’.
Plans are in place for the construction of four new self-contained flats to extend Webster Court so the service can accommodate more people for years to come.
