Local care home calls out to community for 102 cards to celebrate 102nd birthday of much-loved resident

Carers at Southlands House Bupa Care Home in Harrogate are calling on their local community to send 102 cards to a well-loved resident, Olive Pope, to help her celebrate her 102nd birthday on 17th June.

The team is planning a party alongside Olive’s family to celebrate her milestone birthday with homemade cake and decorations throughout home.

Helene Ballinger, Resident Experience Manager, says: “We are really looking forward to Olive’s 102nd birthday celebrations. We are hoping that our local community will send as many cards as possible to show her how truly special she is. Celebrating milestone birthdays is incredibly important to us at Southlands – we love making a fuss of every individual resident, and Olive is truly a character to be celebrated.”

Olive was born and raised in Leeds. She has one daughter, and now has a large family with four grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.

She worked as a civil servant for most of her career, as a National Saving and VAT Officer. Outside of work, she enjoyed an active lifestyle, with hobbies like cycling and walking.

After moving to Southlands in 2021, she still enjoys reading and painting in her retirement.

When asked about her secret to a long and happy life, Olive shares: “Be active, be interested in politics and people.”

If you would like to send a card to Olive, please address it to: Southlands Bupa Care Home, 9 Ripon Road, Harrogate HG1 2JA.

Southlands Bupa Care Home welcomes residents in need of nursing or residential care including those living with Parkinson's. For further information, please visit https://www.bupa.co.uk/care-services.