Bristol’s popular Riversway Nursing Home in St George has some very good reasons to celebrate today’s (Thursday October 1) United Nations International Day of the Older Person.

For several residents were born overseas and members of its long-serving staff and care team come from no less than15 different countries.

“We decided to make it a special day of celebration for both residents and our  loyal staff by displaying the flags of participating nations, serving tasty snacks from around the world and encouraging people to wear their national dress,” said Helen Enticott, Director  of Operations.

Among Riversway’s 60 residents are Babs Ennis and Olive Martin who were both born in Jamaica and came to England in the 1950s.

Olive followed her late husband to the UK and Babs was only four-year-old when she arrived with her parents.

Among care team members joining in the fun are Christian Ache from Frankfurt, who is also a Minister of the Church of the Nazarene and holds a weekly service at Riversway, and Isabela Szwajkowsko from Poland.

Isabela, who followed her student daughter to the UK, contributed a Polish sausage to the feast while Christian brought along a delicious German cake.

The United Nations International Day of Older People is a World Health Organisation initiative.