Care home staff gathered to celebrate the 70th birthday of their housekeeping manager, affectionately dubbed 'Sergeant Major'. Pendine Park held a tea party to honour Sheila George, its longest-serving employee. Colleagues paid tribute to her 35 years of commitment and unwavering high standards. Sheila is passionate about her role and says she 'would be lost without it'. She heads up the housekeeping and laundry operations for all Pendine's Wrexham homes, plus their dementia care centre in Caernarfon.
In her younger years, Sheila spent three years in the army, including time served in Germany where she met her husband Tom. She said: "It's incredible. I grew up in Wrexham and Tom was raised in Denbigh but we had to go all the way to Germany to meet each other." When first discharged from the army they lived in Rochester, Kent, before returning to Wrexham area to be nearer to Sheila's elderly parents. The couple settled in Gwersyllt and have two grown up children, Kelly and Dean, and three grandchildren, Catrin, Jacob and Grace.
She said: "It is vastly different from when I first started here but it has changed in a good way. We are bigger but the emphasis on cleanliness and high standards are more important than ever. The welfare of our residents is at the heart of everything we do and that should always be the case. This is their home and they deserve the best we can offer."
Sheila's dedication and wealth of experience make her a great mentor for newcomers to the care sector, according to Pendine Park owner Mario Kreft. "She leads from the front and does not ask anyone to undertake anything she would not be prepared to do herself," said Mario. "She is rightly a stickler for cleanliness – I think that's why we first started nicknaming her the sergeant major, because she is so thorough and if something needs doing she will ensure it's done right."
At the birthday tea party, Sheila was presented with a colourful bouquet and a special birthday cake designed in the shape of balls of wool and knitting needles to reflect her spare time hobbies of knitting and sewing. She also enjoys doing crosswords and spending time with her family. Sheila said: "I am not used to being centre of attention. It all seems a lot of fuss just for me, but it was a lovely surprise. I want to thank everyone for going to such an effort to make this a special day."
