Le Platon reopens combining the old with the new

Monday 22 April 2024

Guernsey's oldest residential home has officially opened its extended and refurbished facilities following a multi-million pound redevelopment project.

Le Platon first opened in 1914, offering care to infirm young women.

It's purpose evolved and for many years it has been a care home for the elderly.

In 2018, work started to extend the facilities - adding additional bedrooms, a dining room, relaxation areas and a new chapel to the existing home. 

That work was completed last year, with the official opening held on Saturday afternoon. 

Le Platon now offers 50 bedrooms.

The rooms in the extended part of the home are all on internal streets, with differently coloured doors, so residents can easily find their way around.

Pictured: The bedrooms are on different internal 'streets', 'roads', and 'avenues' to build on the sense of home for the residents.  

The redevelopment has cost around £7 million, with the work taking around five years. 

It was delayed by covid, and by the liquidation of the original contractor. Ravenscroft stepped in to complete the work which Paul Robilliard said was a massive help. 

"They're still working on bits and pieces, finishing off, but the building was handed over to us at the end of August 2023. There's still little bits of work to be done because it's been weather dependent and we wanted to be able to complete it fully, but that shouldn't be too long now.

"It's been quite a journey to get here, though," said the Secretary to the Board of Directors.

"Demolition of the old outbuildings started in November 2018, so it has taken five years to get to where we are now and we're looking to the future because although this work has now been done, there will be ongoing fundraising work.

"Residents are moving in and making the most of the new facilities, so we have to look to the future now. The old house is the poor relation if you like, so the plan will be eventually to get the old house upgraded to a situation as good as possible, to the new development."

Pictured: The entrance to Le Platon home is now in the new part of the building, with some visitor car parking provided, along with bike spaces, near the main door which leads to the reception area. 

While the entrance and external view of Le Platon from its main entrance, car park, and other vantage points is now very different to what it once was, Mr Robilliard said any further work to the old building - which sits high up on the St Peter Port skyline at Clifton - will not change the appearance of that part of the home at all.

"We're in an elevated position, and it is an iconic building," he said.

"It was two houses, and the home was originally opened in 1914 by Edith Renouf as a home for the incurably sick and it's just evolved over the years to what the home is today."

He said, although the home has changed a lot, and the needs of the residents has changed over the decades, Le Platon remains an integral part of the island community.

"It's a facility that the island needs, and it's a facility that is incredibly better, or so much significantly better than what it was before.

"The walls are softly painted, and every resident has different coloured doors so they know that they live behind the green door or the red door. The corridors are named after local streets or they've got street names with local connections, so we've got Liberation Street, we've got Puffin Place and Nerine Avenue.

"So the residents might live in room 212 Liberation Street. They've got their own address, so it is their home and we like to make them feel as if they are at home."

Long-term residents of Le Platon will be in familiar surroundings whether they are in the newer or older parts of the building, as many of the staff who care for them have worked at the home for a number of years. Some have worked there for decades, said Mr Robilliard.

"I think the fact that they have remained loyal to us over all these years, and certainly over the last five years when they've been working through those challenges is a great testament to them," he said.

"To have the kitchen staff move the food from the old house to the new house through an uncovered terrace...it was very, very challenging. Logistically, it was difficult to to do, but the fact that we have had some staff that have been with us for over 20 years...they've worked through the building site, they worked with us prior to that and are still with us and it's a great, great testament to their loyalty and it just shows what the home is really, to have held on to those stuff. 

"It's an amazing achievement and we need to look forward now," he said.

Pictured: Edith Robilliard MBE founded Le Platon in 1914. (Picture from Le Platon website)

Mr Robilliard said they did spend a short time on Saturday looking back though, to remember the contributions of some people who had a lasting impact on the home, and its future, but who are no longer alive.

As well as Ms Renouf who founded Le Platon, he said that Mike Tanguy OBE and Mitch Sneddon are missed by all involved.

Mr Tanguy was one of the trustees of Le Platon and he led the charge to fundraise for the redevelopment. Mr Sneddon was the architect who designed the facility which has now been created.

Both men died during the building work. 

"It's tinged with a little bit of sadness that Mike Tanguy and Mitch Sneddon will not be with us, too, to see the fruition of their vision and their labours," said Mr Robilliard.

"Relatives of theirs are going to be here, Mike's wife and his daughter will be here, and Mitch's wife too. And also, relatives of Miss Renouf. Because I think it's important that whilst we're looking forward, we must retain our history and never ever forget how this home started and who started it."