Sporting a high vis vest and hard hat, Lord-Lieutenant of Rutland Dr Sarah Furness climbed three storeys of scaffolding to celebrate a significant milestone in the building of the new Oakham Grange care home. 

A topping out ceremony is a modern twist on the ancient Scandinavian religious rite of placing a tree atop a new building to appease the tree-dwelling spirits displaced in its construction. 

Oakham Grange building site has been respectful of the ancient tree line within its grounds and the topping out ceremony celebrated the moment the home become watertight. 

Lesa McAnulty, Chief Operation Officer for Ardale, the family-run firm behind Oakham Grange said: "Today's event signifies our intent to embed our new Ardale home into the local economy.

"Whenever possible we will use local suppliers, employ up to 200 local people and train them to support Rutland's older local population, to maintain the highest quality of life'.

Simon Blackburn, Managing Director, added: "We are delighted to have reached the highest structural point at Oakham Grange nursing home and we are on track to complete the building in early 2020.

"We are looking forward to handing it over to Ardale and we hope that the residents who move in will be extremely happy with their new accommodation."

Oakham Grange is scheduled to open in spring 2020. It will support 60 individuals in a range of ensuite bedrooms, with some suites featuring their own kitchens. 

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The care home will provide nursing care and support underpinned by the company's ethos of promoting independence while maintaining friendships and interests.

This in underlined by some of the home's design features such as raised gardening beds and its own putting green.