Care home group holds its own relay ahead of 109-year-old Leamington resident carry the Baton in the Queen's Baton Relay

John Farringdon, the oldest man in the West Midlands, who is also a resident at Barchester’s Cubbington Mill Care Home, will be carrying the baton on its final stage to the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.

Tomorrow (Friday 22), John and his carer, Laura Renalson, will collect the baton at a handover ceremony at Lifford Hall, Lower Green, Broadway in Worcester, to start their leg of the relay journey.

In preparation for the main event, Barchester homes across the region have undertaken their own baton relay, delivering a replica baton from home to home with the help of their residents and staff.

The home-made baton, created by John, husband of care home manager Debbie Osborne at Cherry Trees Care Home in Alcester, started its journey June 21 being hand delivered by residents, to Latimer Court in Worcester.

On June 23, it travelled by minibus with the Latimer team to Edgbaston Beaumont Care Home before moving onto Broadway Halls on June 28 and finishing the month at The Spires care home in Lichfield.

This month the baton to the Fountains care home in Solihull, Harper Fields care home in Balsall Common, Overslade House in Rugby and Ashby House in Milton Keynes.

Yesterday (July 20), residents and staff representatives from the participating homes gathered together at Cubbington Mill to see Victor, a resident from Ashby House present the baton to John Farringdon.

Laura Russell, general manager at Cubbington Mill, said: “We have been watching the Barchester Baton’s journey through the various Facebook posts and were thrilled to welcome staff and residents from so many of our Midlands homes today.

"This initiative has shown how closely we work together, it was wonderful to see residents chatting with one another and enjoying each other’s company over a cup of tea, and the odd glass of fizz.

“We’re extremely proud to have John reside within the Cubbington Mill family, he’s such a ‘gentle man’, still very much in awe of the Commonwealth challenge ahead.

"As he puts it “All this for me? Why? I’m only old”. We love John, and his humility, the honour of carrying the Queen’s baton at his age warms all our hearts.”