Even though Coventry City lost their Semifinal match against Manchester United on Sunday, they won the hearts of many people, including the employees and residents of a Coventry home. David Busst, the current head of community and former Sky Blues defender, visited MHA Charnwood House with his colleagues from Sky Blues in the Community.

For 65 residents, the home offers residential dementia care. The visit was before their semifinal match, which the residents watched together in one of the home’s lounges while sporting flags, scarves, and Coventry City football shirts.

John Szyndler, Manager of Mental Health and Well-Being, and Winnie, his PAT dog, were with David. The former Premier League defender was a big hit with the locals, but Winnie was the most popular person there that day.

“Most of the residents here are Coventry City fans, so when we told them what was happening, they were really excited,” stated Ellen Bishop, the activity coordinator. Shortly after I moved into the home, I called a meeting of the residents, during which we discussed ways to involve the residents’ families in our activities and help them become more community-focused.

The link was established because one of the residents’ relatives knew John. The visit went really well; among other things, David and his group talked about his time as a player and interacted with the residents.

“Winne was a true gem; she behaved herself wonderfully, and the residents had a great time today.” Even though the outcome wasn’t what we had hoped for, we all watched the semifinal together, and it was an amazing match.

“We saw today that football has the power to bring people together,” David Busst said, echoing the sentiment. It was wonderful to visit with all of the residents, talk about football, and hear about some of their hobbies and personal experiences.

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