Family pays tribute to Stanley Park Care Home staff following coronavirus deaths

By Kris Jepson

The family of a resident at Stanley Park Care Home in County Durham have paid tribute to staff following 15 coronavirus deaths at the home, by delivering special key rings to the home.

The granddaughter of 74-year-old Shirley Henderson, Leanne Smith, told ITV News Tyne Tees the carers at the home are "walking angels".

Watch @krisjepson's report here:

The Just for Women Centre in Stanley also delivered hand-made hampers to the residents and carers at the home.

Care Home Manager Christine Dudley said “I want to thank Just for Women and all the people of Stanley who have supported us through the past few weeks. My team and I are completely overwhelmed by the kindness that has been shown to us by the local community. It has been such a comfort to know people are thinking of my team and the residents during these challenging times."

Shirley Henderson, from Dipton, has lived at Stanley Park care home for 18 months. She is devoted to her family, is much loved by all in her village and played a big part in her community.

She is a mother of four, grandmother of 11 and great-grandmother of 19 children.

Leanne Smith, her granddaughter told ITV News the staff have been amazing over the past few weeks.

She said "It's just overwhelming how much they are putting on the line to care for like our family. They're leaving their families at home. Some of them haven't seen their families for weeks because they are like staying in the home and it's just, honestly, there's no words. They're just walking angels, they really are."

The community group for women, Just for Women, have created more than a thousand hand-made hampers to be delivered to old and vulnerable people in the Stanley area during the lockdown.

The group began deliveries of the products on Thursday, making the care home its first visit.

The group is also sewing hundreds of face masks in the event the public need to start wearing them.