16/09/2026
❤️ A very heartfelt thank you from all of us at Margaret Allen ❤️
As many of you may have heard, last evening we had a fire at Margaret Allen.
We were incredibly lucky that our team detected the fire quickly, followed their training, policies and protocols, and sprang into action with professionalism, calmness and absolute dedication to our residents.
The Fire Brigade were absolutely amazing in their response and skill, and we can thankfully say that, whilst we have lost our laundry and have some smoke-related damage to the immediate area, we are still operational. ❤️
Last night was scary and overwhelming, but we came away with something incredibly important — no injuries. Items can be replaced. Buildings can be cleaned and repaired.
People cannot. And for that, we are enormously grateful.
There are some very special thank yous that need to be made…
👏 Ben Mercy— our general all-round hero!
You work tirelessly every day to ensure our compliance and safety, and last night you put all of that knowledge into action. You led the team solidly, calmly and professionally when it mattered most. Thank you doesn't feel quite enough.
👏 Jess Hutter, Courtney King, Chloe Adwick and Charley Jefferies. You raised the alarm, evacuated our residents and reassured them throughout. You did exactly what you had been trained to do, but more importantly, you did it with a calmness and compassion that deserves huge recognition. ❤️
👏 Our wider staff team and managers from across the company — Rachel Copp, Sharon Collins, Kailey Stubbington, Kelly Jennings, Lilly Hudd, Kylie Somerton, Freya Harvey Sally Ffrench, Ellie Sugden, Angela Merchant, Natalie Jacobs (and sorry if we have missed someone)
Thank you for dropping everything to come and support us, helping with our residents, cleaning, organising and getting Margaret Allen back to a safe and comfortable environment. Your support meant so much.
🧑🧒 Visitors who were here at the time, thank you for your support throughout you were a massive support ❤️
☕ Our neighbours directly opposite
Thank you for the blankets, hot drinks, kindness and general support. In the middle of what was a very unsettling evening, your kindness made such a difference.
🚒 Our Fire Brigade
Your response, skill and professionalism in containing and extinguishing the fire was incredible. But what really stood out was the support you gave us afterwards, helping clear the damaged areas and making sure we were safe to move forward. Thank you doesn't seem enough.
🍽️ The Great British Takeaway
Thank you for cooking our tea! After the evening we'd had, fish and chips were very much appreciated by everyone! ❤️
❤️ Our relatives, families and friends
Thank you for your supportive responses to the information we were giving you, for trusting us and for all your kind words. We know it's worrying to hear that there has been a fire where your loved one lives, and your understanding and support meant a great deal.
And finally, and most definitely not least… our residents. ❤️
Not one of you panicked or showed distress. You listened, followed instructions and worked with us every step of the way. The smiles, the words of encouragement, the understanding and even the little moments of humour reminded us exactly why we do what we do.
We could not be prouder of you. 🥰
Emergencies such as fires are something we train for. We practise procedures, we refresh knowledge and we make sure our teams know what to do — but if we're honest, somewhere in the back of our minds, we always hope we will never actually have to put that training into practice.
Last night was a very real reminder of why that training matters.
Our team responded.
Our residents were protected.
People looked after people.
And today, we are still here. ❤️
We are immensely proud of our team, immensely proud of our residents and incredibly grateful to everyone who supported us.
It's been a long night, but Margaret Allen is still standing — and so are we. ❤️
Thank you, thank you, thank you.
It genuinely doesn't seem enough right now. ❤️
