Devonshire House care facility in Cavendish dedicates room in memory of philanthropist Sue Ryder

A care facility in Cavendish has commemorated its connection to a famous philanthropist by dedicating a room in her honour.

Devonshire House in High Street, once the family home of Sue Ryder, held a private ceremony to mark the official opening of the Remembrance Room, where they were joined by her son Jeromy and daughter Elizabeth.

The event also included members of The Lady Ryder of Warsaw Memorial Trust (LRWMT), who paid tribute to Lady Ryder’s work to support Holocaust survivors in Poland.

Karen Curle, manager at Devonshire House, said staff and carers were keen to celebrate Lady Ryder’s history with the home, which served as the headquarters of the Sue Ryder Foundation.

“This will highlight Lady Ryder’s courage and hard work to help the death camp survivors try to reclaim their lives in the beautiful grounds, which include rose gardens and a lake where they used to fish,” she said.

“She was so successful that many of them stayed on as volunteers to help other survivors.”

Michael Cutting, LRWMT trustee, added: “The first patients who came to the home were survivors from the concentration camps of the Second World War, brought to Cavendish by Sue Ryder herself.

“She had no money, but it was an act of faith. From that precarious beginning, her foundation grew.”