Cygnet Lodge Woking opens a new acute service for men in honour of “caring and dedicated” healthcare workers

A new acute mental health service for men has opened at Cygnet Lodge Woking in Surrey – named in memory of two local health care workers.

George Willard Ward is a new 11-bed male mental health acute service at Cygnet Lodge Woking offering a safe and stabilising environment to men who are experiencing an acute episode of mental illness and require an emergency admission. Referrals are now being accepted.

The ward is named in honour of George Aryiku, a former Registered Nurse and Willard Mutizira, a former Senior Support Worker at Cygnet Lodge Woking, who died last year at the ages of 69 and 58 respectively.

George had worked for Cygnet Lodge Woking and Cygnet Hospital Woking since 2010. He was known as ‘Uncle George’ for his great personality and dedication.

Willard had worked at Cygnet Lodge Woking since 2018. Last week, his sister Feruna O’Donovan and George’s wife Rosalind Tagoe attended the launch of the new ward and cut the ribbon together.

The new service was opened in response to the rising demand for acute services in South East England, and aims to assess and treat service users in the least restrictive environment, while planning for their return to independent life in the community.

Nanday Obace, Acting Hospital Manager for Cygnet Hospital Woking and Woking Lodge said:

“As a manager, I’m very proud the new ward is named after two caring and dedicated colleagues at Cygnet Lodge Woking. The opening ceremony was attended by Cygnet Health Care’s management team as well as George and Willard’s families. It was very touching, and I feel privileged to work for this organisation.”

“George was most loved by everyone including patients and staff and everybody used to call him Uncle George. I had the privilege of working with him since 2015. He was such an amazing gentleman and took pride in his job.”

“What was touching at the opening ceremony was that George’s family had a conversation with service users and talked about how lovely he was both at the hospital and home.”

“Willard was also a lovely man and absolutely loved his job at Cygnet Lodge Woking.”

She added: “We promoted him to a Senior Support Worker shortly before he passed away and his family told us that he was telling everybody about his promotion. He was so proud to become a Senior Support Worker and I will never forget him.”

George’s wife, Rosalind Tagoe said she is delighted that her husband could be remembered this way.

Speaking during the opening ceremony, she said: “George loved the staff, his colleagues and his patients. I know he loved his job and the people he worked with. No matter what the weather was like, if it was raining or snowing, whatever day it was, he would come to work.”

She added: “We are so honoured and so blessed of the naming and opening of the George Willard Ward. Thank you so much from the bottom of our hearts for this wonderful privilege.”

Willard’s sister, Feruna O’Donovan said: “On behalf of my family, we thank you for all that you have done in memory of our brother. Willard was a humble man always smiling, no job was too big for him. He always created a positive energy around people.”

She added: “Thank you for welcoming us into the Cygnet family and for the tribute to Willard. We feel very honoured.”

Cygnet Lodge Woking, in Knaphill, Woking, is a 31-bed service providing acute and high dependency rehabilitation services for men with complex mental health needs. Specialist healthcare teams work closely and collaboratively with service users, their families and commissioners with the aim of helping service users to stabilise their condition and to reinforce daily living skills.

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