Grimsby mental health centre named in honour of footballer Matt Tees

The new health centre has been named in memory of Grimsby Town footballer Matt Tees (l)

A new mental health care centre named in honour of Grimsby Town footballer Matt Tees is to open later.

Tees House will provide nursing and specialist care for older people with conditions including dementia.

Tees, who played for the club between 1963 and 1967 and again from 1971 to 1973, suffered from dementia before his death in November 2020 aged 81.

His widow May Tees said his family were "delighted and honoured" that the centre was named in his honour.

Mrs Tees has been involved in supporting other families affected by dementia.

She said: "Matt was a footballer, that's what he did but this was not who he was.

"He was kind and until the end a true gentleman with a dry sense of humour. A complete family man. He adored his sons, daughter-in-laws and of course his four grandchildren."

Mrs Tees described the new centre, which opens on Second Avenue on Tuesday, as an "unbelievable" facility.

The Tees House site will open on Tuesday

The site, run by Navigo, includes 31 residential rooms, a communal lounge and overnight rooms for family members.

There is also an on-site sensory room, cinema and gym.

Janine Smith, chief operating officer of Navigo, which runs the site, said: "The Tees House site enables us to offer support tailored to a person's individual needs at what is often the most vulnerable stage of their lives."

"She said the centre would create "more opportunities for meaningful engagement for the residents, their families and the local community".