Fernhill - News

Fernhill Care Home raises money for Caring Canines

March 01, 2011

Max and Honey, the canine equivalent of Fred and Ginger, led the dancing at a special tea party held by Colten Care’s nursing home Fernhill, situated in Ferndown, Dorset last Thursday (24 February) afternoon. The occasion was organised to present Caring Canines with a cheque for £166 and to say thank you to its volunteers.

The Bournemouth-based charity offers dog-assisted therapy as a free service to the local community and visits Fernhill, a specialised dementia home, once a fortnight so that residents can interact with the dogs. Often as many as three volunteers will visit the home to spend up to an hour talking to the residents and allowing them to handle and stroke their dogs.

“It was a wonderful occasion,” says Maria Grant, Activity Organiser for Fernhill, “with a band, old time dancing and a fantastic array of delicious home-baked cakes. It was great to be able to present the charity with a cheque and to be able to thank the volunteers for all their hard work. They show such dedication and bring so much joy to our residents with their regular visits. The dogs receive the most amazing response from our residents, many of whom have real difficulty in communicating. To see the joy that the dogs bring is heartwarming.”

The donation to the charity was raised last September (2010) when the Home held a Rock ‘n’ Roll Gala evening with entertainment provided by Elvis impersonator Garry Foley, which was attended by residents, friends and staff. A raffle was also held on the evening. The cheque for £166 was presented to Julie Lankshear, organiser and co-founder of Caring Canines by Maria Grant with help from the residents and Max and Honey. Bouquets of flowers were also presented to the volunteers.

Colten Care

Fernhill Specialist Dementia Care Home charity fundraising