A rainbow-themed party was the perfect way to celebrate a year of fundraising by Avon Cliff residents and staff in aid of a Dorset children’s charity.
The highlight of the multi-coloured get-together at Avon Cliff in Bournemouth was the handover of a cheque for £2,251.85 to Amelia’s Rainbow.

Avon Cliff residents and team members raised the sum by hosting fetes, raffles, a Christmas market and other events at the home.

Two Companionship Team members, team leader Elise Woolnough and colleague Paulina Trzcinska, also took part in the Bournemouth Fun Run, boosted by sponsorship from residents, colleagues, families and friends.

Under the charity policy across all 21 Colten Care homes, it is always the residents’ choice as to which causes to support each year.

Avon Cliff residents opted for Amelia’s Rainbow in both of the past two years after they heard it had provided comfort to Paulina’s son Adam when he was diagnosed with cancer as a toddler.

Altogether, the home has raised around £3,500 to help the charity’s work with local children who, like Adam, have experience of serious and complex chronic conditions.

A key aim is to help them and their families have fun through the tough times on trips, days out, leisure activities and items that enhance learning and enjoyment.

Discussing the work of the charity at the handover party, manager Farah Batchelor told residents that some of the money they have raised will go towards the renovation of the charity’s chalet on the Rockley Park holiday park in Poole for children and families to use.
Avon Cliff resident Edie Crowley said: “We’ve really enjoyed being involved in raising money for Amelia’s Rainbow and we thank Farah for coming in to see us and explaining how the money is used.”
As well as donning rainbow-style wrist and headbands, party goers tucked into a ‘rainbow cake’ specially prepared for the occasion by the Avon Cliff residents’ cooking club.

Elise said: “Our celebration party was the ideal way to round off our support for Amelia’s Rainbow, especially the tremendous sum our residents and staff have raised over the past twelve months.”

Avon Cliff’s main nominated charity to support for 2024-25 is Downright Perfect, a support group in Dorset for children and young people with Down’s Syndrome and their families.

Colten Care homes have hosted a series of Macmillan Coffee Mornings with an added Willy Wonka-style twist.
Residents, staff and visitors raising a mug at the annual charity get togethers were served freshly prepared homemade cakes and pastries in the traditional way.

But at each of Colten Care’s 21 homes, chefs baked one of the tasty treats as a ‘Golden Cup Cake’, containing a hidden layer of edible gold leaf through the middle only to be revealed when the cake was bitten into.

The lucky recipient won a bottle of bubbly, chocolates and a donation to Macmillan on their behalf.
“I couldn’t quite believe it was the golden one,” said a smiling Pamela Kately, the winner at Canford Chase in Poole.
More than 100 cup cakes were baked by Chef Izzy Turczyn-Kuzma at The Aldbury in Poole, with housekeeping colleague Michael Sheppard receiving the golden prize.

And at Brook View in West Moors, the cup cake winner was visitor Hannah Kirby who had only just arrived to visit her grandfather Harry.

Moments after making her coffee morning donation along with partner Leigh, Hannah bit into the cake and saw the gold, prompting cheers all round.

Hannah, who was then presented with her bottle of bubbly, said: “I didn’t realise what it was at first and wondered what I had found in the middle. It was a lovely surprise.”

As well as the Golden Cup Cake search, this year’s coffee mornings at Colten Care featured plenty of conversation and other fun. There were mufti days for staff, guess-the-weight-of-the-cake games, cake sales, singalongs and dances.

At The Aldbury, two musicians from the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, violinist Jennifer Curiel and pianist and French horn player Kevin Pritchard, performed popular classical pieces and childhood songs such as Run Rabbit Run. Among the residents singing and dancing along were Mary Cooper, Elizabeth Kay and Win Clowerly.

Fellow resident at The Aldbury, Abdu ‘Hobi’ Sabih, did his bit to collect donations. He helped Companion Melissa Siat Caparros to push the fundraising cake trolley around the home, chatting with residents, staff and visitors.
Elaine Farrer, Colten Care’s Chief Operating Officer, said: “We always support the Macmillan Coffee Morning with all 21 of our homes taking part. It’s a fantastic community initiative. We invite families, friends and local contacts to come and join us for a coffee social and enjoy the fun. The prospect of winning a golden cupcake adds even more interest.”
The first Macmillan Coffee Morning took place in 1990 with the simple idea of encouraging people to donate the cost of their cuppa to Macmillan Cancer Support to help the charity’s work for people with cancer. Since then, more than £300 million has been raised.

According to Macmillan, one in two of us will face cancer. The charity’s aim is to help everyone with cancer to live life as fully as they can.

For more information and to donate, visit www.macmillan.org.uk.

Kindhearted residents at a Dorset care home have helped one of their carers to raise hundreds of pounds for a charity that supported her critically ill son.
Paulina Trzcinska, a Companionship Team member at Avon Cliff in Bournemouth, wanted to give something back to Amelia’s Rainbow, which provided comfort to her son Adam when he was diagnosed with cancer as a toddler.

When residents heard about Adam, who is now six and in remission, they chose the charity as their main cause to support this year.

In their most recent initiative, they sponsored Paulina, Adam, his big sister Alicja and Elise Woolnough, Companionship Team Leader, to complete two charity runs in Bournemouth on the same day.

The upshot of their support, and that of families and other contacts, is more than £850 in funds raised for Amelia’s Rainbow.
Paulina said: “When our residents heard about Adam, they said they wanted to do what they could to support the charity.

“They and their families have been so generous, enabling us to give something back for the help Adam received so that other children can be supported too.

“The amount raised is amazing, especially at this time when so many people are struggling with the cost of living.”
Using a pushchair for part of the route, Adam completed a junior one-kilometre run in the afternoon, taking second place in his category.

Then, in the evening, Paulina, Elise and Alicja ran a five-kilometre circuit taking in the piers at Boscombe and Bournemouth and finishing up in the famous Lower Gardens.
Paulina said: “None of us are experienced runners but we did it in a little over half an hour. We wore rainbow face paint and felt like the best team ever. Elise is such a great colleague and it was fantastic that she lent her support.”
Avon Cliff resident Judy Price said: “We were all very happy to support them in their running and the charity is such a great cause.”

Amelia’s Rainbow is a Dorset-based charity that supports local children who have serious and complex chronic conditions.

A key aim is to help them and their families to have fun through the tough times, so funding can go towards trips, days out, leisure activities or items that enhance learning and enjoyment.

In Adam’s case, he received a video game console to play on and enjoy in the period after chemotherapy.

For more information about Amelia’s Rainbow, visit www.ameliasrainbow.com.

Funds raised by the residents will be used to improve the mental health of people at risk of homelessness
Our home chose to support the charitable housing association BCHA in 2021 and despite Covid restrictions we have staged a variety of fundraising events on its behalf.

Our Clinical Lead Emma Williams explained: “BCHA’s headquarters is very close to Avon Cliff and our residents and staff greatly admire its work in providing housing, education and support to many thousands of people each year.
“At Christmas we were thrilled to donate a host of toys to BCHA for the women and children at Bournemouth Women’s Refuge.
“While Covid has prevented us from enjoying some of the larger events we would have held, our Easter Party, a special Air Show event, our Christmas Gala and assorted raffles have together raised £629 for BCHA.

“It gives us a great deal of joy to think the money we have raised will be helping people who really need it.”

BCHA’s Director of Homelessness, Health & Wellbeing Caroline Moylan met with Emma, Avon Cliff Customer Service Advisor Hayley McEvoy and Colten Companion Paulina Trzcinska to receive the donation and deliver her sincere thanks.
She said: “We are so grateful for the funds raised by Colten Care. This will enable us to develop much needed resources and activities to positively support people’s mental health.”
Speaking at the time of the toy donation in December 2021, Avon Cliff resident Peter Kennard said: “It is good to support such a worthwhile local charity, especially at this time of year.”

A Bournemouth charitable organisation has thanked residents and staff at Avon Cliff for donations of gifts to help families and children in need
It follows a delivery of more than 80 items including toys, books, games and puzzles to BCHA, the Bournemouth Churches Housing Association.

The gifts were collected by our staff and residents at the home and by employees at our Ringwood head office, Colten House.

Two residents explained their reasons for helping.
Peter Kennard said: “It is good to support such a worthwhile local charity especially at this time of year.”
Sylvia Williams said: “It is very important to think of others at Christmas time.”

Many of the gifts will be distributed to families and children supported by BCHA at the organisation’s various refuges for those affected by domestic abuse.

Some will also go to BCHA’s Liberty project which helps victims of human trafficking and slavery.

Michelle Lewis, BCHA’s Change, Transformation and Growth Co-ordinator, said the gifts would be appreciated well into the New Year, adding: “This is a lovely donation. Because of the kindness and support of Avon Cliff residents and those employees who donated from Colten Care’s head office, there will be lots of grateful children among the families we help. Thank you!”

BCHA was founded over 50 years ago with a continuing mission to meet housing need and end homelessness.

The charitable organisation now helps more than 10,000 people off the streets, out of abuse, over skills barriers and onto independence and work each year.

Residents and staff at Colten Care homes marked Red Nose Day with games, quizzes, dressing up and lots of laughter
The fundraising marathon, in aid of vulnerable people in the UK and overseas, even featured a custard pie-throwing challenge.

Here at Avon Cliff,  our Companionship Team colleagues Brian Knight and Sharon Surgeon consented to ‘pie’ each other in return for donations.

Dressed as superheroes for the day, they also made masks for residents and held a Red Nose Day quiz.

And residents were invited to suggest ‘silly’ music requests for the pair to attempt to sing, such as Mud, Mud, Glorious Mud and The Laughing Policemen.

Companionship colleague Rebecca Osborne posed as her own ‘Rainbow Woman’ superhero and gave out rainbow-designed cards to residents with messages of hope and positivity.
Resident Shirley Wilson said: “The Companionship Team are raving mad. They put in such a great effort to help us enjoy a day full of fun and games.”
In return, Sharon said: “We all need some laughter in our lives at the moment and this was a great way to showcase how fun things can be here at Avon Cliff.”

At Outstanding-rated Newstone House in Sturminster Newton, team members organised a ‘Red Nose Hunt’, encouraging residents to take time in the garden, enjoy  the fresh air and get some exercise. The hidden ‘noses’ had a variety of jokes on them for the residents to read out when they found them.

Companionship Team Member Sam Hurst said: “This created a fun and lively atmosphere for all. Residents thanked us for the opportunity to explore new areas of the garden which they had not seen before. One of our residents said that it made her whole week as we laughed and giggled our way around the garden.”