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Woodpeckers Festival of Light Brings Joy to Community

Residents at a Woodpeckers welcomed families and friends from the community for their fifth annual ‘festival of light’.

The sparkling walkaround in the garden at our Brockenhurst home attracted around 130 visitors and raised more than £350 for the home’s charity this year, Olivia Inspires.

Lighting up the evening darkness, the festival featured a colourful range of installations and illuminated displays.

They included stained glass-style stars and hanging lanterns which residents had decorated earlier in arts and crafts sessions.

Resident Margaret, who toured the displays with her husband George, a regular visitor to the home, said: “We surpassed previous years’ festivals. I’m not sure how we can top it next year.”

Companionship Team Leader Jane expressed thanks to Sunnyfields Farm in Totton for donating pumpkins which residents carved and lit up with candles along the garden’s woodland walk.
Jane said: “Once again the festival provided an uplifting and sustainable alternative to traditional fireworks events at this time of year.”

“Our residents played a key role in creating the displays which were all designed and built using reused, repurposed and natural materials.”

The funds raised for Olivia Inspires, which supports young people in the New Forest facing financial hardship, came through the sales of hot chocolate and biscuits.

Woodpeckers Garden Weekend Raises £700 For Charity

An open garden weekend at our New Forest care home, Woodpeckers, has raised £700 for nursing and health charities.

Woodpeckers in Brockenhurst welcomed more than 60 visitors over two days under the National Garden Scheme (NGS).

It was the latest in a series of open garden events at Colten Care homes this summer, with both Brook View in West Moors and Kingfishers in New Milton also hosting NGS days.

On view at Woodpeckers were dahlias, crocosmias, rudbeckias, cherry trees, a courtyard, a bug house, a wooden chainsaw sculpture, a small orchard and a wheelchair-friendly woodland trail with views through to neighbouring New Forest fields.

As at the other Colten Care homes, Woodpeckers residents helped prepare for the NGS days through gentle gardening activities under the guidance of care companions and gardeners.

Woodpeckers resident Jeanie said: “It was so lovely to see people enjoying our garden.”

Companionship Team Leader Jane said: “It gives us a sense of pride opening our garden up to the public.

“We invite them to share what a beautiful setting we get to work in every day, and to experience what a tranquil place in the heart of the New Forest that our residents get to call home.”

One visitor, Beccy, said: “What a beautiful garden, and what a wonderful home. Somewhere I would definitely consider for my parents.”

The NGS provides access to thousands of private gardens in the UK each year, raising funds for nursing and health charities through admissions and the sales of afternoon teas.

Hampshire care home’s open garden weekend raises £1,000 for NGS charities

The opportunity to experience a beautiful New Forest care home garden has raised nearly £1,000 for nursing and health charities.

Ninety-three community visitors spent time enjoying the grounds of Kingfishers in New Milton when it opened to the public for a weekend under the National Garden Scheme (NGS).

On hand to welcome them were residents and pianists Mollie Speirs and Averil Meek who provided a soundtrack of classical and popular pieces including, appropriately for the garden theme, the tune Tulips From Amsterdam.

Guests enjoyed wandering through the grounds, taking in the warm and welcoming atmosphere and sampling refreshments.

A plant sale gave them the chance to discuss and take home favourite flora grown in the garden.

Kingfishers resident Terry Brown said: “Our garden is looking great, beautiful. It was so nice to see the locals come in and enjoy it.”
Companionship Team Leader Rose Arcellana said: “We thank everyone who supported us and helped to make the weekend a success. To have raised £1,000 is a wonderful achievement.”
Kingfishers is one of three Colten Care homes that gained a listing in the NGS summer programme this year.

In its guide, the NGS describes the Kingfishers garden as ‘colourful and vibrant’ with winding paths to stroll to points of interest such as a lavender avenue, pergola, greenhouse and vegetable patch and, a recent addition, a fascinating water feature’.

The NGS says residents are involved in the garden with planning, propagating plants and building habitats for fauna.

The other Colten Care homes involved in the NGS this year are Brook View in West Moors and Woodpeckers in Brockenhurst.

Brook View will host visitors on the weekend of the 16th and 17th August. Its programme entry reads: ‘Our colourful and vibrant garden is spread over two main areas, one warm and sunny, the other cooler and shadier. There is a peaceful pond area, games lawn and mixed borders. Walking past our greenhouse leads to further gardens and raised beds, in a courtyard setting. Residents help out with the production of many of our plants, all expertly managed by our gardener’.

Woodpeckers is opening its garden on 30th and 31st August. On view will be dahlias, crocosmias and rudbeckias with the NGS explaining: ‘The courtyard area, small orchard and woodland all look particularly beautiful in late summer with views through to neighbouring fields of New Forest ponies and deer. Keep a lookout for the disguised bug house, and a wooden chainsaw sculpture’.
Andy Richards, Colten Care’s Landscape and Estates Manager, said: “NGS open days are lovely occasions when we show off our gardens and welcome members of our local communities to come along and enjoy time with us.
“Visitors often remark on how well we look after our plants and green spaces but as any keen gardener knows it doesn’t happen by magic. A great deal of hard graft goes in to establish and maintain a beautiful looking garden.”

Andy’s comments were echoed by Elaine Farrer, Colten Care’s Chief Operating Officer, who added: “It’s a testament to the attention to detail of our gardeners and residents’ gardening clubs that our green spaces are considered to be of ‘NGS quality’ and continue to go from strength to strength.”

For more information on NGS days at Colten Care, visit www.findagarden.ngs.org.uk.

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