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Strictly fun as Colten Care back charity’s community dance ‘extravaganza’

Ballroom dance fans living at our care homes in Bournemouth and Poole are stepping up to follow the progress of a prestigious Strictly-style competition run by Forest Holme Hospice.
The Dorset-based palliative care charity, which marks its 30th anniversary this year, has welcomed aboard Colten Care as headline sponsor of its ‘Strictly Extravaganza’.

The contest involves ten participants, drawn from a public call for entries, teaming up with professional dancers for months of lessons and rehearsals.

It culminates with a glittering finals night before an audience of around 350 people at Poole Lighthouse in January 2025.

A winner will be chosen by a panel of judges from the dance world including Jason Edwards, the champion of a similar competition held by Forest Holme last year.

Under the sponsorship agreement, Colten Care residents who enjoy dance can watch rehearsals, demonstrations and performances brought to their homes and access tickets for the finals evening.

Among the guests at a launch party in the Canopy Café at Bourne View in Poole were Bournemouth-based ballroom dance pro Oliver Beardmore and his brother Kieran, a music producer.

The pair will provide support with choreography and music respectively as the rehearsals and countdown to the finals gather pace over the months ahead.

The launch, featuring a champagne and canapés reception and a presentation for contestants and corporate partners, brought together team members from both Forest Holme and Colten Care.

The new friendship prompted hopes that staff members from Colten Care will join nurses from the hospice to rehearse and perform a group dance routine on finals night.
Kirsty Perks, the charity’s Corporate and Community Fundraiser, said: “We are so grateful to Colten Care for partnering on our Strictly Extravaganza.

“We are completely aligned with their aim of ensuring their residents feel part of this community initiative and we’re only too pleased to bring dance demonstrations to their homes where we can.

“With Colten Care’s help, we’re all set for months of great fun as we build up to finals night itself with all the excitement of dressing up and taking to the dancefloor under the expert gaze of the judges.”
The call for entries prompted applications from people of all ages and dance abilities from novices through to those with more experience.

The chosen ten each have a personal reason for wanting to support the work of Forest Holme.

Since its founding in 1994, the hospice has cared for more than 30,000 patients and their families, with voluntary donations a vital part of its funding.

Kirsty said she hopes the Extravaganza will help to raise around £30,000 in new funds and added that messages of support have already been received from Strictly Come Dancing judges Shirley Ballas and Motsi Mabuse and professional dancer Kai Widdrington.
Mark Aitchison, Colten Care’s Chief Executive, said: “Forest Holme’s Strictly Extravaganza is an amazing, inclusive community competition which is set to generate huge interest.

“Many of our residents are big fans of dance, for some it has been a lifelong passion whether they have been active dancers themselves or simply keen audience members.

“In partnering with Forest Holme, we are ensuring those many dance enthusiasts at our homes can maintain their love of ballroom and share in our community’s support for what is a thoroughly deserving local cause.”
For more information on Forest Holme Hospice, visit www.forestholmehospice.org.uk.

Global hearing aid recycling scheme boosted by care home support

The founder of a hearing aid recycling campaign has visited one of our Dorset care home’s to thank residents and staff for supporting her work.
Zoe Fawcett-Eustace called in at Canford Chase in Poole to collect more than 230 no-longer-needed hearing aids which will now be repurposed to help some of the world’s poorest people.

The devices were gathered at the Western Road home and our 20 other care homes in Dorset, Hampshire, Wiltshire and West Sussex.

It followed an agreement last year between the provider and Zoe’s organisation, Hearing Aid Recycling, under which the homes act as collection points for used or unwanted hearing aids to avoid them having to go to landfill.

Colten Care became the first UK care home provider to partner with the charity, encouraging residents, families and people in the community around each home to donate their old devices.
Speaking at Canford Chase, Zoe said: “We’re so grateful for Colten Care’s help. The donated hearing aids will make such a difference to people in need here and around the world.

“They will genuinely help to transform lives from the very young to the very old.

“We already have activities happening in countries such as Malawi, Kenya, Zimbabwe and South Africa.
“We couldn’t do this without the incredible support of everyone who donates and our amazing collection centres who receive, hold and send us the aids.

“It’s such a privilege to work on a project that does so much good.”

Zoe, who began to lose her hearing aged just 14, added: “I had the good fortune to be born in the UK so I was given hearing aids as soon as I needed them. The NHS looked after me for years.

“I eventually invested in private hearing aids, upgrading them to stream seamlessly to my phone.

“At that point I asked my audiologist what I should do with my extensive collection of old ones, both NHS and private.

“I was completely dismayed to be told to ‘pop them in a drawer, keep them for spares, ultimately throw them away’.

“Given our small planet of scarce resources and much need, I couldn’t bear the thought that such amazing tiny pieces of technology would just go to landfill.

“We have the knowhow to extend their productive lives and help tens of millions of deaf people around the world who would otherwise have no access to hearing aids. That’s why I set up Hearing Aid Recycling.”

In Malawi, charity partner and audiologist Fletcher Chisalipo has already received a batch of repurposed hearing aids from the charity.

He cited the case of Precious Banda, a 14-year-old boy who suffered from severe malaria when he was seven.

“He lost his hearing as a result of quinine treatment for the disease,” Fletcher explained. “He dropped out of school because he couldn’t hear in class, and his friends were mocking him.

“In his area of rural Malawi, we were told it might take three to four years for a government procurement process to source hearing aids.

“Now, we have fitted him with two aids for free and he can hear better. Both he and his mother are overjoyed and they have promised he will return to school.”

Among those meeting Zoe at Canford Chase were resident Anne Hammond, Home Manager Charlotte Wilson and our Chief Operating Officer Elaine Farrer.
Anne said: “This is such a worthwhile campaign, helping people in need who would not otherwise have access to hearing aids.”
Charlotte said: “Our residents, families, team members and community friends, here at Canford Chase and at Colten Care homes elsewhere, have really got behind this initiative.

“We encourage anyone with no-longer-needed hearing aids to call in at any of our homes and drop them off at our collection points.”

Elaine said: “We support Hearing Aid Recycling because we know from our own experience in the care sector that many old hearing aids are simply junked which is bad for the environment and a waste of resource.

“We’re thrilled to have collected so many hearing aids already and will continue to offer our help as part of the nationwide network of collection centres Zoe is setting up.”

For more information on Hearing Aid Recycling, visit https://hearingaidrecycling.co.uk/.

Canford Chase spreads cheer with Dorset foodbank delivery

Residents of our Poole care home prepared and hand delivered 30 packed lunches to help families facing food poverty in the Dorset town.
The packs were quickly snapped up as they were brought to Poole Food Bank’s main town centre hub, the St James’ Church Centre in Church Street.

Four residents from Canford Chase care home – Molly Thatcher, Barbara Rivett, Pamela Kateley and Marjorie Jewkes – took a minibus trip to hand the packs over personally to foodbank manager Ian Stoney and his team.

It was the culmination of an Easter school holiday initiative that involved Canford Chase residents, Companionship Team members, Home Manager Charlotte Wilson and Chef Juraj Chrensc.

The freshly made-up packs, completed at a residents’ activity session, featured ham and cheese sandwiches, fruit, crisps and chocolate.

At the centre, known locally as Jimmy’s Place, the visitors spent time with staff and volunteers learning how the foodbank helps people access nutrition, toiletries and other items essential to everyday life.
Canford Chase resident Barbara Rivett said: “It was really interesting to learn about the work that goes on. It’s such a good thing that the foodbank is here to help people who have fallen on hard times.”

Companionship Team Leader Vicky Day said: “At Canford Chase we enjoy supporting local projects and the community links these build. Many families or individuals may experience food poverty at some point in their life. School holidays can be an especially hard time for families who are experiencing difficulties with the rising cost of living, and so we wanted to help ease this over the Easter break.

“The foodbank team are compassionate, and it was clear to see while we were there that visitors are welcomed with warmth and an ear to listen.

“The team outlined the process when someone arrives at the centre including the extra services and provisions they can offer such as recipe kits and money advice.

“Our visit helped us learn so much. On returning to the home, we discussed it with other residents.

“We now plan to provide further support in the coming weeks and months to help the foodbank’s wonderful work in the community.”

Golden shot for Colten Care residents raising a cuppa for Macmillan

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.

Colten Care residents honour ‘superstar’ carers with Champions awards

Hundreds of residents from our 21 care homes have honoured the staff who enable them to live the best lives they can every day.
Colten Care’s Champions awards prompted nominations across nine categories reflecting a range of clinical and non-clinical care.

Individuals, teams, homes and departments were all recognised as the annual scheme culminated in a glittering evening at Bournemouth’s Highcliff Marriott Hotel.

Around 140 guests dressed up in style for the awards ceremony and celebration, hosted by TV presenter Dr Hilary Jones.

Nominees and audience members mingled at a welcome reception before stepping into a specially decorated ballroom for dinner, the ceremony itself and the opportunity to dance the night away.

[caption id="attachment_13325" align="alignnone" width="1314"] AWARD. Lucy O’Brien, Senior Administrator at Bourne View in Poole, won the Warm Welcome award. With her is Dr Hilary Jones, who hosted the Colten Champions evening, and Elaine Sheppard, Head of Customer Support.[/caption]

Colten Care residents were represented by special guest Jean Smith, who lives in Poole home Bourne View.

She had previously met Dr Hilary at the home’s official opening in spring 2019 when her late husband, former Poole Mayor Ray Smith MBE, became the first resident to move in.

Catching up with the broadcaster and author once again as they stood on stage, Jean said: “I can’t believe I’m here.”

She then presented Rosa Santos, Senior Care Lead at Newstone House in Sturminster Newton, with the inaugural award for Resident and Relative Choice.

This category, which attracted more than 500 nominations from residents and families, was designed to recognise an individual or team ‘who have truly made a difference to your life or your loved one’s life since coming to Colten Care’.

The common theme for Rosa’s multiple nominations was her ‘kind and welcoming approach to both residents and relatives. Rosa has patience to understand residents needs so well which has such a positive outcome for their care’.
One relative wrote: “It is always a please to see Rosa on duty, she cared for my mother and father with such cheerfulness, she would make sure my father was helped upstairs to spend time with my mother when they were on different floors. She works hard to ensure our family are kept informed, added to this her professionalism and positive attitude.”
Among other category winners, Lucy O’Brien, Senior Administrator at Bourne View, who won the Warm Welcome award, described the moment her name was read out.

She said: “It was amazing, a total surprise. I was in a complete daze and then got quite emotional. It was lovely to go up and receive the award in front of everyone and meet Hilary Jones.”

[caption id="attachment_13326" align="alignnone" width="1262"] Colten Care resident Jean Smith, right, was Honorary Guest at the Colten Champions awards. She presented the inaugural Resident and Relative Choice award to Rosa Santos, Senior Care Lead at Newstone House in Sturminster Newton. With them is awards host and TV presenter Dr Hilary Jones.[/caption]
Colten Care Chief Executive Mark Aitchison said: “Colten Champions celebrates the pride and passion our amazing team shows every single day, caring for our residents and their families.

“It is an immense privilege to lead a team full of superstars, always prepared to go above and beyond.

“We thank everyone who put in a Colten Champions nomination and congratulate all the winners, finalists and nominees.”
Mark’s comments were echoed by Colten Care’s Chief Operating Officer Elaine Farrer, who added: “There are so many shining examples of our team supporting and caring for residents, embodying our values and consistently putting the resident at the very heart of all they do.”

After the ceremony, Dr Hilary said: “Colten Champions truly reflects the importance of quality care delivered by a team working together for the benefit of residents. It’s a great initiative and the awards evening is always such a happy occasion.”

As well as the Champions awards themselves, special congratulations were given on stage to Elena Barna, Home Manager at Abbey View in Sherborne, for the home’s recent Outstanding rating from sector regulator the Care Quality Commission.

It means that seven of Colten Care’s 21 homes in Dorset, Hampshire, Wiltshire and West Sussex are officially rated Outstanding, with all the rest rated Good.

A world of celebration delights music lovers at Colten Care

Fun-loving residents across our homes have celebrated World Music Day with singalongs, karaokes, themed parties and concerts.
From cardio drumming to hillbilly-style dances, there were joyful sounds filling the air to entertain residents and visitors alike at our 21 homes across the south.

At Kingfishers in New Milton, Hampshire, there was intergenerational festivity as children from Durlston Court School’s ukulele band came along to perform.
Resident Hugh Cooke said: “They were all so very good. I really enjoyed the concert.”

And Joyce Ponsonby said: “What a wonderful afternoon seeing the kids perform. I really enjoyed listening to them.”
Elsewhere, our staff and residents chose a variety of ways to showcase their own musical creativity and knowledge.

There was a music quiz at Whitecliffe House in Blandford, a six-decade jukebox celebration at Avon Cliff in Bournemouth and song and dance-themed coffee mornings at Lymington homes Court Lodge and Linden House.

Woodpeckers in Brockenhurst held a ‘Walking on Sunshine’ music and movement session while Newstone House in Sturminster Newton staged an ‘Abba spectacular’.

Participants in a music and movement session at Woodpeckers in Brockenhurst

At Canford Chase in Poole, residents took the microphone and sang to each other in a garden karaoke.

At fellow Poole home The Aldbury, the focus was on cardio drumming and at Fernhill in Longham there was singing and dancing on the theme of ‘hillbilly blues’.
Fiona Pritchard, our Music & Arts Partner, said: “World Music Day was a great opportunity to celebrate the breadth of musical creativity our residents enjoy.

“There really was a lot of variety. People joined together to say thank-you for the many ways that music brings joy and pleasure to them.”

Having fun at a garden karaoke session at Canford Chase in Poole are Margaret Connor and Frank Daley

World Music Day has been celebrated every June since 1982. It originated in Paris from a proposal by the then French Minister of Culture, Jack Lang, as Fête de la Musique, a day when people were encouraged to play musical instruments in their neighbourhoods and in public spaces and parks.

Now celebrated in more than 120 countries, the aim remains to celebrate and have fun with music.

Canford Chase’s Senior Care Lead Abner Saclayan plays guitar. On vocals is Abner’s wife Rowena who visited the home to support the World Music Day celebration.

Colten Care residents back World Ocean Day

Residents of our homes have created artworks, explored aquatic life and welcomed young visitors among activities to mark World Ocean Day.
More than a thousand rocks and pebbles were painted blue and white to mimic water flowing under a garden bridge at dedicated dementia care home The Aldbury in Poole.

On The Aldbury’s garden bridge over the newly painted ‘pond’ of stones are, from left: residents Valerie Sharp, Valerie Short and Jeanette Macklin

Residents there spent two months on the project, spraying, painting and varnishing the stones with help from staff at the home and visiting students from Canford School.

The Aldbury residents Valerie Short and Abdul Sabih at work painting blue stones to place under the Poole home’s garden bridge

As she admired the colourful display, resident Valerie Short, who originally suggested turning the stones blue and white, said: “It took a lot of time but it was well worth the wait.”
Companionship Team member Melissa Siat said: “The pebbles did look a little drab before so it was a great idea to brighten them up and link that to an environmental theme. This has turned out to be a great visual project right from the start. Residents were able to see the transformation building up each time we added a coloured pebble. Our garden bridge now looks just fabulous with its new ‘pond’ below.”
The pebble-painting was complemented with a further creative activity in which residents decorated and hung CDs with pictures of fish over the pond.

In other World Ocean Day activities, residents from The Aldbury and sister homes, Canford Chase in Poole and Fernhill in Longham, visited the Oceanarium on Bournemouth seafront to learn more about aquatic life.

Watching the sea life at Bournemouth Oceanarium are The Aldbury resident Dr Robert Morris and Companionship Team member Melissa Siat

The Canford party took photos of the fish on display with a view to creating a collage back at the home.

Among The Aldbury party was resident Dr Robert Morris, a retired marine biologist, who requested the trip to help bring back memories of his ocean-going travels and work.
Melissa said: “As we went around the Oceanarium, we talked about sharks, clownfish and seahorses. I asked Robert if he has ever swum with sharks and he said yes, even with great white sharks he encountered off the coast of Australia. He really enjoyed the Oceanarium and was very keen to read all the facts on display about nature and marine life.”
Robert said after the visit: “What a great day!”

Robert’s daughter Kylie Morris said: “Dad’s work took him all around the world, and his passionate research on dolphins, whales and our oceans has been used in many scientific journals.

“He was even a contender for Sir David Attenborough’s role at the BBC as he was such an enthusiastic promoter of all things in the natural world.

“Before his memory started failing, he used to tell a story of swimming through a kelp forest in South Africa and encountering a great white shark who was doing the same!

“Water was truly life for Dad, and the animals in it one of his greatest joys to study and learn from.”

Also as part of World Ocean Day, residents at Bourne View in Poole were joined by pupils from next door specialist school Langside School to create ocean-themed pictures for a display and treasure trail.

Taking place in more than 150 countries, World Ocean Day aims to celebrate and honour our shared oceans, highlighting the need for conservation and international collaboration to protect them.

The day, held annually since 2002, involves a range of partners and is co-ordinated by the World Ocean Day Youth Advisory Council.  This year’s celebration took place on Thursday, 8 June 2023.

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