Colleagues from our 21 care homes and head office are celebrating success at an in-house awards ceremony.
A glittering black-tie evening saw individual and group wins in nine categories at the Colten Champions awards reflecting all aspects of the care mix.

We honoured excellence in nursing, caring, team work, support services and other ways staff make a positive difference to residents, families and each other.

There were more than 1,000 nominations across our homes in Dorset, Hampshire, West Sussex and Wiltshire and our head office in Ringwood.

Over 400 nominations were submitted by residents and relatives.

Bincy Thomas, Senior Care Lead at Brook View in West Moors, Dorset, said she was taken by complete surprise when she heard her name read out as the winner of the Caring Excellence Award.
Bincy said: “Many people work in support of residents’ care and so I knew others deserved the award too.

“Yes, I was a finalist but I really didn’t think I would win it. It was a surprise and then after I went up, everyone was congratulating me and my fellow carers and nurses were saying ‘you deserve it, we are so lucky you are here’.
Asked for her view of the qualities that produce ‘caring excellence’, Bincy said: “Remember that everything is centred around the resident. You should always be honest and friendly to them and their relatives. I try to take care of everyone as if they were my own family. You act as a problem solver and you support your colleagues on the floor. I look at the team as my sisters and brothers.”

Also a winner, picking up the award for Resident Impact, was Ildiko Csanalosine Fuves, a waitress at Braemar Lodge in Salisbury.
“I was shaking and crying when I heard I had won,” said Ildiko. “I am really honoured and so happy. People said such beautiful things about me. I am so thankful.”
The Values award, designed to recognise an individual who exemplifies Colten’s company values of being friendly, kind, individual, reassuring and honest was won by Senior Gardener Chris Marsh.

He said he was ‘truly humbled’ to be nominated and to go on and actually win it was ‘something else entirely’.
Chris, who has worked for Colten Care for ten years, added: “When the guiding principles and values of your employer align with your own, it makes your job that much more enjoyable and fulfilling.

“Working for a company that recognises the value of outdoor spaces, and promotes the well-being that comes from gardens, social interaction and mental stimulation, makes my role one to truly treasure.

“Colten invests so much in these values, and I am proud to be part of an ambitious team that shares and develops this vision.

“At the heart of everything we do is the best cause of all: our residents. We work tirelessly to give them the best experience possible, to heal and uplift them and ensure they feel safe and valued.”
The awards ceremony took place at the Bournemouth Highcliff Marriott Hotel after a champagne reception and dinner. Afterwards, guests danced to live music from pop rock party band We Are Robot.

Event host was Hampshire-based Manley Hopkinson, a polar explorer and round-the-world yachtsman.
Manley said: “It was a superb evening and the energy was infectious. It was an honour to present the awards and speak to the teams. I felt humbled and inspired in equal measure.”
Colten Care residents were represented by guest of honour Mollie Speirs who travelled to Bournemouth from her care home, Kingfishers in New Milton.

For every resident or relative nomination made, Colten Care donated £10 to their respective care home’s charity of the year.

Colten Care Chief Executive Mark Aitchison and Chief Operating Officer Elaine Farrer were both present to introduce the awards.
Mark said: “Colten Champions is a brilliant way to celebrate colleagues who truly embody our values and consistently go above and beyond.

“I thank all those who put in a nomination, including so many residents and relatives, and of course congratulate all the winners, finalists and nominees.

“Their success is richly deserved and it is a privilege to work with them.”

Some of the UK’s oldest retired nurses have celebrated an official day honouring their profession.
Dozens of former nurses who live at our 21 homes in the south joined fellow residents and care team members to mark International Nurses Day.

Cards, gifts, cakes and good wishes were all exchanged to thank current nursing practitioners for all they do and to remember nursing from years gone by.

Nurses Day is celebrated each year on 12 May, the birthday of Florence Nightingale who earned her famous title of ‘the Lady with the Lamp’ nursing wounded soldiers in the Crimean War of 1853 to 1856.

At Avon Cliff care home in Bournemouth, 103-year-old Barbara Binding recalled her years as a children’s nurse looking at photos of herself in uniform just after qualification.

And fellow resident Betty Nelms, 96, a former TB nurse who qualified around the same time as Barbara in the 1940s, said: “I used to go door-to-door to treat people and I loved the job. My work has long finished and I’m just happy to be part of this commemoration.”

Betty’s sentiments were shared by ex-nurses Wendy Golding and Sue McPhee who live at Kingfishers in New Milton.

Wendy said: “Nurses Day is a fantastic way to celebrate the dedication and compassion that nurses bring to their work, reminding us all of the vital role they play in our community.”

Sue said: “Thank you to everyone who made the day extra special.”

All our homes in Hampshire, Dorset, Wiltshire and West Sussex are registered to provide professional nursing care and all take part in the annual celebration of Nurses Day by presenting gifts, cards and chocolates to the in-house nursing team.

Several homes, including Abbotts Barton in Winchester, Avon Reach in Mudeford and Belmore Lodge in Lymington, organised trips out so that residents could present gifts and cards to nurses working at local GP surgeries and hospitals.

In a further example of community outreach, a party from Woodpeckers in Brockenhurst, led by Home Manager Priya Joseph and Companionship Team Leader Jane Bunker, travelled to Oakhaven Hospice in Lymington with a cake specially baked for the nurses there.

Elaine Farrer, Colten Care’s Chief Operating Officer and a registered nurse herself, said: “Nurses are at the very heart of our homes, giving residents and their families the reassurance of comprehensive, person-centred care from the moment they start their care journeys with us.
“Our strength in nursing is a key reason we have such consistently high ratings from independent bodies such as the public review site Carehome.co.uk and the sector regulator the Care Quality Commission. Indeed, seven of our homes are rated Outstanding by the CQC with the rest all rated Good.

“It’s a great privilege to care for so many residents who were themselves nurses in their  professional lives and who now entrust us with responsibilities for their wellbeing in later life.”

Hundreds of our residents across our 21 care homes across the south savoured a taste of Scotland as they celebrated Burns Night in honour of 18th century bard Rabbie Burns.
Poetry recitals, songs, games, whisky tasting and dancing were the order of the day along with festive lunches and suppers featuring haggis, neeps and tatties.

Nowhere was the celebration more heartfelt than at Braemar Lodge Care Home in Salisbury.

Burns enthusiast Annie Miller, who was born and brought up in the same county, Ayrshire, as the world-famous poet, had the honour of saying the traditional pre-supper Selkirk Grace watched by fellow residents, team members and visiting guests.

Annie read out the words of the prayer: ‘Some hae meat and canna eat, And some wad eat that want it, But we hae meat and we can eat, Sae let the Lord be Thankit!’
Asked about the enduring importance of Burns Night, Annie said she had celebrated it here and overseas throughout her life, adding: “He was a young man who died in 1796, before he was 40, yet in every country of the world, more than 200 years later, his birth is celebrated.

“I am very fond of him and his poetry. He really understood people. Burns Night is a great excuse to get together.”
The ceremonial haggis was piped into Braemar Lodge by Pipe Sergeant Keith Turner of the Wiltshire Caledonian Pipes & Drums.

Wearing a kilt of Stewart Grey tartan, Keith played a rendition of Burns’ song ‘A Man’s A Man for A’ That’ and, clapped along by the assembled company, ‘Scotland The Brave’, often considered Scotland’s ‘unofficial national anthem’.
Keith said: “Burns Night is a very significant occasion, honouring one of Scotland’s best known people. It’s a unique Scottish tradition.”
He added that the Wiltshire Caledonian Pipes & Drums currently has members aged from twelve to 72 and is always on the lookout for new pipers and drummers to join.

“I’d say it generally takes a year to learn how to play the bagpipes,” Keith said.

The ceremonial address to the haggis was performed by Graham Ballard, Companionship Team Leader, who said afterwards: “It was a joy to get into the spirit of the occasion. Burns Night is a firm favourite with residents whether they are from north or south of the border.”

Among other Burns Night celebrations at Kingfishers Care Home in New Milton welcomed a performance by the New Forest Scottish Country Dancers while at Linden House Dementia Care Home in Lymington, party goers sampled the traditional Scottish dessert of Cranachan.

In Dorset meanwhile, residents at Brook View Care Home in West Moors tucked into cock-a-leekie soup and clootie dumplings along with other Scottish delicacies.

And at Whitecliffe House Care Home in Blandford, residents and team members turned a Burns poetry reading into the first meeting of a newly founded poetry club at the home.

Team members from six different countries helped Kingfishers care home celebrate a day devoted to cultural diversity.
Colleagues from India, Portugal, Thailand, China, Germany and the Philippines joined families and residents at Kingfishers in New Milton for a host of multicultural festivities.

The fun featured music, dancing, national costumes, traditional foodie treats and presentations with interesting facts about different regions and countries.

Companionship Team Leader Rose Arcellana, who is from the Philippines, said: “Our team is very cosmopolitan with staff members representing a lot of different nationalities. We thought it would be a great idea to get together and share a flavour of our backgrounds and home countries.
“The dances included a Philippine candle dance I performed with my compatriot Joy Condino, our Senior Care Lead.

“On the culinary side, our Portuguese Waitress Julieta Caires prepared a delicious dish of pork with garlic bread and potatoes served with a glass of sangria.

“This was a memorable afternoon for our residents. They loved the colour, the costumes, the dancing and the food.”

Resident Jeanne Wynn said: “It was amazing to see the staff showcasing their cultures and sharing them with us. My fellow residents and I thought it was fantastic.”

As well as the Philippines and Portugal, the countries represented were: China, by Senior Care Lead Faye Suenfa; India, by Health Carer Assistant Nanda Venugopalan; Thailand, by Health Care Assistant Noi Bayliss; and Germany, by Companionship Team member Christina Holliday.
Kingfishers Home Manager Zoe Mills said: “Having a truly multicultural team from so many backgrounds enables us to share experiences, skills and knowledge that enrich our workplace and our engagement with residents and their families. That’s certainly something to celebrate.”

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.

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.

“Optimism, exercise, holidays abroad and a daily glass of white wine” are the secrets of a long life according to Pat
Pat Dartnell revealed her recipe for longevity as the celebrated her centenary among family and friends.

Born in South Wales in 1922 just four years after the end of the First World War, Pat grew up as the middle one of three sisters, Joan being the eldest and Sheila the youngest.

Pat’s earliest childhood memories are of the trio cycling to school and going for lots of healthy walks together.

She was still a teenager when World War Two broke out and, like many others of her generation, took part in community volunteering during the war years.

In 1952 she married Les Dartnell. The couple were happily married for more than half a century and enjoyed holidays and travel in Europe, with Italy holding especially fond memories for Pat.

Les had a brother who lived in Brockenhurst and visiting him over the years eventually led to Pat and Les retiring to the New Forest and realising their wish to be near the south coast.

On her landmark birthday, Pat had a family get-together here at Kingfishers, welcoming a niece who was over from the United States.

And amid cards, flowers and cake, Pat was also the centre of attention at a celebratory afternoon tea party with fellow residents.

Rose Arcellana, Companionship Team Leader, said: “When we asked Pat for any tips on living to a great age she was quick to say you should always try to enjoy life, stay active and be optimistic. She said how much she enjoyed a social life, her holidays abroad and keeping fit through swimming and athletics. A daily glass of white wine, usually before lunch, was another of her recommendations. She’s also from a family with a history of long living so that has helped too.”

Rose added: “Pat is such a lovely lady with a highly positive attitude to life. Even at 100 years old, she enjoys being active and taking part in gentle exercise. She is a regular at our seated aerobics and yoga and when we do our armchair travel and history sessions. It was a tremendous privilege to help her celebrate and have fun on her centenary.”

Although she has now reached the great age of 100, Pat is not our oldest resident, as fellow centenarian Marjorie Nutton turned 101 in March this year.