Burnley care home enjoys ‘The Big Summer Weekender’ with local community
Dove Court Care Home, run by HC-One, located in Burnley, Lancashire, welcomed visitors and guests from their local community to participate in this year’s Care Home Open Week celebrations from Monday, June 16 until Sunday, June 22.
The home’s main celebration events took place during Care Home Open Weekend, with the biggest festivities held on Saturday, June 21. Dove Court welcomed residents, colleagues, friends, family and the wider community to a vibrant Summer Fayre filled with activities, entertainment and community spirit.
Care Home Open Week is a national event hosted by Championing Social Care, designed to connect care homes with their local communities. The week provides care homes the opportunity to showcase their range of services, offer tours of their facilities, and highlight the engaging activities offered to residents.
HC-One’s chosen theme for this year was ‘The Big Summer Weekender’, evoking the nostalgia of classic British summer holidays with fun-filled activities that culminated in a weekend celebration.
Dove Court hosted a fantastic summer fayre featuring various attractions such as a hot food stall, tombola, bric-a-brac, hook-a-duck, lucky dip, an ice cream van, henna stall, and face painters. Stalls were a collaborative effort from Dove Court’s internal community as well as local businesses including Ragnar's Relics & Flokis Pyrography, Awaken Your Scentses, Holly’s Resin Creations, and a Tropic beauty stall.
A highlight of the day was an amazing performance by the local choir, Local Vocals. Two of Dove Court’s very own team members, Stephanie Tillotson, Wellbeing Coordinator and Cat Brierley, Home Manager, are proud members of the choir and performed alongside them during the event.
Adding to the day’s fun was Gareth Smith, a colleague at Dove Court Care Home, who bravely volunteered for the homemade stocks, giving guests the chance to throw water balloons and wet sponges at him, much to everyone’s delight!
Stephanie Tillotson, Wellbeing Coordinator at HC-One’s Dove Court Care Home expressed her gratitude, saying: “A heartfelt thank you to everyone who ran a stall or attended. A special thanks goes to Local Vocals for their fantastic performance that truly lifted spirits.”
Nicola Martin, Wellbeing Coordinator at HC-One’s Dove Court Care Home, also added: “Thank you to everyone who supported our event, especially our wonderful stallholders who helped make the day so memorable.”
Residents were full of praise for the event, with resident Marilyn Sutcliffe sharing: “I really enjoyed coming to the fayre,” and fellow resident Catherine Walton adding: “I had a great time. It was lovely seeing everyone together.”
Cat Brierley, Home Manager at HC-One’s Dove Court Care Home, said: “It was such a joy to open our doors to the local community and showcase the wonderful life we share here at Dove Court. Events like this are vital for bringing people together and reminding everyone of the support we can offer. We’re incredibly proud of our team and residents, and it was fantastic to see everyone enjoying themselves.”