Caring Homes Marks World Stroke Day With Fundraising Events And Activities
To mark World Stroke Day, we celebrated the partnership between the Stroke Association and Caring Homes with a day of fundraising and the chance to encourage greater stroke awareness.
The Stroke Association provides specialist support, funds critical research and campaigns for people affected by stroke. A key goal is to ensure that everyone affected by stroke has access to the support they need, and the Stroke Association’s work with care homes helps both organisations to develop relationships with their local communities.
Raising Awareness with Events and Activities in our Homes
World Stroke Day on October 29th gave our teams and residents the chance to put stroke awareness on the map as they hosted a range of activities. Here are just some of the events held across the group:
Broadbridge Park ran a bingo night - a residents’ favourite - where families and friends, members of the community and local Stroke Association volunteers joined in the fun. Refreshments, a delicious cheese and charcuterie buffet and prizes for the lucky winners made the evening sociable as well successful. Mandy Jones, Stroke Association Coordinator, said, “Thank you to all involved in hosting the bingo night and the generous donation raised for the Stroke Association on World Stroke Day. We are so grateful for the warm welcome we always receive at Broadbridge Park and the ongoing relationship we are building with each other”.
Brooklyn House dedicated their regular ‘Quiz & Chips’ to World Stroke Day. The quiz, played over three rounds which included stroke awareness questions, was won by reigning champions Rays Angels by one point! Afterwards, everyone tucked into well-deserved fish and chip suppers and took part in a raffle to boost funds for the Stroke Association.
Benson House residents got involved in decorating batches of delicious cupcakes which had been specially baked for the event. They were thoroughly enjoyed by visitors to the home on World Stroke Day, with contributions to the Stroke Association generously donated in return for a sweet treat!
Meanwhile, Laverstock Care Centre proudly went purple for World Stroke Day as residents, staff, and friends came together to raise funds and increase awareness of the signs and prevention of stroke. The centre was a sea of purple with residents and team members wearing the Stroke Association’s key colour as they welcomed visitors to the centre.
The Orchard hosted a cake sale in their bistro, featuring five delicious creations made by Head Chef Rod and his team — Coffee & Walnut, Lemon Drizzle, Red Velvet, Chocolate Fudge, and a classic Victoria Sponge. Residents, relatives, friends and visitors dropped by to enjoy a slice of cake and a cup of tea while making generous donations to support the Stroke Association.
Blenheim Court invited visitors to learn more from their informative display around stroke. The team was excited to share news of the launch of their Stroke Friendship Café next month, where anyone affected by stroke will be able to find support, share experiences, and enjoy a friendly chat over a cuppa and freshly baked cakes.
Castle View on the Isle of Man hosted a Silent Auction on behalf of the Stroke Association which featured some fabulous prizes kindly donated by local suppliers.
And Parris Lawn went all out with a Halloween-inspired event where witches hats were the accessory of the day for residents, and pumpkin carving was just a warm-up for the main event - a Live Auction. Residents, families and guests - including Lynn Vincent from the Stroke Association South East - raised their paddles to bid for lots which included artwork created by Parris Lawn’s residents and Wellbeing team, with all proceeds donated to the Stroke Association fund.
An Exciting Partnership between Caring Homes and the Stroke Association
The collaboration between the Stroke Association and Caring Homes is seeing stroke awareness training being given to staff all 21 homes across the UK - a 2 hour session that includes recognising signs and symptoms of stroke, the effects of stroke, positioning for stroke survivors and an overview of local resources available to support stroke survivors living in care homes. Training has already been completed in many of our Caring Homes and the Stroke Association is working closely with all our homes as we aim to set up Stroke Friendship Cafes across the group.
The Benefit of Stroke Friendship Cafes
Hosting Stroke Friendship Cafes is a priority for all our homes. It’s a way of bringing together residents who are stroke survivors, their families and anyone from the local community who would benefit from meeting in a safe and welcoming environment. It’s an opportunity for us to share our expertise but also for conversations to begin naturally between stroke survivors or those who would like to learn more.
Check the Events page on the Caring Homes website to find out where and when our regular Stroke Friendship Cafes - and a range of other community-focused events - are being held.
