Colleagues at Barnby Court care home, in Barnby Moor, for the last two years have donated their fund Christmas money to a local charity or people who are in need. Last year they donated to BARK animal rescue centre and this year Colleagues agreed that the local Primary School, would be receiving this year’s donation.
The children and staff at Ranskil Primary school have previously visited the home and done artwork and garden games with the Residents. During the first lockdown, they sent letters and postcards to the Residents and Colleagues, as well as making decorations for the garden to cheer everyone up. At Christmas, they made every Resident a card and also made mince pie boxes for the Residents as a gift.
The school’s library is very outdated and needed some up to date books, so Colleagues donated their £110, and Stephanie the admin and her children who go to this school, went and bought some books for the library.
Mrs Throsell, Headteacher was very overwhelmed by the generosity of the staff and couldn't wait to show the children; she is pictured with two students at the primary school.
Night Carer, Gemma, remarked, “These children are so deserving of these new books, I loved reading the letters to the Resident.”
Margaret ‘Mags’ Greaves, Home Manager, said, “Their letters made us all smile and kept us going through a very tough time, we wanted to make them smile too.”
Ellis and Bronya, the administrator at the home’s children, are aged 9 and 5, and they had a massive input into what books they would like to see in their library and chose a variety of books for different ages within the school.
Also, this month turned more negative news into a positive. One Colleaue, Stephanie, pictured, was due to get married on New Year’s Eve, however it got cancelled 18 hours before as Nottinghamshire was placed into Tier 4.
However, Colleagues came together to throw Stephanie a surprise hen party with the Residents, as the original hen do was also cancelled due to Covid.
Stephanie commented, “It was a lovely surprise and the Residents joined in with the games and filling in marriage advice cards for me, and we had a little drink too which was fab!”
Colleague Kerry Peake, along with Mags arranged the event and sneaked out to get balloons and games whilst Stephanie was busy.
"It was a lovely surprise for me, I had no idea they were planning this, I didn't think I would get a hen do so this was so thoughtful!”
Maggie-Ann, a Resident at the home, said “Don't do it, stay single!”
Kerry commented, “Stephanie was upset when her hen do was cancelled back in the November lockdown, we wanted her to have a little party!”
A great time was had by all!