We love to keep active at Hope Green and Balloon Tennis is one of our favourite games to enjoy together. With music on in the background too we find ourselves singing whilst playing. Always with lots of laughter and smiles, it's a great way of keeping ourselves moving and building friendships. Fun and friendship is a great combination and very important to us. 

Residents have been busy making colourful shakers and masquerade masks for our Mardi Gras themed party scheduled for the 26th of May. The carnival shakers were made from loo roll, paper towel and Pringle tubes. These were then filled with dried rice, decorated with free wallpaper samples and embellished with feathers, flowers, coloured tape and gems. We had a donation of black masquerade masks which we painted with coloured glitter glue and decorated with bright feathers and coloured gems. 

Bowerfield House has enjoyed a beach day today while listening to the Cliff Richard song Summer Holidays. Carers Vicky and Joan waited at our new bus stop for the bus to take them to the beach. Our residents enjoyed touching the sand and feeling it between their toes and touching the shells. After the beach we enjoyed a toffee latte while watching the film Summer Holiday. Residents and staff had a fantastic morning and we chatted about the different holidays we have had over the years. We all had a great day. 

Parkview House promoted World Hand Hygiene Day recently with the people who live and work at the home. The "Save Lives: Clean Your Hands global campaign", launched in 2009 and is celebrated annually on 5th May (World Hand Hygiene Day), aims to maintain global promotion, visibility and sustainability of hand hygiene in health care and to 'bring people together' in support of hand hygiene. 

Everyone who lives and works at Princess Lodge celebrated International Nurses Day with style with gifts and pizza. It was a day to thank all of the amazing nurses, not just at Princess Lodge but across the world for their continued support, dedication and kindness. 

There has to be a special mention to the fabulous Head Chef Shushma Gurung for making this stunning cake. 

With International Nurses Day falling in the same week as Mental Health Awareness Week, we have everyone's mental health in our hearts. We have touched base with everyone to ask 'How are you?'. We also handed out lots of little sweet treats to remind everyone - 'YOU ARE NOT ALONE'. Now more than ever we need to find ways to stay connected with our friends. No one should feel alone, or without the information, support and help they need. Happy Nurses Day. 

Outdoors or indoors, there is always time to enjoy a spot of gardening. We plant and grow everything from bright flowers to green ferns. 

Riverview are excited to announce that they were runners up in a competition to find the best Care Home in Reading. The competition was organised by Dunelm who invited the community to vote for the best home. It was a tough competition but Riverview are proud to announce that they were awarded second place. A representative from Dunelm visited to deliver a prize which included garden games. 

We have another great artist among our residents - Hilda (also known as Babs) often draws in her room and recently her friend delivered some of her paintings to her that she has done over the years. I think you will agree she is amazing! We will proudly display her paintings around the home.

Our residents enjoyed a relaxing session of floral arranging, using miniature window boxes and adding artificial flowers then decorating them with ladybird stickers.