Hope Green celebrated June together with a gathering of flowers from the garden and good conversations with the gardeners who did a fantastic job. It was wonderful to walk together, pick flowers, identify as many of them as we could, and decorate our dining room tables with lovely posies. What a great way of spending time together. We showed so much creativity and will definitely be doing this again soon.

Our last stop on our armchair travel around the UK was Northern Ireland. We visited both the Giant's Causeway and Dunluce Castle in County Antrim, and the many places in Belfast including the Ulster Museum, the Botanical Gardens and Belfast Castle. We also enjoyed listening to some traditional Irish folk music, chatting about places that we'd visited in Ireland whilst enjoying our Tayto and Guinness flavoured crisps and learning how to pronounce beautiful Irish names such as Conchobhar and Caoimhe. 

Although living in Cornwall you get used to the stunning scenery, just once in a while the view makes you stop. On a day when the sky is as blue as the sea in the distance and a view like this from the gardens of Windmill Court you have to take a minute to appreciate what is on our doorstep. 

In May, we were delighted to see so many of our homes making a special effort to celebrate International Nurses Day. It certainly was the ideal opportunity to show our nursing staff how grateful we all are for their wonderful work.

Red Rose Day was celebrated at Ashmead recently. In addition to the beautifully made and presented "rose" cakes for all residents to enjoy in afternoon tea, all residents were given an individual rose each to symbolise care from all the staff team. 

Minster Grange care home is undergoing a transformation with new staff in seven key roles bringing fresh energy and ideas and heralding exciting changes.

From the first face you see on reception, to the menus, to the leadership team, things are shifting at the 62-bed home in Clifton, York, which offers nursing care for disabled young people, residential dementia care, nursing care, and dementia nursing care.

The gradual ‘opening up’ of society after lockdown has seen the long-awaited return of indoor visits, more visitors, trips out and greater contact between family members and friends across our care homes, as we all learn to live alongside Covid.

Delma Dela Cruz, manager at Amber Court in Marton on the outskirts of Blackpool, is among the regional finalists in the Great British Care Awards. Delma was nominated in the ‘Palliative/end of life category’ at the prestigious North West Great British Care Awards 2020 in recognition of her inspirational person-centred approach and her drive to make things better for the individuals in her care through every small action and day-to-day tasks.

The awards ceremony, rescheduled from last year, will take place in Manchester on Thursday 8th July 2021. Good luck Delma!

A  312,000 refurbishment project at Monread Lodge Care Home in Knebworth has been completed, with interior designed spaces, luxury furnishings, sumptuous fabrics, and warm colours creating an elegant inviting environment.

The work has transformed the dining room, two conservatories, four lounges, and 20 of the bedrooms, as well as the on-site hairdressers and coffee lounge.

The care home’s 16-bed dedicated dementia unit, Knebworth Court, was also renovated as part of the project.

Congratulations to Jo Burgess who celebrated 26 years of working at Bowerfield Court in Stockport in March. Having started as a kitchen assistant more than a quarter of a century ago, Jo is now a people’s champion care assistant and says she considers everyone living and working at Bowerfield Court as her family. Everyone enjoyed some non-alcoholic fizz and snacks to celebrate! Well done Jo!