Mar 2020
Care home craftsmen group welcome new member!
From beer bottle openers to bird feeders residents at a Bicester care home are taking orders for the hand-made household items they make during weekly activity sessions.
The Journeymen, a group of male residents at Langford View, part of The Orders of St John Care Trust (OSJCT), have been selling their products to help boost the home’s fundraising appeal to buy an interactive activities table for people living with dementia.
Members of the group assemble and paint a range of items made from metal and wood, including bird houses, picture hook plaques, coat hooks and coasters.
The Journeymen got a helping hand when they were recently joined by Dan Hayes, the Chief Executive of OSJCT.
Mr Hayes said he was “stunned” by the quality and variety of products they had made.
He added: “What I loved the most was seeing the way that the activity was there to bring together these men who have gone on to become firm friends, interested in each other’s pasts, skills, interests and, of course, their collective future plans.
“It was my privilege to join The Journeymen for the afternoon and I am profoundly grateful to everyone who has made this magical group happen.”
The group is run by Langford View Activities Co-ordinator Beverley Cotton and was set up last year as a way of encouraging male residents to take part in activities.
Ms Cotton said: “We’re always looking for ways in which we can bring joy to residents’ lives every day through stimulating, engaging activities and experiences. The Journeymen group is one of the ways in which we do this, and we believe a magic table would help us provide more of these opportunities for residents.”
If you would like to place an order for an item made by The Journeymen, contact Langford View on 01869 252343 or you can donate to the home’s interactive table fundraising campaign by visiting www.justgiving.com/campaign/langford-view-interactive-table