Care Home Open Week is an annual summer event where our homes run events for friends and supporters in their local communities. After two years of online events, 2022 saw a welcome return to activities in person. Were you one of the visitors?

Hundreds of visitors went to one or more events in OSJCT homes and gardens. These included Meet the Manager, Cheese and Wine, a resident Art Exhibition, Pimm’s and entertainment in the garden, animal visits, coffee morning with raffle, popular entertainers, pamper days and quizzes.

Care Home Open Week is organised nationally by Championing Social Care, a volunteer-led group of social care sector leaders. Its aim is to enrich the lives of care home residents by engaging communities and inviting them to meet residents and the care workers that care for them.

Activities included:

A Wimbledon themed afternoon at Watersmead in Westbury where residents and visitors enjoyed homemade scones topped with fresh cream and strawberries, washed down with a refreshing mocktail Pimm’s.

Chloe’s Farm animals visited residents and family members at a garden event at Willowcroft in Salisbury. Everyone enjoyed meeting the animals, which included a goat, a donkey, a pony, rabbits, and guinea pigs, in the sunshine.

Larkrise Care Centre in Banbury hosted children from the local St Mary’s play group. Residents and children loved the visit during which they sang songs and completed puzzles together.

Whitefriars in Stamford celebrated Care Home Open Week with plenty of colour. Staff and residents dressed up in bright clothes. Tracy, a member of the kitchen team, made pretty cakes for a fancy afternoon tea which residents and visitors enjoyed with vintage tea dance music.

Edwardstow Court Care Centre, Stow on the Wold, held a Teddy Bears’ Picnic.

Goodson Lodge shared messages from residents about what they love about living at the Trowbridge care home.

The Trust collaborated with Oxfordshire County Council on a joint press release and video, highlighting events in OSJCT homes across the county.

A Home Manager represented OSJCT in an online session with civil servants from the Department of Health and Social Care.