Our Winter 2023 Newsletter is now live! Please click below to read the latest news from Charlotte Straker House, updates on our fundraising, photos of our outings and activities and a Christmas message from the Chair of the Trustees.
Our Parkinson’s Class was a big hit! Karen Dover, our instructor (now nicknamed “Mrs Dovernator”), welcomed seven people to her class, which was designed as a gentle introduction to exercise for those with mobility issues.
She said “I wanted to make the first session nice and relaxed and concentrate on stretching and very gentle movements. And after the class it was great to enjoy a coffee and a chat.”
Cheryl Kennedy, Home Manager added “we’re really pleased, that due to the grant from Parkinson’s UK, we can offer this class to benefit our residents and the local community. It was great to see several people visiting Charlotte Straker House for the first time and being able to introduce them to our residents and staff. We’re hoping the classes will continue to be popular into 2024 and beyond.”
The photo shows Karen Dover and resident Joan relaxing after the class.
Our volunteer Jen is organising a regular “Knit and Natter” session at our care home for any resident who would like to come and share knitting hints and tips, swap patterns, and chat about their crafts and hobbies. Isobel, our day care resident, brought along some bright knitted squares and we enjoyed matching and choosing the colours to make a knitted blanket. Eileen and Jen showed us the different ways you could cast on stitches (using your thumb or making a double stitch), and Birgit started work on a square using some bright blue wool. There was lots of chat and laughter! Nancy said, “I can’t knit a thing, but I’d like to choose some of the colours for the blanket.” Isobel enjoyed matching the bottle green and bright red squares to make a Christmassy design, and Margaret explained how she did a lot of knitting when her children were small. Thank you to Jen for hosting the session – we look forward to seeing how the blanket progresses!
We held a Christmas Card Competition for the children at the Corbridge Youth Initiative to design the Charlotte Straker 2023 Christmas cards. The children sent in some wonderful drawings and paintings, and the winning design, painted by Tyler White (aged 9) was chosen by our residents to be on the front of our 2023 Christmas Cards. The runners up were Molly Hancock and Darcy Penny.
Berenice Groves said “Our residents were so impressed with the cards, especially the designs including happy penguins, choir singers and smiling sprouts! Thank you to the Corbridge Youth Initiative for helping organise the competition and to everyone who entered. We’re delighted to offer a prize to both Tyler, Molly and Darcy, and we’d like to thank them very much for their designs.”
TO BUY: The cards are in packs of five and each pack will be sold for £2 in aid of the Charlotte Straker Project – if you would like to order/buy a pack please ring our office on 01434 633 999 (option 1) or email sally.urwin@charlottestraker.org.uk
The cards are also being sold at the Corbridge Youth Initiative Christmas Fair on Saturday 25th November from 10 am to 1 pm – please pop in to pick up your pack!
The photo shows Darcy, Tyler, plus CYI Youth Worker John Farrer and our Marketing and Fundraising Manager Sally Urwin
Thank you to our supporters Paul and Cynthia Davidson who funded a recent trip to the Glasshouse International Centre for Music to watch a ‘Hollywood’s Greatest Hits’ concert.
Along with members of staff and our volunteers, (including Paul and Cynthia themselves!) we enjoyed a fabulous show with hit songs from the Hollywood years including ‘Singin’ in the Rain’, ‘Over the Rainbow’, ‘High Society’, and ‘They Can’t Take That Away From Me’ all performed by a 70-piece orchestra.
Margaret S said, “I loved the music, and we had such good seats that I had a great view of the stage.” Muriel added “I knew most of the songs and I’ve always liked music from the old films. The bus company was so helpful making sure we got on and off the bus safely.” Christine commented “it was rather magical, hearing all the music and the orchestra was very, very good. Everyone worked so hard to make sure we had a good day. I think I’d like to go to another concert, as I really enjoyed this one.”
Berenice said “The concert was a definite highlight of our year so far! Thank you so much to Paul and Cynthia for their generosity in funding the trip. Their support, and the hard work of our volunteers and staff members meant that a group of our residents were able to enjoy an exciting trip and watch a wonderful show. The concert will be a topic of conversation for many weeks at Charlotte Straker House! I’d also like to thank Andrew from Primrose Coaches for his help and support on the day – he made sure the transport to and from the Glasshouse was as smooth as possible.”
As part of our top-secret preparations for the Corbridge Church Christmas Tree Festival in December (!), our residents had a wonderful time making their own handmade soap with care assistant Jodie and volunteer Sue.
The residents started by choosing their favourite scents and colours for their soap. Then, they carefully measured and mixed the ingredients together. Once the mixture was ready, they poured it into moulds and let it set. They enjoyed learning about the different ingredients and steps involved in the soap-making process, and they were all very proud of their finished bars.
Thank you to Jodie for teaching us all a new skill and for all the residents for joining in and having great fun!
#carehome #handmade #soapmaking #newskills
Our residents had a wonderful time visiting The Sill: National Landscape Discovery Centre in Northumberland recently. They enjoyed learning about the unique landscape and culture of the region and loved the beautiful views from the rooftop walk.
We started by exploring the exhibitions in the visitor centre. We learned about the history of Hadrian’s Wall and the wildlife that can be found locally. Our resident Peter enjoyed inspecting a 3D map of the area and discussing the geology and history of the Northumberland National Park.
After exploring the exhibitions, the residents had coffee in the Sill café and a chat about the sad felling of the tree at Sycamore Gap, which led to a long discussion why someone would want to damage such a well known and beautiful landmark.
The residents had a wonderful time visiting The Sill. They learned a lot about the Northumberland National Park and the Hadrian’s Wall World Heritage Site. Thanks to all the Sill staff who looked after us, plus our staff and volunteers.
Our residents had a wonderful time enjoying a Japanese food tasting afternoon last week! They were able to try a variety of different dishes, including sushi, bao buns, and gyoza. Many of the residents said they had never tried Japanese food before, but they were all very impressed and enjoyed trying the new flavours.
One resident, Margaret G, said that she particularly enjoyed spicy chicken and the cakes, whilst Birgit told us “I lived in Japan 41 years ago, but I can’t remember trying much of the local food”. John told us he loves Japanese food, especially as his son currently lives in Hong Kong . “It made a lovely change. It was delicious!” Isobel, our day care resident said, “I’m not so sure of the taste, but it’s good to try something different.”
We were so glad to see our residents enjoying themselves and trying new things. We hope to do more food tasting events in the future so that they can continue to experience different cultures and cuisines.
#carehome #japanesefood #tastingafternoon #newexperiences
We have won a grant of £1000 from Parkinson’s UK to set up a free regular exercise class for people with Parkinson’s!
Tailored to meet the specific needs of those affected by the condition, the class will be held twice a month at Charlotte Straker House and includes coffee and a chat. Non-residents can attend by paying £7 per session.
The first class is on Tuesday 21st November at 2pm and booking is essential.
Cheryl Kennedy, our Home Manager said: “We are deeply grateful to Parkinson’s UK for awarding us this grant. We wanted to create a welcoming physical activity programme for the local community, as well as our residents. This class is designed to help improve balance, mobility, strength, and overall fitness. The grant also means we can advertise the class to the general public, buy fitness equipment and create a dedicated regular space to support the unique needs of people living with Parkinson’s.”
Linny Rubra, Area Development Manager North at Parkinson’s UK, added: “We are thrilled to be able to support the Charlotte Straker Project in setting up this new class. We know this exercise programme will not only improve people’s health but by providing a supportive social environment will help participants to connect with others who understand their challenges. Regularly joining in these classes can help people living with Parkinson’s to manage their symptoms, improve their wellbeing and maintain their independence. There aren’t many activities tailored to those with Parkinson’s in this area, so we’re delighted to support the Charlotte Straker Project in launching this new initiative.”
To book your place at the first class on 21st November at 2pm or find out more, please call 01434 633 999 (option 1) or email office@charlottestraker.org.uk
The Charlotte Straker Project
Charlotte Straker, Cookson Close
Corbridge, NE45 5HB
01434 633999
office@charlottestraker.org.uk
