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

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.

Our volunteer Jen led a flower arranging workshop in our dining room. After choosing which flowers to use, residents made some gorgeous table decorations with roses, chrysanthemums, daisies and armloads of greenery. Our residents enjoyed the colours and fragrances of the flowers, and some told us about how they had been enthusiastic flower arrangers in the past.  Thank you very much to Jen for bringing all the flowers and teaching us how to make beautiful displays.

We are delighted to announce that The Charlotte Straker Project has been chosen to be part of the Coop Local Community Fund.

This means that Coop Members (no matter where they live) can select the Charlotte Straker Project as their chosen charity and then with every purchase of Coop branded goods and services, we will receive 1p for every £1 spent. And once you’ve selected your charity it doesn’t matter which Coop store you visit – we will still receive your donation!

The Coop Local Community Fund will last for 12 months until October 24th and we will be promoting it throughout the year, to maximise the amount of donations we receive.

We are raising money for activities and resources connected to our new day care service – so please read the attached poster and help by signing up to be a Coop member and selecting the Charlotte Straker Project as your chosen charity.