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Getting Crafty at Charlotte Straker! ☀️

Our residents have been unleashing their inner artists this week, decorating beautiful suncatchers to brighten up their rooms and our communal areas.

Using vibrant acrylic paints everyone got stuck in and had a fantastic time expressing their creativity. It was wonderful to see the variety of designs and colours.

Joan said “these are my favourite colours and I think the turquoise goes really well with the pink.”

Nancy said “I’m painting a butterfly with some bright yellows and reds – I think it looks very pretty.”

Not only are these suncatchers a lovely decorative touch, but activities like painting can also be incredibly stimulating and beneficial for our residents. They encourage hand-eye coordination, fine motor skills, and memory recall.

We can’t wait to see what artistic creations they come up with next!

#CharlotteStraker #ElderlyCare #ArtsAndCrafts #CreativeFun #WellbeingActivities

Freya makes a splash for a good cause!

Freya Jameson, the granddaughter of our domestic assistant Kim Clarke, is taking on an amazing challenge to raise money for Charlotte Straker House.
On 1st June, she’ll be bravely swimming a whopping 64 lengths of Elswick Pool to fundraise to support our wonderful residents. Freya is only 9 and in Year 5 at Highfield Middle School, Prudhoe and is already a very talented swimmer.
Her mum Joanne Jameson said “our family has always been into fitness and Freya has shown a real talent in the swimming pool. We’ve been taking her since she was tiny and she’s always been so ambitious and keen to swim. I’m very proud of her wanting to do this challenge as this is her way of giving back to those who might need a little extra care.”
Berenice Groves, Chair of the Trustees added “It was wonderful to chat to Freya about her swimming and this amazing challenge. When Kim told us she was going to swim 64 lengths of a full-sized pool I was astonished, as it’s such a long way. We are so grateful she’s chosen to fundraise for our charity – we’ll be cheering her on all the way”.
Every penny donated will make a big difference, so please help Freya reach her goal.
You can donate securely on her fundraising page: https://rb.gy/u8kah6

We’d love your support, even if it’s just a share to spread the word!

A Blast from the Past at Charlotte Straker House

We enjoyed a lovely activities afternoon this week with a reminiscing and remembering session. We were talking about our parents and the type of advice they used to give us when we were young. Margaret said “my mum used to say ‘if the wind changes your face will stay like that’ if I looked grumpy!” Jane said she remembered being told as a child “only boring people get bored” if she complained that there was nothing to do. There was a lot of chat about teachers checking skirt lengths and not talking back and “being seen and not heard”. It was wonderful to see our residents’ faces light up as they remembered and shared their stories with us and each other.

These reminiscing sessions are such a great way to improve memory and connect with the residents on a deeper level. It’s a reminder that everyone has a rich and interesting story to tell.

#ReminiscenceTherapy #ElderlyCare #Corbridge #CareHomeLife

Staff from Charlotte Straker House Lace Up for Great North Run to Support Residents

A group of staff members from the Charlotte Straker Project are gearing up to make every stride count in support of their elderly residents.

The Charlotte Straker care home  provides exceptional care and support to elderly individuals and has inspired staff members Sam Willis, Zoe Wilson, Megan Wilson, Amy Newell, and Abbie Chisholm to take on the challenge of the iconic marathon.

“We see firsthand the impact of our work on the lives of our residents and day care visitors,” says Sam. “Running the Great North Run is not just about crossing the finish line; it’s about showing our residents that we’re with them every step of the way, both in and out of the care home.”

The team has been diligently training for the marathon, balancing their busy work schedules with rigorous running routines. Amy added “It’s hard work trying to train around our shift patterns, but we’re determined to raise as much as possible and make all our residents proud. We’re not just running for ourselves; we’re running for everyone who lives at Charlotte Straker House. They’re like family to us and it’s lovely to see them smiling and cheering us on when we tell them about our training.”

To support Megan, Amy, Sam, Zoe (not pictured) and Abbie from the Charlotte Straker Project in their Great North Run journey and contribute to their fundraising efforts, donations can be made through https://ajbellgreatnorthrun2024.enthuse.com/charlottestraker/profile or by contacting our office on 01434 633 999.

Spring Clean for Charity!

Are you doing a Spring Clean? Do you have any of the items below? We would be DELIGHTED to take them off your hands to sell and raise money at our Summer Fete on 15th June! We will be fundraising for our newly reopened community respite bed.

  • Second hand children’s toys including boardgames (no soft toys please)
  • Unopened/ items suitable for a tombola or raffle (wine, chocolates, stationery, toiletries, gift sets, jewellery, scarves, spirits, etc)

You can either bring your donations to the lobby of Charlotte Straker House, or, if you live in Corbridge and have several items, we may be able to pick up.

Please drop us a message via DM or email sally.urwin@charlottestraker.org.uk

Many thanks in advance for your generosity!

Our Community Respite Bed is reopening!

The trustees of Charlotte Straker House in Corbridge are absolutely delighted to announce that their charity funded Community Respite Care Bed will reopen from 1st May 2024.

In early 2023 Charlotte Straker House made the difficult decision to shut the bed, primarily due to the rise in costs over COVID and difficulties in fundraising.  However, due to a generous legacy, the charity is now in the position to relaunch their respite service and will be relying on future donations and grants to ensure that the bed remains available to the community.

Berenice Groves our Chair of the Trustees said, “In 2023 we promised the community that we would reopen the respite bed as soon as we could and thanks to a donor, I am absolutely delighted that we now have that option. Our staff see first-hand the pressure on carers in Northumberland and the difficulties in caring for dependent loved ones. Our respite bed is 100% free for local families and offers them a much-needed break from their caring responsibilities. We will be opening our fundraising campaign to ensure that the bed remains open.”

Charlotte Straker House will be offering free of charge short term respite care for those over 65 years of age in Northumberland. Respite residents will stay in a room with ensuite facilities, with high quality care and enjoy delicious home cooked meals and have access to our activities and outings.

To book please call 01434 633 999 or email our office on office@charlottestraker.org.uk

Our respite bed costs us over £60,000 per year. We would therefore be very grateful to receive any donations, large or small, for the upkeep of this service. Please visit www.charlottestraker.org.uk/donate/ for more details on how to donate.

 

Our Eggcellent Easter Weekend

We’ve had the BEST Easter ever at Charlotte Straker House! It was a wonderfully busy weekend and lovely to see so many families visiting and different generations enjoying their time together.

We kicked off our “eggcellent” Easter weekend with a delicious fish and chips lunch from The Angel of Corbridge – as ever, the fish was fresh, the batter light and the chips very crispy!

On Easter Saturday, Karen Cadwallader (our office manager) and Nicola Pick (head housekeeper) led a brilliant easter cookery session and made chocolate crispy nests with our residents. Nicola and Karen m

elted the chocolate and helped everyone stir it into the rice crispies and other ingredients – there was quite a lot of chocolate tasting at the same time 😊 Then it was time to decorate the little cakes with cute fluffy chicks, mini eggs and other Easter decorations. But the best bit was when it was time to sample the cakes over a cup of tea or coffee – they were so yummy they didn’t last long! Once the cakes were eaten our residents enjoyed crafting and designing “rainbow eggs” which they took back to their rooms to display. Thank you to Karen and Nicola for organising such a fun and delicious afternoon.

After a traditional Easter lunch on Sunday made by our talented kitchen team, on Easter Monday our senior care assistant Karen dressed up in probably the best costume we’ve seen for years to deliver the residents’ Easter Eggs. Karen not only rocked her easter chick costume but also gave us a rendition of a few Easter songs. We think she deserves an award for making her way to every resident’s room as well as all the communal areas as an inflatable chick – she made sure that everyone received their own easter egg as well as giving them a chance to see her costume (and hear her singing!) Residents Colin and Muriel couldn’t stop laughing and Muriel was amazed when she walked into the dining room and saw Karen doing her chicken dance. Thank you SO much to Karen for being such a good sport and being the best Easter chick we’ve ever seen.

A talk on the beautiful Isle of Arran

Our Registered Manager Pam Crawley hosted a talk about her recent holiday on the Isle of Arran in Scotland. She showed our residents some photos of the beautiful scenery, rolling hills and crystal-clear waters and described the busiest time in the village where she stayed, when the island sheep moved from one side of the road to another! The photos were beautiful and led to a great chat about everyone’s visits in the past and their memories of the island.

Painting easter stones with bunnies, chicks and penguins!

We had a very creative afternoon last week when residents and staff enjoyed an Easter session of stone painting. Led by Pauline, a member of our office team, residents Margaret G, Birgit and Margaret S used acrylic paint pens to craft some lovely designs on smooth river stones.
Our Deputy Manager Sam and Registered Nurse Jackie joined in, and helped the ladies paint penguins, bunnies, chicks and more.
Birgit said “I used to paint and be an artist. This is what I love doing. I’m a bit shaky but it’s turned out ok.” Margaret G painted a very cute rabbit design for her daughter Jane and said “Move over Van Gogh! 😊 I think Pauline and my design is just as good.” Margaret S painted a ladybird and easter chick and added, “these are very cute, although the penguin looks a bit lopsided”.
As always, our staff made a huge effort to ensure everyone had the support they needed to participate and have fun. The painted stones were varnished and will be proudly displayed in our garden or in resident rooms whilst Margaret G said she will be putting one of her designs in her bathroom 😊

Our Spring 2024 Newsletter

Click below to read our Spring newsletter, packed with the latest news, stories and information! If you would like to receive a print copy please call our office on 01434 633 999.