‘Every little helps’ at Phil Mead House
Phil Mead House held a Euros-theme tea party in July with cakes and raffle prizes donated by Tesco, as the result of a successful partnership between the home and its local stores in Walsgrave.
The partnership began when Phil Mead House’s activities coordinator, Hetty Francis, approached Tesco Community Champions, Melissa Hazell and Jayne Pepper, for prizes for the home’s 2023 Christmas raffle. Since then, Tesco has supplied the home with a whole host of donations, including Easter eggs and hot cross buns at Easter, flowers for the residents’ rooms and plants for the garden.
An additional benefit has been Tesco’s excellent links with local childminders and toddler groups, whom Hetty has invited in for weekly stay and play sessions. “Our residents love interacting with the kids,” says manager Lesley Costello, “and we can see significant improvements in their mood and general wellbeing as a result.”
The children were invited to the tea party, and there were also appearances from some alpacas, which delighted residents and guests alike.
Resident Emily McErlean said, “I thought the party was beautiful. I loved to see how the little children reacted to the animals.”
Melissa says, “Phil Mead House is certainly one of the more vibrant care homes we have visited and it has been especially lovely to see the residents get to know the children who come in and enjoy their time together.”
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