“After a break from working on the nature garden to assist other team members with their exciting projects, we once again turned our attention to the nature garden. In particular the solving of the one glaring issue since work on the garden began. At present the nature garden could be accessed either side of the Cabin; these access points are fine for those who are able-bodied and confident on their feet. However to be truly accessible for everyone there needed to be an access suitable for everyone. This had been a problem that the team could not seem to solve and had been a stumbling point. However, whilst working on projects for other team members, it had dawned on the Team that there was an area big enough behind the rockery to create such a path so eureka! problem solved and the team were raring to go.

This was what faced the team and after a quick clear up of all the loose foliage the team went round the other side to clear the loose bricks and were ready to clear a path through. Nice and easy until…disaster struck!

The quick clearance job suddenly turned into seemingly mission impossible. The team, determined not to be beaten, dug around the stones to see if any further surprises were waiting and…

It seemed that the team had stumbled across an old wall buried by time and mother nature. The team felt their hearts drop to their stomachs. However, spurred on by encouragement and curiosity from the residents and staff members, they perceived to see exactly what they were faced with.

As if by magic or pure good fortune, the “wall” turned out to be lumps of ore and debris buried and compacted together through time. Piece by piece the team managed to remove the obstructions including:

This little ‘boulder’ the team named Hercules, which weighs in at a rather impressive 78kg (yes the team actually weighed it!)

The team managed to remove all the obstructions except for one rather large rock that was entwined with tree roots. The team christened that particular rock ‘Father time’ as it looked like it had been next to the tree since forever.

The team then set about burying the exposed roots and laying a dirt path down. Luckily they had recently participated in another project (more about that at a later date) which meant there was plenty of dirt to use.

So after all the hard work and effort…

The Team can proudly present the new path and access point to the nature garden.” — David Dellow, Senior Team Leader, Redcroft Care Home.

Nature Garden Creation, Third and Fourth Sessions:

“Sessions 4 and 5 saw a continuation of the process of creating a footpath through the garden to ensure everyone has access. It was heavy work, but the end results were noticeable and made the efforts worthwhile. One highlight was digging round the fallen tree and in doing so starting the process of turning this once magnificent tree into a marvellous seat.

The team also noticed that, like many pop bands before, they now have their own fan club, although instead of screaming fans the team have a devoted following of local Robins who take great delight in investigating the team’s hard work for food.

Session Six:

Session 6 was relatively short in the garden due to the unpredictable English weather (RAIN !!). However, we did manage to clear all the loose foliage from the area where there are bird bath stands. We also removed a lot of dead branches from around the large tree at the back of the garden (you could say we spent our time getting rid of a lot of deadwood) which we intend to make the centre piece of our future bird neighbourhood.

Although rain halted play in the garden, we diverted our efforts into researching actions/steps we could undertake to attract more wildlife.

Sessions Seven, Eight and Nine:

Sessions 7, 8 and 9 of our nature garden creation project were spent clearing a path to the area that will become the BBQ/Quiet area. The team worked very hard and uncovered many unexpected items such as the large rocks pictured in the first picture below. We also started work on clearing the foliage from the rockery as we have now also decided to overhaul the Sensory area and add to the hard work carried out several years ago.

To be continued! Please check back here soon.” — David Dellow, Redcroft.

Finalist for The Frontline Leader Award

 Rebecca Blackmore:

Here are some of the things that our manager Sharron and the team have to say about Bex:

Rebecca who is known as Bex started working in our company in 2014.

Caring, compassionate and focused on helping and supporting people to be the best they can possibly be.

One of her strengths is also her cooking ability. Utilising this skill Bex is able to support individuals with healthy eating. She uses aids such as easy read menu’s and supportive technology, supporting individuals to understand the types of foods in their meals and understanding healthy options.

Bex has also inspired the individuals during house meetings to: choose a country, plan shopping lists, discuss a menu from the country, discuss utensils needed to make the meal, along with looking up information with individuals regarding the culture or the country. This will culminate once a month with the  person preparing the meal and hosting a lovely party. This creative use of skills in enhancing peoples lives and teaching independent living skills is wonderful and a real credit to Bex.

Her confidence has grown immensely, and this has transpired into Bex working and now achieving a senior role within Redcroft, taking on extra responsibilities such as Fire Marshal. Along with supporting staff as our advocate for dysphasia, oral health and supporting staff to be more confident in themselves.

She goes the extra mile when it comes to looking for fun ways to raise money for charities; Bex has helped to raise money for Macmillan, Red Nose Day and local Dorset charities. She rallies the residents round and gets them fully involved which gives people a sense of purpose and well-being. Bex has helped to raise awareness of these good causes and wanted the people she supports to feel a part of that experience. She is a shining example of a brilliant support worker and we are proud to nominate her for this award.

Thank you Bex for everything you do and we are all very proud of you.

The National Learning Disabilities & Autism Awards offer a unique opportunity to showcase and celebrate the successes of individuals, teams and businesses in the learning disabilities and autism sector – people and organisations who really do make a positive impact on people’s lives. They aim to pay tribute to people who specifically support those with learning disabilities and autism and recognise inspirational individuals with a learning disability and/or autism who make a real difference within their communities.

— Romaine Lawson, Director of Operations

This will be the first of our brand new pop-up events which will include things such as informative and educational sessions, dance, shopping, music and theatre with the first event already booked for next week:

The Land Girls are a fabulous duo who have appeared on The Voice and will be entertaining our troops not only with 1940s classics but with songs from a variety of acts including Abba and various genres. We are so thrilled to welcome The Land Girls to entertain at our first pop-up event.

(Pop-up events are temporary, unexpected events in unique spaces. They pop up and, after a few hours or days, they pop down. By definition, most events are temporary and each one we do will be different to the last.)

— Jane Montrose, Managing Director, Apple House care homes.

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