June is Great Outdoors Month, and as soon as the sun has got its hat on, many of us are also quick to put on our bucket and sun hats and head out for a picnic!
Many of the residents and staff at our homes love the great outdoors all year round, and we wanted to share a few of our favourite stories from just some of the adventures that they have been on together, and some of the beautiful outdoor spaces right on their doorstep.
Residents and staff at Brambles are all nature enthusiasts and they love spending time in the great outdoors.
For their staff team building day during Great Outdoors Month this month, they invited Edens Forest based in Huddersfield to come teach them some campfire classic skills and activities!
Staff got involved in:
Shannon Sweeney, Registered Manager at the Brambles commented:
“The team worked extremely well together, they all used their abilities and chose to support where they felt most confident. They all succeeded at the tasks whilst having a laugh.
“We all love the outdoors here at Brambles. We go out on regular walks on the weekend, enjoy trips out, and we have recently been to Lotherton Hall. We also have one child who attends brownies every Monday in the local community.”
Bonding experiences at Hollybank are extremely important for improving communication between staff members and residents.
A local Street Bikes initiative, which involves staff members from Hollybank riding a bike attached to a wheelchair that one of our residents is using, encourages active communication between staff and residents.
The activity lets residents communicate when they are ready for staff to start peddling, and communication is generally ongoing during the ride, so that staff can ensure that they are peddling at the preferred pace of our residents.
Sometimes residents and staff need a place to retreat to so that they can unwind from weekend adventures. The summerhouse at Sycamores is an ideal spot for picnics, BBQs and shaking and stirring cocktails, but its doors are always open for a quiet chat or pampering activities such as nail painting.
This idyllic wooden hut at the bottom of the garden lets the sun in so that residents at Sycamores who escape there for a moment of relaxation can catch a ray or two.
Diane McDermott, Activity Coordinator at the home, organises mindful activities that offer a space for residents to talk about whatever is on their mind, whether that be what they are looking forward to over the next week or so, or anything they have been struggling with emotionally or physically
Hollybank Trust is a registered Charity: 1043129
