Blooming Marvelous

It is well documented that being outdoors surrounded by nature or even spending time in the garden can benefit the body and mind and provide healing properties. Gardening has so much potential for people with defined mental health needs or those simply looking for a new hobby, offering an enormous range of activities and options, more so than any other type of therapeutic activity. There’s growing evidence that it can benefit our mental health, an essential consideration when many have been mentally affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.

For the elderly in particular, gardening can be highly beneficial, as it can aid muscle strength and joints, improve relaxation, and enhance overall well-being. And that’s why Avery’s care homes are purpose-built with beautiful, landscaped gardens, equipped with raised beds, bird feeders, herb planters and potting sheds, which residents can take full advantage of all year round.

Recognising the importance of gardening for the elderly, Avery’s Well-being and Activities team host their own competition each year, ‘Avery in Bloom’. Run throughout the summer; the competition sets out to find the best gardening display across our homes. All residents are encouraged to participate, whether they have an eye for colour, artistic flair, a love for gardening, or simply want to join in the fun. This year’s categories included, Best Overall Impression, Fancy Flower Pot and Grow Your Own Micro Herb Garden.

With the tough job of deciding who came out on top from an impressive 25 entries were Sharon Winfield, Chief Operating Officer, Lisa Soper, Deputy Chief Operating Officer, and Zahid Kahn, Head of Wellbeing. Speaking of the exceptional standards from this year’s entries, Zahid commented, “I know these have

Our residents were jumping for joy after becoming one of the winning homes for Avery in Bloom this year.

been difficult times for everyone. It’s nice to see that Avery in Bloom has brought people together to share ideas, build relationships, smile and have some fun!”

Best Overall Impression

Cliftonville Care Home, Northampton

Astbury Manor Care Home, Bracknell

Loxley Park Assisted Living, Sheffield

Fancy Flower Pot

Hawthorns Aldridge Care Home, Aldridge

Amarna House Care Home, York

Aran Court Care Home, Birmingham

To their delight, the winners from each category were presented with gardening vouchers to spend on new plants and materials, enabling them to grow their beautiful displays further. Speaking of their win, Cliftonville Care Home Manager, Rex Pudol said, “Our residents were jumping for joy after becoming one of the winning homes for Avery in Bloom this year. They loved coming together to share their creativity and see their ideas bloom! Plans have already begun to make sure next year is even bigger and better.”

Grow Your Own Micro Herb Garden

Grove Park Care Home, Leeds

Derby Heights Care Home, Derby

Astbury Manor Care Home, Bracknell

Care in the Heart of Shakespeare’s Town

It doesn’t matter which way you approach the town of Stratford-upon-Avon, you will enter quintessentially English streets with Tudor facades, exposed timber posts and white panelling that epitomises our vision of William Shakespeare’s home town.

Tucked away in a secure street is Scholars Mews Care Home, its small entrance hides a large, modern 63-bed care home that feels like it’s created its own space. The reception area is large and bright and opens out onto sunny corridors and equally welcoming lounges where the residents come together to engage in activities.

Stratford-upon-Avon is indeed visited by thousands of international visitors every year, but it still feels like a small English town. It’s no surprise that Scholars Mews Home Manager, Rukmi Silva, and her team don’t need to go far to find interesting and an ever-changing host of entertainment on their doorstep. The town has some of the most famous tourist sites in the UK, all homage to the playwright’s life, but there is a local community spirit with many fetes, events and festivals bringing people together throughout the year.

Rukmi, known in the care sector for bringing Care Quality Commission (CQC) rated ‘Good’ homes to ‘Outstanding’, says a large part of a happy home is living and working together within the community. She says, “Our town is really important to us. Most of our staff are local, and we are fortunate to have so many interesting things to see and do with our residents. We have a big family feel here at Scholars Mews.”

Shakespeare Fact File

Shakespeare was lucky to survive the plague.

As an infant, he was surrounded by more than 200 people in his local area. William was very lucky to make it out of infancy, but the plague would haunt his life for years to come - it’s thought his son, Hamnet, died from the disease.

VIP Father

Shakespeare was no stranger to a bit of pomp and ceremony. His father, John Shakespeare, was a glovemaker for high socialites of the day and then rose to become mayor of Stratford with all its glamour. His social standing would have helped with William’s excellent education.

AWOL Will

He may be our most celebrated writer ever, but historians have no idea where Shakespeare was for a significant period of his life. 1585 to 1592 are known as the “lost years”, and it’s particularly frustrating because knowing what happened during this time would reveal how Shakespeare went from an unknown man in Stratford to a major figure in London’s artistic scene.

The Country Bumpkin

When the young Shakespeare came head-to-head with London’s poets and playwrights, there was a fair share of handbags at dawn with one character, Robert Greene, describing young Will as an “upstart crow, beautified with our feathers” - the “our” meaning more established writers. He was accusing Shakespeare, a provincial peasant, of swanning in and stealing their glory. And that he did.

His Grave is Cursed

Shakespeare is buried in a church in Stratford, and there’s a good reason his body has remained undisturbed. A rather eerie epitaph promises to bring bad luck to anyone who dares to open it up, saying, “Blessed be the man that spares these stones, And cursed be he that moves my bones.” The words are thought to have been written by Shakespeare himself and intended to ward off the graverobbers who plundered corpses during his era.