For everyone at Voyage Care Winter 2021
Grea t
rea
tog et
to
d
her
exclusive!
Day in the life find out how Lynne fills her day with kindness Page 16
P lus!
fill your cup
Fill your cup
Take a look at how our services have been filling their cups with positivity!
Read more on Page 6
One of a kind Ayesha’s mission to get fit and feel great Pages 12 & 13
2
Inside
8
A promise to our planet 8 What does kindness mean to you?
10
Furry friends
18
How did Brook Lodge overcome a flood?
20
10
20 Answers:
1: C 2: B 3: D 4: A
s This issue’s helper
18
Some of the stories in this magazine came from... Lynne from our Roselea service
Pamela McLean, Service Manager at Abbey Gardens We couldn’t have done it without you!
Our cover star this issue is Ayesha from Longmore Road!
Welcome
Social
A big welcome to our fir st Zest of 2021! 2020 was a year like no other, and I’m sure many of us will be finding the start of the new year difficult too. But there is hope on the horizon and we can get through this toge we stay active, find the go ther, if od in every day and show kindness to the people around us. This issue of Zest is all ab out kindness. Being kind to others, an d yourself, is so important especially in times like these. Our ‘Fill Your Cup’ campaign is full of ideas to help yo u feel good and help you deal with th e struggles lockdown can bring. Visit Hive for the toolkit – we’d love to se e photos and videos of you joining in the fun! This issue is packed with stories about how our incredible serv ices have been keeping themselves activ e during lockdown – it’s great to see you getting creative and mak ing special memories together! As always we’d love to kn ow what you think, so get in touch an d let communications@voyage us know: care.com. Jayne Chief Operating Officer
Read more on
hive
This logo means you can find out more on Hive, so keep a lookout for it while you’re reading!
3
corner
We have shared lots of fun and smiles with our followers recently! From playing in the snow to a gadgetthemed birthday party, it looks like you’ve all been having the best time! Andrew Tony
185 likes 8 shares
20 likes 3 shares
Keep checking our social channels to see what everyone has been up to! Send your news, photos and videos to communications@voyagecare.com and we’ll try to share as much as we can!
w, Why not give us adyf?ollo if you don’t alrea
@VoyageCareLtd
@VoyageCare
Voyage Care Ltd
Get involved and be social!
4
News flash Hot off the press, here are our exciting news stories from the past few months!
Fundraising for Mind Mimosa Lodge has been keeping busy by setting up a shop to help raise money for Mind. They held a raffle, played loads of games, sold tickets, won prizes and had a great time! All together, they got stuck in and managed to raise £157 for Mind!
Being kind to your mind The residents at Red House have been leading activity sessions to help each other be kind to themselves. Residents have been running the sessions for their housemates, from yoga and meditation to evening reading. The yoga and meditation sessions have been particularly popular, giving everyone time to concentrate on their breathing and stretching their muscles. They use their dining room for the sessions, starting off on chairs with some breathing exercises and arm stretches, leading to some floor stretches to get everyone’s whole body moving!
Super six
We have six new services! We’re excited to share that we have acquired five new services from Day Opportunities Ltd and opened a brand-new specialist brain injury rehabilitation service in Manchester. To the staff teams and people we support at North View, Saville Row, Ferncliffe House, Ferncliffe Bungalow, New Fern and Devonshire House – welcome to the Voyage Care family!
The
oo that
snoo ed
Last year we shared the exciting journey of our very own travelling zoo, that was making its way around our services. Each place it visited, a different animal would be added. After all that travelling, the animals in the zoo took a well deserved snooze for the winter…. But the animals are back out and are now making their way from Falcon Lodge to Lower St Helens. We can’t wait to see what animals get added this time!
The people we support at Northfield House
s n io t la u t a r g n Co ! e s u o H ld ie f h Nort
achieved their s a h se u o H ld e Northfi ) Accreditation! S A (N ty e ci o S c ty National Autisti a very high quali h it w s e ic rv se re Only le with autism a p o e p r fo rt o p p of su e ditation, so we’r re cc a e th d e rd a aw e Willis, Home n ja h ra a S ! n o o over the m ouse, said: “ The H ld e fi h rt o N t a te Manager us was to comple e r fo e g n e ll a ch !W biggest global pandemic to a in n o ti a it d re tion the acc e NAS Accredita th ve ie ch a to d e wante st service and w e b ry ve e th e d provi ed when were overwhelm we received it!”
Get in touch
We love to hear all about what you’ve been up to! Send your stories with photos and videos to communications@voyagecare.com
5
6
Powering up the Over the last couple of months, we’ve encouraged you to ‘fill your cup’ with positivity.
fill your
January was all about feeling good and it was great seeing so many of you take part in the laughing yoga! In February, we focused on kindness and how to be kind to yourself and other people.
cup
y ruar
Make someone drink.
a hot
st
al playli Make a speci for someone.
air.
Have a video loved ones.
chat with
Day 15
for Thank someone life. being in your
Day 22
Have a relaxi or shower.
Make pancakes someone.
for
Day 16
out by Help someone favour. doing them a
Day 23
Call a friend they are.
a
Sing a song or a dance.
perform
action Carry out an ess jar. from your kindn
Day 17
letter and Handwrite a one. give it to a loved
Day 24
Hold a door someone.
to see how
Cook a meal
open for
one’s day Brighten some a note. by leaving them
Day 11
bring Buy flowers to one’s day. colour to some
Day 18
rite
Read your favou book.
Day 25
or sweet Bake a cake one. treat for some
Day 12
Craft a gift for
a friend.
Learn a new
skill.
a friend.
thing to Donate some ng. charity i.e clothi
e for
Draw a pictur someone.
thing i.e. Recycle some bottle. an old water
Ask someone their day.
The people we support painted their own plant pots during Houseplant Week!
Day 14
Day 13
Day 27
Send a card to
Day 7
Day 20
Day 19
Day 26
for someone.
Day 6
Day 5
Day 4
Day 10
Day 9
Day 8
Give someone compliment.
Day 3
ng bath
Get some fresh
rs, through g kind to othe s every day As well as bein out these simple activitie vity! a go at carrying plete the acti day as you com cross out each and e pag this Tip: Print off
3
Day 2
Day 1
ess of kindn f. Have 28 days it’s important to be kind to yououtrselFeb ruary,
Activity
Feb
We have loved seeing so many of you getting involved! Here are some of our favourite activities…
about
Make someone
smile.
Day 21
Pick up litter garden.
in the
Day 28
The Willows banana brea d!
Our three-month Activ8 challenge ended in December. It was great to see so many of you get involved! Here are some of the highlights:
CHALLENGE
HIGHLIGHTS
3s,t5o t0he 0Activ8
visit
area on Hiv
e
94
350
photos sent to us
services t o part in theok challenge
positivity
7
Introducing...
Homema d watering e cans!
the
BIG
March Make
Get your crafts kits out, grab your aprons and make something special this March! The Big March Make is all about making something new, whether you make new friends, try new hobbies or make something special for a loved one. We’ll be setting out lots of fun activities, so keep your eyes peeled!
Gemma is ‘filling her cup’!
rt Head over to page 22 to take pa n! itio in the Big March Make compet
Get in touch
1: tion Ques services many in the w o H part ? took hallenge c 8 Activ A: 54 B: 74 C: 94 D: 114
We still have lots more activities to come so remember to send your photos and videos to communications@voyagecare.com Rules
CHALLENGE This is you r tracker , tick off activities the as you com using you plete the r sticker m s. Enjoy!
OCTOBER
300+
activit comple ies ted
65completed
services friendly our eco- ies activit
We made
• Every time you complet e challenge, you must find an activity or sticker and the correct log This will help it on your activity card • To complet you to track your prog . ress e the Activ8 challenge you . need to colle ct 8 stickers, to do more but feel free (or all!) of them !
• Let us kno w when you’ ve completed your sending a pho activity tracker by tograph or communicati scan to ons@voya geca We’d also like to see your re.com! video to evid pho ence that you’ tos and part. (Don’t ve taken forget your consent form s!)
NOVEMBER tin can alle y
We made spooky cookies We went to movie nig the ht We went to Halloween the party
We took par scarecrow t in the trail We made
a rocket
We sang camp fire and sent burning in a video We made
fruit rocket
We went to camp fire the party
We wish you all the very best of luck and hope you have lots of fun!
s
• Entries will be and services reviewed on an ongoing who have com basis challenge will plet receive a confi ed the Activ8 with details of how to claim rmation email • All other their prize. competi their respectiv tions will be judged afte details of the e closing dates and we’l r l share winners thro communicati ugh our usua ons channels l .
DECEMBER We entere d the Chr card com istmas petition We made crafts usin pine con g es We entere d the Chr tree com istmas petition We made a cheese sta festive log/ rs We went to Christmas the party I made my environme New Year’s Eve ntal resolu tion
Remember to send your completed activity sheets to communications@voyagecare.com so that you can claim your amazing prize!
8
A prom ise to
You shared what small steps you’re taking to be kind to our planet…
As part of the Activ8 challenge, we asked you to set an environmentally-friendly New Year’s resolution to help us reach our target of becoming carbon positive by 2025. Here’s what some of you have committed to for 2021…
Joe from the Rivers is swapping his deodorant! “Our planet is important to us, it’s time to take control. I am going to use roll-on deodorant instead of aerosol!”
At Towngate East, the residents have already made a more sustainable swap for next Christmas by planting their very own Christmas Tree. “We are being more eco friendly but also the residents get to enjoy helping it to grow as they grow as individuals!” Chloe, Senior Support Worker at Towngate East
our planet
Turn goal setting into goal getting!
9
Did you know that you’re almost 50% more likely to achieve your goals if you have written them down. At Agricola House, staff worked with each resident to write their achievements of 2020 and set their goals for 2021.
Joe, Sylvia and Micheal from Roselea have set the service a challenge to recycle more! They’ve made these displays to help remind everyone to recycle! At Cornerways, their eco-resolution was to save the trees and make sure that they don’t waste paper. They’re going to reuse cardboard boxes for arts and crafts too!
Now, they are displayed on the wall to help everyone stay focused on their goals for the year. People we support and staff pass the display all the time as it’s in a central area of the home and they can add to it as they go along. Staff have also filled in some goals for the year and found it’s a great way to keep everyone motivated!
At Brookfields, all the residents have written their eco-friendly goals for the year. Here’s some of them: “Turn off the lights when the rooms are empty to save energy.” “Put all my empty shower gel bottles in the correct bag.” “Cut down on the amount of plastic we use.”
Q How uestio n2 lik ach ieve ely are : y writ your go ou to e th em als if yo A: 2 down? u 0 B: 5 % 0% C: 7 0 D: 9 % 0%
Why don’t you recreate this goal wall and add your eco-resolutions to help you achieve them?
What’s your promise to the planet this year? Let us know what steps you’re taking to help us reach our environmental goal by emailing communications@voyagecare.com!
10
s e o d t a Wh
s s e n d kin ou? y o t n a e m
Being kind can mean a lot of things! Here’s what it means to some of our services...
Woodham Lodge, North
Rivers, Central W
est
Kindness me ans to be respectful, c on and to think siderate of to be kind to others and y believe bein ourself. We g positive an d kind helps p eople want to do more go od things.
Kindness comes from the heart, kindness is empathy and compassion for other people.
What does kindrnse?ss mean at Rive nd “To be positive a stures make positive ge h Cowen to others.” Josep mething “When you do so ll Goddard nice to others.” Ji “When you help ll someone.” Darre
Nicholls
eing indness means b
“K good.” David
Waterhouse
a lot to “Kindness means kind!” me, I love being
Martin Cooper
g “To do somethin beng good.” Maxwell O
11
Holmesdale Road, South East Being kind and nice to people and receiving the same back.
Joseph Pascal Ofori, Holmesdale Road, South East
gate n w o T t a f f a t s e h t What do d? in k ’s t a h t u o y r o f o East d Making sure k I always loo amazing.
Jane Barks
Helping me keep organised.
Kenny Grant
Making loud sounds along with me.
Craig Freakely
me Helping ct to conta . my mum
Clive Flowers
Singing along with me and dancing away.
Gemma Bell y Picking up m es puzzle piec rop. when they d
Marianne Frisby
The shor t storshy are
es Some of our servic ns to them what kindness mea n to you? – what does it mea
12
.. . Spotlight on
’
Ayesha s jour Ayesha has been on a weight loss journey since she transitioned to live at Longmore Road last year Ayesha wanted to improve her wellbeing and behaviour by being active! Like most of us, she found it really difficult not being able to see her parents in lockdown. Going out walking helps her to keep fit and feel happier! Ayesha likes to walk to the post box for people and looks after recycling in the service, so she takes a few trips down to the bins during the day. She misses swimming, but loves taking part in keepfit exercises with the other residents. One of Ayesha’s favourite things to do is sing and dance to reggae music which always cheers her up!
Visit Hive to find out more about how Ayesha is being kind to her mind and body!
hive
Cut along the dotted lines
rney
Ayesha being supported on her daily walk by Service Manager, Linda
Give the gift of food
13
Send a treat to a loved one by baking them these delicious healthy oat slices!
Ingredients: 1 egg l 2 tablespoons water l1 25 grams butter, melted l 1/2 cup brown sugar l1 teaspoon vanilla extract l
l 1/2 cup plain flour l 1 1/2 cup rolled oats l 3/4 cup raisins
Method:
3: Question yesha’s What is A genre favourite of music? A: Pop B: Rock y C: Countr e D: Regga
1. Mix the brown sugar and melted butter together. 2. Whisk in the egg and vanilla extract. 3. Add the flour and rolled oats, mix well. 4. Add the raisins and mix so they spread evenly through the mix. 5. Press the mix into a lined slice tin (or cake tin). 6. Bake at 180 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until the edges are golden and start to come away from the edge of the tin 7. Allow to cool then slice into squares. 8. Pop them into a jar or a tub and send them to a loved one! Send your favourite healthy recipes to communciations@voyagecare.com
Get in touch
If you would like to be featured in Zest, send your story to communications@voyagecare.com
14
seconds with...
Pamela McL
seconds with...
Everyone at Abbey Gardens has had their COVIDPamela, Home Manager, tells us about their vacci How did you talk to the residents about receiving the vaccine? I wanted the people we support to understand why they should receive the vaccine and its benefits. I described the vaccine as a winter coat that would protect them outside on a cold day, rather than going out with no coat and being freezing.
It comforted her knowing that we could go through the experience together
Pamela McLean
The y r o t s t shorat Abbey Gardepnles,we
ne peo Everyo and the ved their ff a t s g ei includin have now rec ! t, vaccine suppor 9 1 D I COV
How to:
cLean
Stay calm
You may be a little nervous on the day of your vaccine but here are some top tips!
-19 vaccine. ine experience…
1
How did the people you support feel about getting the vaccine? One person we support was hesitant, but we have a close relationship and she agreed that she would get it if I did. It comforted her knowing that we would go through the experience together. What was the atmosphere in the service like on the day of vaccinations? Morale was high and the atmosphere was wonderful. We had a team of nurses carrying out the vaccines and their support was brilliant. I gave thank you notes to my staff for all their hard work throughout the pandemic which they all loved!
15
Breathe Taking deep breaths will slow your heart rate down and help you feel calm
Listen to music Listening to music helps to soothe your body and mind, so crank up the tunes!
2 3
Get some fresh air Fresh air will help calm you down and a change of scenery can distract you from worrying.
Get in touch
If you would like to be featured in Zest, send your story to communications@voyagecare.com
16
Day in the life…
Lynne from Roselea has created a daily routine all around kindness. Her day is filled with ways that she is kind to herself and others!
Be
I sta rt my da y wi th my ‘w ak e an d sh ak e!’ I pu t my bo om bo x on my ro llat or an d da nc e on do wn th e co rr ido r to th e ba th ro om . It’ s a fu n wa y to sta rt th e da y!
2
a n ic e Next, I have g t im e in k a T ! h t a b r e la x in g rtant. o p im o s is x t o r e la
3
I then make myself breakfast usually marmite on toast! Yum!
to
1
ki in g n d
y o u r s e lf
k in g i n d
to
Be
17
others
Megan and Coco
5 The n I che ck on my guin ea pig s! I fill up the ir wa ter and give the m the ir bre akf ast .
4
6
k in g i n d
to
Be
A f te r b r e a k f a s t I a lw a y s c le a n u p th e k it c h e n and w a s h u p m y th in g s .
a n im a ls
h in g t o t e it r u o v a f My n is o o n r e t f a e h d o in t in g in g , s e v lo I ! e k o kara mer m u S ‘ y ll ia c e esp Grease! m o r f ’ s t h n ig
Would you like to share your day with us?
We would love to hear from you for our next Day in the life! Email communications@voyagecare.com
18
Furry friends Being kind to animals is important! Here’s how some of our services show their animals that they care. Riverside and Roseberry Lodges have a friend who comes to visit them… an English Bulldog called Milo. He is 8 months old and a very kind dog who loves to play and takes plenty of naps. Meet Milo
Milo loves strokes! He is deaf, so he relies on hand signals to communicate, but that doesn’t stop him bringing joy to the people we support! Milo visits Roseberry lodge at least once a month. He brings smiles, laughter and friendship to the people we support – everyone loves it when he visits and always ask when he is coming next and look forward to seeing him! Being kind to animals is important because they rely on humans for everything. Animals like Milo are very special because they need extra love and patience.
M ILO
Animals depend on us to keep them safe and happy. Just like us, they don’t like getting hurt so we need to protect them. All they need is love, care and respect to feel special.
He brings smiles, laughter and friendship to the people we support
Angela Appleby, Senior Support Worker at Riverside and Roseberry Lodges Visit Hive to find out about other service pets!
hive
Purrrfect pets
19
Having a pet can have lots of benefits. The people we support share why they love having a pet...
Jack loves dressing up in his favourite outfits!
They are comforting if you feel lonely
They make you happy when you are sad Meet Jack
Orchid Kilvington from Bewick House has a Jack Russell called Jack who is eight. Orchid knows it’s important to be kind to animals as they have feelings too and can’t tell us how they are feeling.
They keep you active with playtime and walks
Seeing them happy makes you happy Dogs give the best kisses and cuddles They teach you how to care for others
J A CK
You’ll always have a best friend who loves you, no matter what. Q Wha uestion 4 t kind : of an imal is Mi lo? A: D B: Ha og ms C: Ca ter D: Ch t icken
20
The magic of Christmas
How working together saved Christmas at Brook Lodge… Just two days before Christmas, Brook Lodge in the South West found their whole house flooded. But with a magic sprinkle of kindness, they were still able to celebrate Christmas.
23 Dec 2pm
After non-stop rain, staff could see the brook was filling up so they started calling places they could go to, which weren’t closed because of COVID-19. 3.20pm
The whole house was filled with water, higher than their knees! Luckily, everyone was safe and warm in the local village hall. Evening
Lots of Brook Lodge staff came to support on their day off, to help find somewhere for everyone to sleep. A few residents were able to get home to their families and a hotel in the village kindly offered space for the other residents.
What’s next?
kindn
24 Dec Morning
It was all hands on deck on Christmas Eve as staff from across Voyage Care worked together to get everything they needed to move to temporary homes. From bedding and microwaves to turkey and sprouts – staff spent hours getting everything they could think of to save Christmas. 5pm
“Everything was finally ready for the people we support to have the best Christmas we could give them!” – Tammy, Service Manager. After a hard few days work, everyone was excited to get up on Christmas morning and have the best day celebrating together!
The people that live at Brook Lodge are now safely set up in two different homes. They will be there for the next six months whilst staff look for a new house for everyone to live in.
ness
21
The recipe for
s s e n d n ki his Here’s Andy in he personalised “T r” ke Ba t ur Co Fernhill chef uniform!
‘The Fernhill Court baker’ is bringing twice a week! He brings residents together with residents together for his passion for baking! some much-loved quality Andy lives in his own flat at Fernhill Court but loves staying in touch with the other residents at the service. He did a lot of baking at college and when he moved into his new home, staff helped him rediscover his love for baking.
We will get through this and being the team we are, I know we’ve got this!”
Tammy, Service Manager at Brook Lodge
time and gives out his new bakes with pride. Andy is always looking for his next recipe to try, from cakes and buns, to pastries and all things sweet. It’s a great way for him to stay in touch with his friends and sprinkle some kindness too!
The word spread quickly about Andy’s brilliant baking skills and he now hosts his own coffee and cake mornings
I like to bake and share with my housemates!
Andy Pearce, Fernhill Court
Get in touch
Have you tried some unique and exciting activities during your time in lockdown? Let us know! communications@voyagecare.com
Big smiles as he delivers his bakes with pride !
! e m i t n o i t i t e p Com
22
Get involved in the Big March Make competition! To celebrate the first day of March, tell us what your favourite thing about spring is and why!
Pull out the craft box, dust off your pens and grab your paint brushes – we’d like you to make a collage, drawing or painting telling us why you love spring.
the
BIG
March Make
Send your entries to communications@voyagecare.com by 19 March and we will be in touch if you are the winner!
r e n r o c y s o C To help brighten up your days, here are some films and TV shows that bring kindness to life!
Trolls These colourful characters love singing, dancing and making people happy
Soul This new Disney Pixar film is all about finding the things that make you happy
Planet Earth Our world is amazing, and we should look after it!
Let us know what you think to our choices and you could be in next issue’s review corner. Email your thoughts to communications@voyagecare.com
Send a postcard
Spread kindness
Bee
kind Cut along the dotted lines
23
Cut out and colour in one of the postcards below and send it to a loved one. There’s some space on the back for you to write a special message to put a smile on their face!
Send a postcard Put a stamp here!
Don’t forget to add your stamp to the top corner!
Put a stamp here!
Write your message here!
Tell us what you think
We would love to know what you think of Zest! Send in your thoughts and ideas to communications@voyagecare.com or call the team on 01543 484 528