Issue 42 03.02.21
FOR ALL YOUR INTERIOR NEEDS For further details contact Sarah Thompson: sarah@sommer-rose.com 07495 471038 • www.sommer-rose.com
The weekly online newsletter for the care sector
Care group repurposes old laptops MARIA Mallaband Care Group has reached out to schools in Leeds to offer its repurposed laptops to support children learning at home during the lockdown. The national care home group, which has its headquarters in the city, has already donated two laptops to Park Spring Primary School, and another two to Parklands Primary School,. And they are hoping to help many more, inviting schools’ IT departments to get in touch at schools@mmcg.co.uk to apply for laptops that they may need. The Maria Mallaband Care Group has more than 80 homes across the UK, and being part of the communities they serve is central to their ethos. So when their IT helpdesk supervisor Chris Holland suggested helping schools in desperate need of more laptops, they jumped at the chance. Chris said: “With children once again homeschooling due to the national lockdown, having the right laptops at home has never been more important. “When you hear about children having to share
phones to try and keep up with their studies – or being stuck without any laptops at all – your heart goes out to them. “I knew we could do something to help, and I was so pleased that my suggestion to donate our old laptops was picked up so speedily.” IT director John Housecroft, who with Chris has led on the project, added: “Many of us know children are struggling at home with home schooling, and in some circumstances don’t have adequate laptops to work from. “A large organisation such as ours invariably has laptops no longer being used or no longer up to spec, but which would be more than adequate for children accessing learning on-line. “Our IT team are doing a brilliant job getting our old laptops cleared of data and files, and ready for a new life. Getting these laptops into schools and into the hands of the children who need them is a great result all around.” Schools in need of laptops for pupils during lockdown should email schools@mmcg. co.uk or use the hashtag #laptopsforschools
Community invited to yarn bomb
A Facebook post featuring residents of The Pinehurst Care Centre in Crowthorne, Wokingham is going viral, with more than 45,000 people having seen and shared the wise words of guidance from residents aged from 84 to 105 on how to live a good live in 2021. Twelve ladies from the home were photographed holding up cards featuring their words of wisdom, part of an annual tradition, but for the first time they were shared on the home’s open Facebook page. Activity manager Victoria Pembroke said: “This is something we’ve done for a few years now, and the images have been shared with the residents’ families, but particularly over the last year we’ve been trying to engage with our wider community more through social media – as face-to-face opportunities have been limited – so for the first time, we’ve posted them for everyone to see.”
STAFF and residents at The Hall Residential Care Home in Thornton-le-Dale are undertaking a project to yarn bomb the outside of the home as part of the village’s North Yorkshire Britain in Bloom entry. For the competition, staff and residents want to make sure the home is as decorative and colourful as possible. To bring the Thornton-le-Dale community together, the home is inviting local people to get involved while the country is in lockdown. Manager Nicky Beach said: “We wanted to do something fun and creative to keep our residents and the local community connected, and this yarn bombing is the perfect opportunity. “Yarn bombing the outside of The Hall with wool flowers and knitted images will hopefully bring the community together and we are excited to see the yarn art that members of our community produce. “Whether you knit flowers, create wool pictures, French knit, or make rug mats, anything to help decorate would be appreciated.” Yarn bombing is a form of temporary street art that uses crocheted or knitted yarn to decorate buildings, benches, lampposts and fences. The care home is planning to make use of the form of street art to decorate the outside of their building in time for Easter weekend this April.