The Charlotte Straker Project Spring Newsletter 2024

The Charlotte Straker Project

NEWSLETTER

Generations Unite: School Pupils Bring Joy to our Residents

Thegingerbreadhouse decoratingwentdownastorm, especiallywhenBereniceGroves, ourChairoftheTrusteesjudged thehouses.Shesaid“Afteralot ofdeliberationIchoseLochieand Muriel’sdesignasthewinner I lovedthedelicatepipingand carefulplacementofthesweets. Thankyousomuchtothe childrenforvisiting Ourresidents lovemeetingchildrenfromlocal schoolsandIknoweveryonehad anenormousamountoffun.”

ThankyoutopupilsfromMowdenHall SchoolandCorbridgeMiddleSchool whojoinedintwoofouractivity afternoonsrecently.Corbridgepupils enjoyedasessionofgingerbread decoratingwhilstMowdenpupilsjoined residentsforalivelyafternoonofboard games.Itwaslovelytoseethechildren interactingwiththeresidentsandthere werebigsmilesallround.

Welcome to our latest newsletter!

“It was one of the best afternoons I’ve ever had.”

OurresidentMargaretS

Welcome to the newest edition of our newsletter. As the days grow longer we're delighted to bring you the latest updates and happenings and the wonderful activities that have been keeping our residents engaged and smiling We’ve also been busy on the fundraising side with some very successful events over the last two months. Our next three events are all in June and promise to be very popular! The Summer Fete is on 15 June, the Art and Textile Exhibition on 2021 June and the new Corbridge Open Gardens will be held on 23 June - we can’t wait to see you there!

BereniceGroves ChairoftheBoardofTrustees

OurresidentMargaretSsaid“this wasoneofthebestafternoonsI’ve everhad–itwasjustsolovelytosee themallhavingfun They’reallso politeandverysmartintheir uniforms.Thechildrenwerereally something Sobrightandfullof energy.” MargaretGsaid,“theyare sofullofbeans,Ijustlovedchatting tothem Idon’tthinkI’velaughedso muchinyears.”Wehopeeveryone hadgreatfun–thankyousomuchto bothschools.Wecan’twaittosee youagainsoon!

Spring Activities

Our Upcoming Easter Celebrations

We have some wonderful Easter activities planned including:

Good Friday

We are organising coffee and an Easter quiz with Pam Crawley, our Registered Manager, in the upstairs lounge We are then planning traditional fish and chips from a local takeaway - which is always a very popular lunch.

Easter Saturday

We will be making Easter crispy cakes decorated with mini eggs and beautiful rainbow eggs.

Easter Sunday

Our residents will be gifted their own Easter eggs, and we have a delicious Easter Sunday lunch planned

Easter Monday

We will be holding a Easter bonnet decorating afternoon to make some fancy Easter headgear

Evita the Musical, trips to the beach and countryside

Our residents have been invited to see a production of the musical Evita at the Tyne Theatre in April, courtesy of a kind donor. Our residents love going to concerts, theatre trips and musicals, so this will be a popular trip

With the warmer weather, we are planning lots of different outings We will be going to the beach, on walks to countryside parks, to the farm to see newborn lambs and much more Please visit our facebook page, twitter profile and website news section to view all the latest photos from our trips (www charlottestraker org uk/news)

Visits from the Beautiful Belle

Thank you to Tonia Urwin and her beautiful spaniel Belle who regularly visits our residents. Belle is a professionally assessed Wag and Company therapy dog and is a massive favourite with us all at Charlotte Straker House Birgit said “her ears are so soft and fluffy.” And Nancy told us that “I used to breed dogs, and I do miss them But Belle is very beautiful and so friendly ”

WAG is a visiting dog charity befriending older dog lovers in care or in hospitals across the North East of England – more details can be found at their website www wagandcompany co uk

Spring Activities

Bowling into Spring! Our residents are tenpin champions

WeenjoyedanoutingtothebowlinglanesattheWentworthLeisure CentreinHexham Thestaffhelpedussetupthelanessoallour residentscouldhaveago Margaretsaid“Ilovebowling IthinkI’m quitecompetitive.”Asthegamesprogressed,therewaslotsof friendlybanter.Someresidentsmanagedfullstrikesandthestaffall hadagoaswell ForColin,theoutingwasarefreshingchangeof pace "IneverthoughtI'dbebowlingatmyage,butit'sbeengreat fun,"shesaid "It'snicetogetoutandtrysomethingnew"Johnand Colinwonspecialtrophiesforthebowlingcompetition-checkout

Isobel enjoys a Day Care birthday

Isobel is a lovely lady that visits our Day Care Service at Charlotte Straker House . She celebrated her birthday with us in March and loved the gifts we gave her and cards. Isobel has told us she enjoys our day care service very much, especially the home-made lunches, and the opportunity for a chat with our staff and other residents She also loves our afternoon activities such as the crafting sessions and visiting musicians – and the delicious coffee and home baked goodies! She’s pictured alongside Jayne, our Activities Coordinator.

Welcome to the Year of the Dragon

WecelebratedChineseNewYearandthebeginningoftheYearof theDragonwithadeliciouslunch,aspecialdancebyourDragon (ledbytalentedcareassistantSakaandthenursesJackieKand IanD!)andtraditionalChinesemusic.Murielsaid“Ithoughtthe dragonwasverycolourfulandIlikedthewayitdanced.”John added“IloveChinesefood,especiallythecrispychickenandrice”.

Spring Activities

Join Us in Making a Difference: Volunteer at Charlotte Straker House

At Charlotte Straker House we strive to provide a warm and nurturing environment for our residents However, we cannot achieve this mission alone – we are always looking for new volunteers to join us to make a meaningful difference in the lives of our residents

Volunteering does not need to be a regular commitment and involves only as much time as you can spare.

We know that the community has so much give to our residents by supporting on visits, sharing their knowledge and skills and helping with activities and outings Whether you're a student looking to give back to your community, a professional seeking to make a positive impact, or recently retired and wanting to stay active and engaged, there's a place for you in our volunteer program. To learn more about volunteer opportunities and how you can get involved, please contact us on 01434 633 999 or office@charlottestraker org uk

Spring Church Services

We have many links with the local community and one of the most important is our connection with St Andrew’s Church in Corbridge We’re delighted that we can offer a monthly in-house church service which is led by Bob and Jo Eldridge, part of the worship team from St Andrew’s. This month it was all about Spring and the chance of growth and a chat about what it means to our residents Thank you to Bob and Jo for visiting each month and providing such an important service for our home

Jackie celebrates 50 years as a registered nurse

Jackie Kellett, our Senior Registered Nurse at Charlotte Straker House, recently celebrated an extraordinary milestone – 50 years since she first started nursing Jackie's journey in nursing began in January 1974 Jackie said, “It’s hard to believe that I’ve been a nurse for 50 years – it feels phenomenal Looking back, I think the thing I’ve most enjoyed is meeting so many different people and getting the opportunity to make a difference to their care My special interest is in end-of-life care, and I’m absolutely passionate about every resident we nurse being comfortable, dignified and pain free And of course, I’ve worked with a great bunch of people and some of them have become lifelong friends.”

Spring Activities

Embracing Nature at Talkin Tarn

Our residents enjoyed a recent jaunt to the Talkin Tarn Countryside Park in Cumbria Even though the weather was a bit grey everyone spent a morning enjoying the fresh air and viewing the stunning scenery on the walk around the lake. After their walk they enjoyed lunch at the Boathouse Tea Room – we recommend their delicious sandwiches

Dorothy loved the trip out and said “I think it’s very pretty” Colin loved the walk around the lake and spotting the ducks and other bird life, whilst Margaret thought the café was “lovely and warm.” After lunch we had a bus ride to see round Haltwhistle and surrounding countryside. We will definitely go back for a return visit, but maybe when the weather is sunnier!

Our Burn’s Night Ceilidh with Chrysalis

A heartfelt thank you to everyone who joined us for an traditional night of fun, laughter, and dancing at our Charity Burns Night and Ceilidh in February. We raised over £2000 to be split between ourselves and the Chrysalis Club and we couldn't be more grateful for everyone's support!

Piper Chris Urwin led in the Haggis and we had the traditional Robbie Burns address, plus a delicious pie and peas supper made by Helen Coombes, (Head Chef of Charlotte Straker House) and her excellent volunteer team

Thank you to all the volunteers, plus of course everyone who attended, donated and danced to make it such a atmospheric and energetic evening!

Quiz of the Year

ThankyousomuchtoKevinandhisteamatTheAngelofCorbridge

forhostingthisyear’sCharityQuizNight Therewasagreatturnout, withteamsofallagesandabilitiescompetingforthetopprize, includinglotsofourownvolunteersandstaffmembers.Quizmaster Kevinkepteveryoneentertainedwithdifferentquestioncategories includingafiendishpictureround Itwasareallyfunevening,involving over10roundsandadeliciousmealhalfwaythrough-weallhadan amazingnight.ThankstoKevinandtheAngelteam,theeveningraised over£450forCharlotteStrakerHouse.

Upcoming Fundraising Events

Summer Fete - 15th June

Our Summer Fete will be held on Saturday 15th June from 2pm to 4pm at Charlotte Straker House - all welcome!

As well as our usual tombola, raffle we will have a cake stall and tea tent, lots of different children’s games, a bouncy castle and live music We will be joined by other local charities who will have their own stalls - more information to follow

Raffle prizes, tombola, cakes and more

We’re relying on our amazing community to help us gather donations for our Summer Fete. If you have any items suitable for a tombola, or a raffle, or any clean usable toys we would be so grateful if you would consider donating them for our fete stalls Please bring them to the entrance hall of Charlotte Straker House, or if you have a number of items you would like to donate and you live in Corbridge, please call Sally Urwin on 01434 633 999 or email sally urwin@charlottestraker org ukwe may be able to pick them up

We will also be asking for home made baking donations for the fete day - any savoury or sweet items would be very welcome - they can be left on the morning of the fete at Charlotte Straker House Thank you SO MUCH for your help

Corbridge Open Garden Day

We’re thrilled to announce that we have a brand NEW charity event in Corbridge on the 23rd June, to raise money for ourselves and our partners, the Corbridge Community Partnership. We will be inviting you to wander through Corbridge and discover some hidden gardens. For £10 per adult, (children go free) you will be able to explore many beautiful gardens, large and small, private and public, and return to the Corbridge Hub for home made tea and cake A map is being produced with a walking route and will showcase up to twelve different gardens, many which have never been opened before. Please watch this space for more information and to book tickets

Last year’s Textile and Art Exhibition was a huge hit, with many visitors coming all the way from Newcastle and beyond.

The Craft Fest will celebrate the crafts and makers in the local community, including art, quilting, knitting, crochet, weaving, embroidery, pottery and more! Refreshments and a raffle will be available and all donations made at the event will be split between ourselves and St Andrew’s Church in Corbridge

Fundraising News

Our Care Assistants Lace up for the Great North Run

A group of our care assistants are gearing up to make every strid count in support of their elderly residents Staff members Zoe Wilson, Megan Wilson, Amy Newell and Abbie Chisholm will take on the challenge of the iconic marathon.

"We see firsthand the impact of our work on the lives of our residents and day care visitors," says Zoe "Running the Great North Run is about showing our residents that we're with them every step of the way, both in and out of the care home " The tea has been diligently training for the marathon, balancing their busy work schedules with rigorous running routines Amy said “it’s hard work trying to train around our shift patterns, but we’re determined to raise as much as possible and make all our residents proud We’re not just running for ourselves; we’re running for everyone who lives at Charlotte Straker House.” Berenice Groves, Chair of the Trustees added “we’re so proud of our runners and the residents and all the trustees will be cheering them on ” To suppo our care assistants in their Great North Run journey and contribut to their fundraising efforts, donations can be made by contacting o office on 01434 633 999.

Coop Local Community Fund

We are delighted to announce that The Charlotte Straker Project has already raised over £1,300 as part of their Local Community Fund This means that Coop Members (no matter where they live) can select the Charlotte Straker Project as their chosen charity and then with every purchase of Coop branded goods and services, we will receive 1p for every £1 spent. And once you’ve selected your charity it doesn’t matter which Coop store you visit – we will still receive your donation! The Coop Local Community Fund will last for 12 months until October 24th Please help by reading the poster opposite and signing up as a member and sharing our web page www membership coop co uk/causes/80324

Join Us in Making a Difference: Become a Regular Donor

We're reaching out to you with a heartfelt plea to consider becoming a regular donor for the Charlotte Straker Project By becoming a regular donor, and making even just a small, regular donation can make a world of difference to our beloved elderly residents Together, we can ensure that our elderly residents receive the best in care, activities and opportunities - please go to our Donate page on our website to find out more information www.charlottestraker.org.uk/donate

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Pam

Some people join us for one to one support whilst others want to join in our activities, enjoy a tasty meal and meet other friendly residents

Day care visitors and our residents enjoying a crafting session together

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