At Birch Green Care Home in Skelmersdale they love a chance for a celebration, and everyone couldn’t wait to join in the Ladies Day racing fun.

It was glasses of fizz all round with betting slips, fascinators and their best racing day clothes on display. A few gentlemen got in on the action too as they all enjoyed the sporting occasion in style.

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A leading care home in Lancashire has worked with staff, residents, family members and sector experts including nutritionists to create a new menu to reflect changing dietary needs.

The menu, from Springhill Care Home in Accrington, which will be available until the winter when new options will be brought in, includes everything from main meals, deserts and snacks, and specialist options for residents who need them.

The new menu was the brainchild of Anne Wareing, a nurse at the home and the nutrition lead, and head chef Dave Laithwaite, who joined Springhill last year.

The pair worked to create nutrition champions across the home and its different shift patterns and services, and met monthly to review options and suggestions. Local producers were also consulted over the menu.

Now the food has been presented to staff, residents, family members and professional contacts at a special tasting event who sampled the new options and gave their feedback.

The new menu, which runs on a four-week cycle, will begin in two weeks. A similar exercise will take place later in the year to create a new autumn/winter menu.

Anne Wareing said: “Good, wholesome food is such an important part of a healthy lifestyle and a key ingredient of modern care.

“We have more residents now than we used to who have extra nutritional requirements, so we decided this was a great chance to overhaul our menu.

“Dave looked at all the suggestions and feedback we had over the course of the exercise and has come up with some great ideas that we can’t wait to begin serving up. A lot of thought has gone into the menu, and the feedback was very positive and shows we are moving in the right direction.

“Our team is going to continue to meet on a regular basis to ensure the menu remains relevant and regularly updated, and we are looking forward to holding another tasting event at the end of the year when we introduce our autumn-winter menu.”

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Joyce at Riversway Nursing Home in Bristol is a big art lover and was delighted to get the chance to visit a Leonardo da Vinci exhibition at Bristol Museum.

Joyce’s father was an engineer who could often be found drawing machines, and her uncle worked on cruise ships, sketching. They both taught her the ‘secrets of art and drawing’ and Joyce was the first person we thought of when we were offered the chance to take part in the free activity.

Joyce joined a number of other people from care homes and community groups, and together with artist and sculptor Freya and volunteers, even joined in with an experimental cooperative art activity.

The activity saw them draw a self portrait with their eyes closed, guided by one hand touching their own face. The results were very abstract, but were designed to help those taking part discover new ways to perceive themselves.

Joyce had a lovely morning and we’d like to thank everyone who made it possible.

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Springhill staff gathered to celebrate the 20^th work anniversary of valued colleague, Kim Smith.

Kim joined Springhill Care Home on April 3, 1999, working in the laundry.  Following some time spent with the housekeeping team, she re-joined the laundry staff some years later.

During her time at Springhill, Kim, who lives in Accrington, has seen the home grow from 75 bedrooms to 110, but describes it as ‘one big happy family.’

She plays a vital role here at Springhill, and we’d all like to say congratulations!

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