This January saw the launch of our Clubs’ initiative for residents, which aims to encourage the pride and enjoyment we all feel when we choose to join something special.  The versatility of the ‘Clubs’ model means that activities can be scaled up or down to cater for large group events or individual one-to-one activities and the venue is completely flexible, ensuring the activity is accessible to every resident, however they choose to engage. We are starting small, currently piloting only a few of the Clubs on our list to ensure we get it right for residents before launching the complete program.  We fully anticipate the variety of Clubs will expand and grow in accordance with residents’ interests and requests, so it is very much a case of ‘watch this space’!

We took time to reflect in January as residents and Activity staff embarked on our ‘Life Stories’ project, an ongoing reminiscence activity which begins with a conversation and grows from there, actively involving residents in researching each area of interest the conversation has sparked.  It could be a conversation about driving, which might involve the resident and staff member looking through old car magazines to find the model of car the resident drove, a discussion about where they drove to opening all kinds of avenues for further exploration.  It may be the resident talking about their school days and where they grew up which could involve a google earth search and a ‘virtual stroll’ around their old childhood haunts; it could be a conversation about the resident’s working life and what their job entailed leading to activities which use similar skills.  The possibilities are endless and the conversations, photos, keepsakes from trips out will all be recorded and kept within the resident’s own personal ‘Life Story’ journal.

When the weather allowed, residents stepped outside for to enjoy the fresh winter air and a gentle ramble around the grounds. Towards the end of the month we also got out and about in the community with a variety of excursions including a Tea Dance hosted by Stirling4Community and a walking tour around the beautiful historic village of Culross to name but a few!

January also saw residents getting creative in different ways, crafting with clay to make decorative garlands to brighten the Home:

We began a ‘bird care’ campaign, which grew from discussions around the RSPB’s Big Garden Bird Watch which took place at the end of January, but there will be more about this in next month’s round up.  For now, lets admire some of the residents’ bird related arts and crafts which are on display in the café area.

And after all that peaceful contemplation we all felt the time was right for a ‘bit of a do’ and our very first ‘Saturday Night Social Club’ gathering on 29^th January provided just the opportunity we all needed to let our hair down!