September was a month of many changes as we embarked on new adventures, enjoyed the return of a much loved annual event and joined the world in marking a momentous departure.

First of all, we welcomed two new faces to the activities team as Margherita and Amy settled into their new Activity Co-ordinator roles. An important aspect of the induction process for all new staff members is to get to know the residents and it didn't take long for firm friendships to form and for it to feel like they've always been part of the team!  

We tried something new as residents ventured into the fascinating world of upcycling environmental art.  Activity Co-ordinators guided residents as they repurposed old CDs, turning them into stunning suncatchers which are now hanging in windows all around the home.

We took to the road again with an initial visit to The Alpaca Trekking Centre in Thornhill which was really quite exciting as many of us had never encountered an alpaca or llama in real life before.  You can imagine the 'oooh's' and 'aaahs' on the bus as we drove onto the farm past the animals out in the fields! Residents were soon introduced to 'the boys' and under the careful supervision of our knowledgeable host, spent time with these gentle creatures.  They certainly seemed to enjoy our company as much as we did theirs!  

But there were more just our wooly friends to see during our farmyard visit to the Centre.  Out in the fields there were Swiss sheep to admire, pigs to pet, horse to feed.  There were ducks to count, beautiful birds of prey to wonder at and exotic pheasants to admire as our tour continued and then there was the 'small furry' stable where a certain little guinea pig stole our hearts! 

The animal theme continued as the Therapet dogs continued their weekly visits and the ladies from the horse-care group enjoyed their sessions at the local Equi-Power Riding for the Disabled stables. We are aiming to grow this group as time goes on so that more residents can enjoy the positive benefits that come with spending time around these gentle horses.

We took one last turn upon the water before the autumn months arrive and finish off our Seagull Trust Cruises for the season.  It was just the perfect day for a boat ride and the residents made the most of the stunning scenery. 

Back in the Home, September saw the welcome return of a favourite event as 'Western Week' rode into town! With a slick new look, we turned the communal cafe into a Wild West Saloon.  Staff dressed the part and there were ten-gallon hats aplenty for those wishing to 'cowboy up' and cowboy pinbadges to win in the great western quiz.  Midweek, the ranch all came together in the cookhouse to enjoy a fine cowhand lunch and later we kicked up our heels to those grand ole country tunes sung by our good friend Robbie Carran.  This annual treat of a week was rounded off with William Simpsons nod to the cowboy films of the past as our gunslinger Air soft team! put their skills to the test with a high noon air soft shoot out....Yeeehaaa!

On Monday 19th, we joined the world in watching the funeral of our late Queen Elizabeth II.  Rather than dress the cafe in full sombre attire, it felt more appropriate to acknowledge a life well lived and the centerpiece pictures upon each table gave rise to conversations and discussions of happier times. The catering team provided a dainty sandwich lunch for those who wished to remain in the cafe.

There were some residents who preferred to watch these historic proceedings in the company of friends within their flat and staff members responded appropriately to the residents' requests.  Some flats were dressed to celebrate the Queen's long life whilst others, depending on residents' wishes, simply streamed the live coverage on the lounge tv.  The library was made comfortable and available for any residents who did not wish to partake in proceedings to ensure there was something available for everyone and on this momentous day.

As is always the case, there were so many enjoyable events and remarkable moments than it's possible to report so let us leave you with a few more snapshot moments from the month.

@williamsimpsons_carehome Air soft team! #carehome #fypp #airsoftclips #fun#supportworker #Williamsimpsons #CapCut ♬ Sunrise - Official Sound Studio