Local care home embraces National Allotment Week
Residents at Barchester Hall Park care home in Bulwell celebrated National Allotment Week which took place from 11-17 August. Founded by the National Allotment Society in 2002, National Allotment Week is a way of raising awareness about allotments and the role they play in helping people to live healthier lifestyles, grow their own food, develop friendships and bolster communities.
The theme for this year’s National Allotment Week is Allotments and Wellbeing, highlighting how allotments contribute to physical, mental and nutritional health. Residents were encouraged to talk about their favourite memories of keeping an allotment and take photos in their happiest place on the allotment to share with the other residents and enter in the National Allotment Society’s ‘Happy Place’ competition.
Jodie Rakhra, General Manager at Hall Park care home said: “Our garden is a much-loved space, residents really enjoy looking after the fruit and vegetables in our allotment, watching them grow and change through the seasons. August is such a fantastic time to be outside enjoying the garden, many of our crops are either ready to pick now or almost there – it is wonderful to see everything ripening in the beautiful sunshine we’ve been having lately.”
Roger Simpson, a resident garden ambassador at Hall Park care home added: “I’ve always loved having an allotment so it is fantastic to be able to keep that hobby going, I find it really therapeutic to be outside in the fresh air and to be able to grow my favourite veg. It’s just so satisfying when you get it right and have a bumper crop. I loved seeing everyone’s photos in their happy places on the allotment.”
Our varied life enrichment programme keeps residents active, and provides a daily choice of engaging physical, mental and spiritual activities tailored to residents’ interests and abilities.
Barchester Hall Park care home is run by Barchester Healthcare, one of the UK’s largest care providers, which is committed to delivering high-quality care across its care homes and hospitals. Hall Park provides dementia care, residential care, respite care and short stay.