www.extracare.org.uk extraThe magazine dedicated to ExtraCare’s residentsli Dec/Jan e 2014/2015 ExtraCare’s awards triumph! p.19-20 Adrian’s WW2 narrow escape p.25-26 Staff and quality – exclusive with NHS education director p.23-24 Stay festive, stay safe p.47 Christmas cake on test p.45 Meet Cleaver The Critics Puzzle Page The History Inspectors Your Letters Recipes Contents Dear Residents, The Merry Christmas! At ExtraCare, we certainly have some reasons to celebrate, as six of our locations have just won top medals at a national extralife housing award ceremony (p.19-20)! Camoys Court won the Gold Medal Team for Best Overall UK Housing Scheme (of any size or type), and further gold Extralife is delivered four times a year medals went to Brunel Court and Yates Court. Broadway Gardens, Lark to residents in March/April, June/July, Hill Village and School Court won silver medals, and St Dominic’s Court September/October and December/January. and Princethorpe Court were also highly commended at the ceremony. We’ve received recognition in other Elsewhere around the country, As always, we’re looking at the work areas as well, as Lisa Bayliss-Pratt, we’ve been celebrating Village of several important teams around Director of Nursing at Health birthdays (p.16), a 100th birthday ExtraCare: Rowland from the IT Team Education England, visited Hagley (p.27), and even a wedding – our tells us about some useful gadgets Road Village last month and shared congratulations to Arthur and June (p.53-54), the Quality Team share her views (p.23-24), and we have from Willowbrook (p.13)! the latest complaints data (p.41) also recently heard the good news and Training and Development As well as celebrating successes, we’re We’re getting in the Christmas spirit that we have won the contracts Manager Ivan explains the new way also thanking the people that work hard with a festive crossword from Pam at to provide care at our Village and that his team is working (p.39-40). to make ExtraCare what it is. At this Humber Court (p.62), and Betty from Schemes in Stoke-on-Trent for We also hear about the work of the year’s Symphony Hall concert (p.5-6), Rosewood Court (p.46) and Nancy another three years (p.37-38). Residents’ Forum (p.43-44), and we praised the work of the Charity’s from Hagley Road Village (p.60) take an in-depth look at the role of thousands of dedicated volunteers have given us some Christmas- Housing Officer (p.42). (p.33), and many of our great garden inspired poems. volunteers were honoured at the Looking back, Adrian from Brunel Sunley Court’s Olive has shared her Garden in Bloom awards (p.11-12, Court speaks about his experiences recipe for Christmas cake (p.59), or, if p.49-50). during the Second World War (p.25- you’d rather try a store-bought version, The Extralife Team: 26) and a group from Terryspring a group from Verona Court have done Richard Tower, Rose Downing, Lucy Henson and Jon Cleaver Court go even further back, giving us the hard work of seeing which tastes their views on Magna Carta (p.51-52). best (p.45)! For more ExtraCare news, visit our website at Or, if you’d rather forget about www.extracare.org.uk Christmas and plan for the future, why not think about taking up a walking You can keep up-to-date with all the latest news in our challenge like Dorothy from Ryfields newsroom (link at the top right of the page). (p.55-56) or even embarking on adventurous holidays like Marilyn and The newsroom also contains links to our social media pages Tony from Lovat Fields (p.63-64)? – why not join our discussion on Facebook and Twitter, or Whatever your plans, we hope that watch ExtraCare’s latest videos on YouTube? you have a very happy and healthy Our latest photos are available on our Flickr page at New Year! www.flickr.com/photos/extracare. Click on “Albums” to view different events around ExtraCare, or try searching by Front Cover: Best wishes, tag for your Scheme or Village. Congratulations to Camoys Court, The Extralife Team winners of Best Overall UK Housing Scheme at this year’s EAC Awards! Read more on p.19-20! extralife 2 Contents Contents December 2014/January 2015 ExtraCare News Regulars 5-22 News & Stories 41 Solving Complaints 35-36 Pen to Paper Symphony Hall The Charity’s latest Your letters Festivals of Choirs complaints data on flying, Garden in Bloom schooldays and an 25 43-44 Residents’ Forum 5 Village birthdays unexpected visitor! Housing Services Manager Award winners Richard Keeley reports 42 My Job Village development news on the work of the Maria Cutting, one of Residents’ Forum ExtraCare’s Housing 53-54 IT Works 27-31 People in Pictures Officers, tells us about Head of IT Rowland Sandys Christmas preparations, her job award presentations and Features explains how his team much, much more! 46 Wordswork are working to improve 9 25-26 Meet Cleaver residents’ lives through the Betty Chantry from Jon Cleaver talks to Rosewood Court shares a use of technology ExtraCare Issues Adrian Ammerlaan 34 Christmas poem with us 59 Glorious Food 23-24 The Big Question from Brunel Court 47-48 Essential Advice Sunley Court’s Olive Extralife speaks to 45 The Critics La-hive shares a Christmas Lisa Bayliss-Pratt, Tips on Christmas safety, Residents from Verona as well as support with fruitcake recipe Director of Nursing at Court share their thoughts claiming benefits Health Education England on Christmas cakes 61-62 Puzzle Page 32 Trustees 49-50 Gardening with Festive puzzles and a 51-52 The History Howard wordsearch from Pam Elam 11 We introduce two of Inspectors Howard Drury gives us his of Humber Court 36 ExtraCare’s Trustees Terryspring Court residents thoughts on some standout 33-34 Valued Volunteers talk about Magna Carta Garden in Bloom entries ExtraCare’s Charity Volunteer 55-56 Fit! Co-ordinator Chrissie Morris We discuss the benefits shares how we have been of walking and talk to celebrating volunteers Dorothy Haslam from recently Ryfields Village 37-38 Sort It! 57-58 Well-being Liz Alvey, ExtraCare’s Lark Hill Village’s 13 Contracts and New Services Chrishanti Blackwood Manager, explains why the tells us about her role as Charity has to tender to a Well-being Advisor deliver care services 60 Veterans’ Voices 39-40 Performance Nancy Cooper from 56 Training and Development Hagley Road Village Manager Ivan Finney shares a poem about tells us how his team Christmastime in 1914 delivers training 57-58 What is 63-64 Final Feature well-being? Marilyn and Tony from Lovat Fields Village send some blogs from their 18 recent trip backpacking 45 Putting Christmas cakes around Africa! 59 to the test! extralife 4 News SymphonySymphony HallHall Comedy double act Cannon and Ball What did you think? Mary and former Britain’s Got Talent winners Mary’s view Spelbound joined One of the oldest residents at the concert was 99 year old Mary Reeder 1. 2. ExtraCare for of Lovat Fields, who enjoyed the this year’s Symphony show and particularly the singing. Hall concert. In her younger days, Mary was in an operatic society in Bury St Edmunds, and she also sang in a Welsh Choir when Violinist Gary Lovini also performed a she lived in London. The operatic society performed musicals like The medley of British music to fit in with Mikado and Desert Song and they also held midnight matinees to raise the theme of “Best of British”. money for charity. ExtraCare performers included the She worked as a veterinary nurse before she retired and she has a son and ExtraCare choirs, ably conducted by a daughter and four grandchildren. Her late husband Percival served in Dot Bailey from St Crispin Village, the Royal Navy during the war and was on the famous freezing Russian dancer Nathan Duberry, the Village convoy runs. Activity Facilitator from Pannel Croft, and a trio of ExtraCare singers: Mary said that the concert was smashing and the organisation on the day Chief Executive Nick Abbey, Sunley was wonderful. Her favourite act was the violinist; she remembered all the Court Manager Jane Trimarco and songs he played. She was also very impressed by the acrobatics and said Beacon Park Village Activity Facilitator they were amazing. Keir Pedley. 3. 4. The whole event was hosted by Resident volunteer at St Oswald’s Village, Activities Manager Donna Ball, who Jean Jones, said the show was “absolutely surprised the audience with plenty of fantastic.” According to Jean, the shows get costume changes. better every year and Donna, as usual, did a great job presenting the acts. She felt Spelbound Over 1,000 ExtraCare residents, were amazing and she had to shut her eyes volunteers, friends and staff members because at times she thought they were going were in the audience, and, for the first to fall! David and Jean time, the concert was also attended by prospective residents from Another resident volunteer at St Oswald’s, Earlsdon Park Village, the Charity’s David Edwards, said all the acts were well presented and entertaining and new retirement village which is due to it was obvious the audience was enjoying themselves. open in Coventry in 2016. Edna Worrall from Ryfields Village agreed the show was very good and it was obvious the audience were enjoying themselves. She was impressed with Donna and her dresses.