A Colten Care home in West Moors celebrated the recent Kindness Day in a festive way.

Brook View resident Pam Osman brought some early seasonal cheer by decorating her walking frame with Christmas lights and a knitted Father Christmas and taking it on a tour of the building.

“It was a way of getting the Christmas spirit in early,” said Pam. “I was determined to walk round and make everyone smile.

“It’s been such a challenging year for people everywhere and I thought my Christmas lights would lift everyone’s spirits.”

Fellow resident Rosa Leicester said, “Pam definitely cheered us all up. She put a lot of hard work into it.”

Both Pam and Rosa were keen to praise staff at the home for ‘being kind every day of the year’. Rosa said, “They are so caring. You have to be kind to work in a care home and what they do for us is amazing.”

Companionship team leader Sarah Harley, who was on hand to share a celebratory Victoria sponge cake specially made by chefs at the home, said, “We try to make every day a day of kindness but that hasn’t stopped our residents from wanting to share in the official Kindness Day itself.

“Pam’s Christmas-themed walker certainly produced smiles all round and got everyone in the mood for more seasonal celebrations to come.”

As well as the Victoria sponge, residents at Brook View enjoyed individual cupcakes bearing the International Kindness Day logo, again made by the home’s chefs.

Across Colten Care’s 21 homes, staff and residents have been fundraising for causes such as Macmillan Cancer Support and Children in Need.

Homes have also supported the Rotary Club’s shoebox appeal for disadvantaged children and begun hosting collections for local food banks in the run-up to Christmas.

And with COVID restrictions ruling out trips to the shops to buy Christmas presents, staff at several homes have been helping residents make their own gifts for loved ones.

In arts and crafts workshops, residents have been producing items such as soaps, sugar scrubs, cookie-making kits and sweet jars.