Charity, Health & Lifestyle | Posted on March 25th, 2026 | return to news

Care home residents race across Dorset

Four teams from Heathland House took part in challenges which included visiting The Tank Museum and the Aviation Museum.

Four teams of people living in a care home in Ferndown battled it out across the county when they took part in the first Race Across Dorset.

The residents from Heathland House care home, part of the Cinnamon Luxury Care collection, were tasked with racing between Dorset landmarks, from Bournemouth’s Russell Cotes Museum to The Tank Museum at Bovington and Bournemouth. Aviation Museum. At each location, teams gathered photographic and video evidence before racing back to Ferndown, with the final stop a cocktail-making challenge at The Old Thatch Pub near Wimborne.

After an energetic day of challenges, landmark visits and competitive spirit, the winner was revealed to be Team Leonard with an impressive 59 points.

The oldest competitor, at 88 and a wheelchair user, Leonard Symonds was joined by his daughter Karen Lynch, with occasional ‘assistance’ from his grandson, and even the family dog joined the fun at one point. Leonard’s triumph earned him a trip on the Swanage Railway.

Leonard said: “I had such an excellent time taking part. What a great day out. I especially loved the challenge at The Tank Museum. I was in the army from the age of 16 and rose to Major before leaving in 1990, so it brought back memories. We had to find a ring made by a tank commander for his wife out of tank debris. A brilliant challenge. I also loved going to the Aviation Museum.”

Leonard was presented with a medal and certificate by Louis Alexander, one of the world’s youngest professional adventurers and an ambassador for the Cinnamon Care Collection. A world record breaker, Louis is the first and only person to complete seven marathons across seven continents and swim marathon distances in all seven seas.

Louis said: “Race Across Dorset is such a great way to engage care home residents. It just proves that the adventurous spirit is in all of us, no matter what age. You just need to embrace it.”

Among the participants was 81-year-old Gordon Love, who lives with dementia. He was accompanied by his son, Jon Love, who described the day as profoundly meaningful.

Jon said: “The day created such special memories for me, spending time with my dad. Such an innovative and fun day out. I can’t thank Heathland House staff enough for all their efforts to bring quality to Dad’s life in these fun and imaginative ways.”

Inspired by the hit BBC series ‘Race Across the World’, the Heathland House version swapped backpacks for wheelchairs, walking sticks and sheer determination.