People receiving care at home have received surprise festive deliveries from Good Oaks Home Care this week. The staff are on a seasonal mission to make everyone in their care smile – this includes sending out more than 80 cupcakes with carers going to visit clients.

The team are determined that those isolating should have a good Christmas, and are planning on making and delivering Christmas dinners to their clients who are on their own.

Alongside the Christmas fare, there will also be gift bags, thanks to community group Dorset Mums. The community group has donated more than 1,000 gift bags across Dorset to care homes for residents with little or no family to visit, care companies, a coronavirus support group, Dorset Council Adult Services, a church community cafe, Age UK and Pramacare, as well as Good Oaks.

Branch manager at Good Oaks Home Care, Claire Jackson, said, “We wanted to do everything we could to go above and beyond and make Christmas 2020 extra special for everyone in our care. Everyone knows it has been a tough year and we have been constantly working to ensure everyone in our care is safe, happy and contented. It’s about spreading a little extra joy at this time of year and making people smile just a bit more. Having a Christmas dinner, presents to open and someone to have a chat to on the big day, is something many of us take for granted but for many people, our carers might be their only contact during Christmas, so we want to do everything we can to go above and beyond and make this Christmas an extra special one.”

The team has also signed up the Good Morning Britain’s One Million Minutes campaign, where people volunteer their time to support someone who might be lonely, or who doesn’t have anyone to talk to over Christmas.