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 Walks raise hundreds for care home garden refurbishment

Walks raise hundreds for care home garden refurbishment

By 21st July, 2021 Press Releases Comments Off

A TRIO of sponsored walks have raised hundreds of pounds for care home residents in Skelmersdale.

Staff and their children have marched dozens of miles to raise funds for garden refurbishment work at Aaron Crest Care Home, on Tanhouse Road.

In June, the home’s head cook Karina Mathews and her two children, Renee, 11, and Dakota, nine, completed a four-and-a-half-mile walk around Ingleton Falls, in North Yorkshire, raising £250.

Karina said: “Renee and Dakota came up with the idea as they would often visit the residents before Covid. They really missed the residents, so they wanted to do something nice for them. We all had a fantastic day out.”

Renee said: “I would love to do it again so we can raise more money for the residents. We really enjoyed the day and had lots of fun playing in the water for a cool down.”

Dakota added: “We had lots of fun doing this. I can’t wait to visit the residents again.”

In early July, senior carer Nicola Wilson and her children, Amelia, seven, Mya, 10, and Lexie, 11, completed five around Fairy Glen, near Wigan, raising £180.

Nicola said: “We were all really excited to do the walk and can’t wait to see the new garden for the residents when the work has been done. We asked as many people as possible to donate on our walk and shouted loud and proud for the residents.”

Then in mid-July, nine staff members from the care home, alongside their children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren, completed a six mile walk from Upholland through Skelmersdale, stopping at every pub along the way to collect from patrons and landlords.

Donations amounted to £332, with landlords at The Buffs and The Elmridge Arms donating £20 each. Other pubs visited included The Britannia, The Victoria, The Plough and Harrow, The Hare and Hounds, The Grimshaw, The Derby Arms, and The Village Inn.

Among those to go on the walk was Sarah O’Shaughnessy, activities coordinator at Aaron Crest Care Home. She said: “It was a great day. We were out for seven hours and walked about 10 kilometres.

“People were so kind and supportive. We had lots of laughs and can’t thank our local community enough for their generosity. It was amazing.”

The money will be used to purchase a new fixed gazebo for the care home’s courtyard, seating areas for the residents and visitors, alongside new flowers and additional garden furniture.

Emma Willoughby, home manager at Aaron Crest Care Home, said: “I am so proud of all our staff and their children for raising a combined £762 with their sponsored walks.

“It is a fantastic amount and it will go a long way to helping us refurbish the garden and courtyard.

“We have shown the residents pictures of the ideas we are thinking about for the refurb, and they can’t wait to see it brightened up, with lots of colours and new flowers, as well as making use of the new furniture and gazebo.

“My thanks go out to everyone who took part in the sponsored walks and also to those who donated.”