August bank holiday weekend visitors to Blackwater Mill care home were treated to a big surprise – a mass gathering of teddy bears enjoying a picnic.
The Newport care home hosted the Teddy Bears’ Picnic in aid of the Alzheimer’s Society on the Friday before the bank holiday, and invited the whole Island community to join in with the free event and bring along a teddy bear.
There was plenty to enjoy in the run up to the event too, with live music, complimentary refreshments, games and a raffle. Several local musicians donated their time to perform throughout the day, and the raffle table was full of prizes donated by Island businesses and restaurants.
Extra entertainment came with a giant inflatable archery game and a challenging ‘steady hand’ buzzer game, complete with prizes.
Meanwhile, the teddy bear hunt got under way around the beautiful lake on the care home’s grounds, with children counting how many of the hidden teddy bears they could find.
The kitchen produced a wonderful teddy bear picnic cake alongside the picnic buffet, and staff also got involved, baking cakes to donate to the buffet.
The fun-packed event attracted a steady stream of visitors all day, and succeeded in raising £170 for the Alzheimer’s Society.
Afterwards, Blackwater Mill’s activity coordinator Angel thanked all the generous people who had volunteered their time, made donations, made an appearance and even lent their gazebos – plus those local businesses who donated raffle prizes, and all the staff who helped make the event happen for the Alzheimer’s Society.
Tony, a resident at Blackwater said, “I really enjoyed it…it was nice to see everyone having a laugh and enjoying themselves”.
Blackwater Mill is one of a group of 11 care homes in the family-based Buckland Care group. Visit their website at www.bucklandcare.co.uk for more information.