Care home group fundraising for sensory gardens for all its care homes

Care home group C&C is 95 years old and to mark its anniversary, the company has announced a fundraising project aimed to raise £25,000 to create sensory gardens to benefit residents living with dementia.

The ‘move for care’ challenge will include residents, colleagues, and the wider community in a month-long step challenge and a dance-a-thon early next year.

The ‘move for care’ step challenge will run through January 2022 where C&C is hoping to record at least nine and a half million steps (equating to over 3,300 miles) across all who take part.

Participants will be encouraged to set a realistic target for themselves across a day, week, or the whole month. This will encourage participants to stay active and keep moving whilst raising awareness of the ‘extra mile’ care workers do daily to support residents.

C&C will also host a fortnight-long dance-a-thon which will run from 31 January-11 February. This will comprise in-person and virtual dance activities, including two dedicated Facebook Live events. Participants will be given opportunities to take part in new activities such as Latin dance and freestyle dancing, along with more established styles including seated dance exercise classes and Zumba gold.

Julia Ashley, C&C chief executive, said: “To celebrate 95 years of building communities and providing affordable homes in London, we really want to do something residents, colleagues and the public alike can get involved in, while raising money for something special and life-changing for our care home residents.

“The physical and mental health benefits associated with staying active cannot be overstated. In addition, 'move for care' will be encouraging people of all ages to try something different and get moving at a time of year where it’s so easy to do little or no exercise. And there’s a huge fundraising incentive as well – as we hope the sensory gardens, which would provide amazing therapeutic outdoor spaces for residents to relax and enjoy, can become a reality.”

With a number of C&C’s care home residents living with dementia, the planned sensory gardens will feature elements such as musical instruments, colourful scented plants, a wildlife sanctuary and water fountains. The gardens will be a relaxing place to play interactive games benefitting residents with dementia, complex needs, mobility difficulties and sensory impairment.

Central & Cecil (C&C) is a not-for-profit housing provider offering housing and care for over 55s in locations across London. Founded in 1926, C&C delivers living services for residents across over 1,850 properties including affordable and private rent, four care homes and a small number of retirement properties. C&C has confirmed it is to merge with Aster Group with the merger set to complete in January 2022.

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