CARE HOME STAFF COMMIT TO 24 HOUR SPONSORED CYCLE
Staff at Butterfly Lodge, a specialist care home in St Budeaux, Plymouth, are organising a sponsored 24-hour bike ride on 7 and 8 June and hoping to raise the final £800 needed for specialist new entertainment equipment for their residents living with dementia.
The team has been actively engaged for nearly a year in fundraising to buy a new interactive mobile unit for use by residents, with activities including a spring fair last weekend which raised £300, and a sponsored bike ride along the Camel Trail last summer which raised £500.
Participants in next month’s sponsored cycle will use two static bikes installed in the reception area of Butterfly Lodge, to be ridden in turn by various staff members and relatives. A dedicated team of 20 colleagues and friends of the home have committed to taking part and the riders will achieve their 24 hour target by doing two 12 hour stints over two days.
The high-tech audio-visual kit to be purchased with the sponsorship money will enable residents confined to their rooms to share in activities taking place elsewhere in the home, so everyone can benefit equally from music, singing, reminiscence and other fun activities via live-streaming.
Deputy manager Sarah McCaffrey said: “We are so close to having the full amount of money we need for the Jolly Trolley that we are hoping this will be the final push to bring in the remainder.
“It really is an amazing piece of kit which will enable everyone at Butterfly Lodge to benefit equally from music, singing, reminiscence and other fun activities via live-streaming.
“We’ll also be able to support people to more easily access live-screening from outside the home, as well as using it for playing video messages from families and friends and for other activities such as karaoke.
“We absolutely can’t wait to get it installed and see our residents enjoying it!
“This sponsored cycle will be hard work, so we’re putting in a fair few hours in the gym in preparation.
“We’ve told residents what we’re doing and they’ve said they are glad they aren’t doing it but will be happy to cheer on our brilliant team!”
Anyone wanting to pledge sponsorship for the cycle ride can do so at https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/butterflylodgeresidentsfund
Butterfly House provides a wide variety of activities and outings for the people living with dementia who they support – all devised to keep them engaged and living their best lives for as long as possible.
The home is run by award-winning dementia care providers Camelot Care who also have homes in Wellington, Bridgwater and Yeovil in Somerset. www.camelotcare.co.uk
