Care home residents raise thousands for The Boaz Project

Colten Care’s Abbotts Barton and St Catherines View, both in Winchester, chose The Boaz Project, a Sutton Scotney farm-based therapeutic work community, as their joint charity for the past year.

Their fundraising initiatives included a family-friendly afternoon fete at St Peter’s Primary School in Stanmore.

The fete featured stalls selling crocheted gift items handmade by residents and team members.

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Representatives from Boaz and Colten Care gather at Abbotts Barton for a presentation to round off the year of fundraising. (Image: Colten Care) Boaz staff and volunteers also sold fresh eggs from their chickens, cards, wooden crafts and jams.

Abbotts Barton resident Grace Gray, who joined Colten Care and Boaz representatives for the presentation of a £5,906.60 cheque to round off the year of fundraising, said: "We’re thrilled to have been able to support Boaz, a local charity we, the residents, were only too pleased to choose."

Boaz events and volunteer co-ordinator Catherine Phillips said: "We hope to use the money to help renovate our kitchen. It will make a huge difference.

"We have a great relationship with the residents and staff at Abbotts Barton and St Catherines View and we love coming along to their craft events and other occasions.

"A huge thank you to the residents, families and staff for all the help they have given us over the past year."

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Abbotts Barton and St Catherines View are among 21 homes owned and operated by Colten Care in Hampshire, Dorset, West Sussex and Wiltshire.

Four, including St Catherines View, are dedicated dementia care homes.

Each Colten Care home nominates a main charity to support each year, leaving scope for other causes to be helped too.

Once residents decide on the charity, companions, social carers and other team members enable them to contribute directly in meaningful ways such as making arts and crafts to sell and suggesting ideas for sponsored activities.

The contribution from Abbotts Barton and St Catherines View helped bring Colten Care’s group-wide charity fundraising total for the past year to a record £43,220.

Colten Care’s chief operating officer Elaine Farrer said: "It is always up to our residents to decide which causes we support.

"As well as organising cash donations and raffle prizes, our teams help residents to do their bit through creative activities they really enjoy and that keep them fully engaged with their local communities."