All bets were off at Highfield Care Home in Canterbury in June as residents made their own hats and fascinators for a Royal Ascot-themed fun day.
Residents at the care home on Bekesbourne Lane, shared their stories about previous visits to the races as they recreated the annual event with the help of activities co-ordinator Claire Handcock.
The eye-catching headwear, which is a main staple of Royal Ascot, stole the show at the care home in Canterbury. With residents spending the afternoon creating their own fantastic fascinators and terrific top hats. During the morning, residents also played a horse racing game using matchsticks as currency.
Each resident began the day with 50 matchsticks each. However, Rita Turner, the outright winner, beat all the odds to finish the day with around 90 per cent of everyone else’s matchsticks. An unbelievable achievement!
The thrills continued well into the afternoon at Highfield, with residents sitting down to watch the real racing from Ascot on television. Albeit without the usual crowds or a visit from Her Majesty the Queen due to coronavirus restrictions. Although no bets were placed on the afternoon’s racing, plenty of winners were picked by residents. Fun was had going through the runners and riders in the newspaper as residents selected their favourites.
Speaking of her success, Rita Turner said: “I didn’t realise I had such a talent for picking winners. I can’t wait to try my luck at our next bingo game!”
At Larchwood Care, one of our top priorities is to make sure our residents are stimulated and feel involved with the local and wider community. We have dedicated activity teams that work hard to ensure residents have fun, play games and get involved with whatever we’re up to.
