Double delight for dedicated care team
Industry award and grant
An activities co- ordinator at a Crieff care home was honoured at the Scottish Care Awards.
Suzie Kelly received the Meaningful Activity Award during the ceremony on Friday last week.
She was up against teams from Balhousie Luncarty Care Home and The Bungalow, Crossreach but the judging panel deemed the hard work of Suzie and the rest of the Richmond staff to be worthy winners of the accolade.
Suzie has been the Crieff care home’s social and meaningful activities coordinator for seven years, transforming the level and range of activities within the home by providing fun, thoughtprovoking and creative activities for the residents.
Always keen to pilot activities with outside organisations, Suzie has also developed individual activity support plans tailored to each resident.
Ricmond House manager Stacy Rodger told the Herald: “It means the world to us after such a difficult two years to win this award.
“We are very fortunate to have such a great team here at Richmond House. To have our hard work recognised was such an amazing experience.”
The awards took place at the Hilton Hotel in Glasgow and were hosted by former Pop Idol winner and TV presenter,
Michelle McManus, and Scottish Care CEO Dr Donald Macaskill.
Meanwhile, there’s a spring in the step of those attending the weekly health walks run by Richmond House’s Richmond Community.
For the charity has been given a boost with a grant from the Community Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund, which will enable them to take their outings further afield.
Alison Kindness, chief executive of Richmond House, said: “We are absolutely delighted to have been awarded £5000 from the Community Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund, which will fund transport to take our walks out of Crieff and explore
more of Perthshire once a month, starting on May 5.
“It will also fund the all important cuppa at the end of our walks.”
Alison continued: “The walkers will decide where we are going and we already have two trips to Perth booked, a trip to the Kelpies in June and Dunkeld in the autumn.
“Join us on a Thursday for a walk in the local area and to hear where we are going over the summer.
“We meet at the Royal British Legion Scotland clubrooms in Perth Road, Crieff, at 10.30am.
“Everyone is welcome and our qualified walk leaders will support you regardless
of your ability.
“They also tie in with the Carers’ Cafe, which acts as an informal meeting place for unpaid carers, those being cared for and family members.”
The carer can attend the cafe on their own or with the person they care for. If the person being cared for is able to take part in the walks, they will be supported by qualified leaders while their carer takes a break with others in similar situations.
To celebrate the anniversary of the successful health walks and the cafe, Richmond House is hosting a birthday party at the Legion clubrooms on Thursday, April 14.
Call 07483 166486 by April 8 to attend.