Acer Court’s Summer Bonanza Extravaganza!
Although being cared for in a care home, many of our residents are concerned about care and support for others, and many fundraising events are held at our homes to support local charities; it’s just one way that our homes and our residents continue to be engaged with and play their part in their communities.
Acer Court in Nuttall, Nottingham, is no exception, and they pulled out all the stops at their recent Summer Bonanza Extravaganza. Their chosen local charity, decided by the staff and residents after much discussion, was Action for Young Carers, a group that provides support for children as young as 5 years old who in turn provide care for their parents or relatives. This can be a huge burden for children so young, much of which can go unseen but can have a life-changing impact. Acer Court’s residents wanted to do whatever they could to help.
The staff, residents, family members and volunteers worked hard on the planning and arrangements to put on a fantastic day to support the charity. The Extravaganza comprised of a wide range of events, activities and attractions. There were live music bands, pony rides, a bucking bronco, bar, coffee and refreshments, bouncy castles, face painting, plus an amazing thirty arts and craft stalls! The local church also supported with their own cake stall, and there was hook-a-duck, candy floss, and ‘name the bears’. There were amazing raffle prizes donated from local businesses, including wine, picnic hampers, vouchers for beauty treatments, vouchers for meals and even a 43” TV!
The entertainment program for the event was exceptional with three professional acts. Opening the show was Alan Radford-Saint, a regular entertainer at Acer Court and a huge favourite of the residents. Alan is smooth crooner, singing songs by famous artists such as Frank Sinatra, Louis Armstrong and Jim Reeves. ‘The Acclaimers’ (a three-piece band) followed with an eclectic set to liven things up for the second hour with a mixture of music from the seventies all the way to the modern era. Towards the end of their set, they introduced Sinead, an immensely talented young local singer-songwriter, to round off their performance. The Acclaimers also doubled up as the sound technicians, making sure everything ran a smoothly as possible and sounded great. Up next was their own home-grown talent in the shape of The Acer Court Choir. Over the past six months, the residents have been working hard to put together a debut performance that would not be forgotten, and they did not disappoint. It was a truly spell-binding show that took the audience on an emotional roller-coaster, leaving everyone feeling upbeat and proud to be part of such a special event. Our last artists of the afternoon were ‘The Daisy Belles’ a fantastic all-singing, all-dancing three-part harmony trio. The Daisy Belles performed a number of vintage style songs with a modern twist, and even featured a cameo performance by Acer Court’s very own Well-being & Activities Co-ordinator, Yan Jurkiewicz, with a rendition of Dean Martin’s ‘Memories are made of this’.
All of this superb event was staged despite the weather. This was an English summer after all! Several stalls had to pull out on the morning of the event, and due to amber warnings from the weather office, it was not clear if the event could continue. But after a meeting at 6:30 am the staff team decided that so much work had gone into the event that to cancel was not an option. The staff put on their smiles and headed out into the rain to set up, and by the time the event started at eleven o’clock, almost as if by magic, the torrential rain stopped and didn’t start again until the event was over. So well done to the amazing staff for keeping their spirits high and never giving up!
Their efforts were well rewarded, as some 300 guests of families and friends of the residents and the general public attended to support the event. The proceedings were opened formally by the Mayor of Broxtowe who then took time to meet the residents, staff and stallholders. At the end of the day, all of the hard work had paid off, with the home raising a truly stunning £2,000 for the Action for Young Carers charity.
Resident Tina Nash thoroughly enjoyed herself and her comments reflected the feelings of the rest of the community. “We thought the day was going to have to be cancelled but the kind and wonderful staff carried on regardless, despite being wet through. The rain stopped just in time and we had an amazing day and loved seeing everyone enjoy themselves. I even had my face painted and I am still finding glitter!”
Acer Court Home Manager Linda Simpson was full of praise for her staff and their efforts to make the day a true success. “We are in a very lucky position to be able to support local charities and make a difference in people’s lives. The team worked for months putting this event together to make it the best it could possibly be. The local community and businesses were extremely supportive and we could not have done it without them. Despite the weather warnings, the car park resembling a river, and some of the food sellers pulling out in the day, we still managed to raise £2,000. I am extremely proud of the team at Acer Court. Their hard work and commitment never fail to amaze me.”
One family member, Pauline Caygill, was also pleased to have attended. “Acer Court’s Summer Bonanza Extravaganza was a tremendous event despite the dreadful weather! The residents and families had a great time, and this is down to all the hard work and enthusiasm from the dedicated staff.”
Yan was also relieved that the day had gone well despite the weather. “This is by far the biggest event ever put on at Acer Court. It has been amazing to bring the party to our resident’s doorstep. It was an absolute joy to see residents, staff, families and the community having such a wonderful time. The kindness of everyone who contributed to this event has been totally overwhelming.”
The bar has now been set, and we can’t wait to see what Acer Court will stage for their Christmas Fayre later in the year!
