Activities at Mallard Court Care Home

We held a colouring competition to celebrate St Patrick's Day.

Star singer, Frank Martin, sang lots of classic love songs on Valentine's Day for the folks at Mallard Court. There was lots of red roses, ballons and, most importantly, love!

Residents, family and friends at Mallard Court enjoyed a morning creating nature-themed arts and crafts in the build-up to the RSPB’s Big Garden Birdwatch 2017.

Apple bird feeders were made for the home’s garden and for visitors to take away to put in their own outdoor space. Young visitors also decorated hedgehogs made from paperback books and painted puffin masks.

Families taking part were also encouraged to feed the birds in their own gardens and to sign up to the Big Garden Birdwatch. This annual event is a highlight in the RSPB calendar and takes place over the final weekend in January. The public are asked to spend an hour recording the wildlife they see in their garden then send their findings to the charity which uses the data to find out how different birds and small mammals are doing. Last year, over a half million people across the UK got involved.

This year, the Driffield Middle 8 Singers have been raising money for a charity that is close to their hearts - The Marie Curie Nurses.

Margaret Grant is a resident living at Mallard Court and she is a former singer with the group, and Margaret is one of the handful of people in The East Riding that has been diagnosed with the condition known as PSP. It is a terminal disease with no known cause or cure, so money is needed for research.

Her husband, Peter, is a singer with Middle 8, and the group have agreed that all money raised this year will be donated to the charity. The total raised by donations so far is nearing £1,000.

There is a PSP support group that holds monthly meetings at Burnby Hall, Pocklington, and Granddaughter, Sarah, has just run her first half marathon, raising £900 to support those who attend these meetings and their carers.

The singers have dedicated one of their songs to those living with PSP.

Residents enjoyed a surprise visit from some miniature horses. Skippa, Buck and Bubbles were accompanied by their owner, Karen Hamilton-Smith, who gave an informed talk here at the home. Karen is an international American horse judge and has travelled all over the world doing what she loves. Residents were thrilled to meet Karen and her horses – it was a real treat for them – and the horses loved being petted as well.

We spent the week at Mallard Court decorating cakes and eating them - what a chore! We also hosted a coffee morning with musical duet, Dark Moon, entertaining us. We had a cake stall, with everyone contributing, and held a raffle too. In total, managed to raise £105 for Macmillan Cancer Support.