Chingford care home residents team up with community for matchday magic

Football fever has officially kicked off at a care home in Chingford as residents welcomed friends, family and local children for a day of sporting fun. 

Care UK’s Ivy Grove, on Hatch Lane, opened its doors to the community to join the nation in celebrating a huge summer of sport. 

To begin the day, residents were joined by the 23rd Chingford Scouts for an evening of hands-on creativity, making memorabilia including international flags for the residents to use on the day.

Residents then took part in a penalty shootout with friends and family, showing off their football skills on the pitch.  

Resident Joan Fuller, aged 94, said: “I thoroughly enjoyed creating the team flags with the children. It is always so great having the kids come into the home, they bring so much life, energy, and excitement into our lives.”

The event was part of Care UK’s ‘Goal-den Moments' initiative, which aims to bring generations together and encourage residents to reminisce about cherished football memories with the local community while sharing new memories together.

Jacob Mante, Home Manager at Ivy Lodge, said: “We had a ball opening our doors to local children, friends and family to take part in the crafts and penalty shootout!

“For many residents, football is more than just the beautiful game – it represents a lifetime of treasured memories and traditions. This event allowed us to honour these special moments and bring them to life once again.

“It was a wonderful opportunity to bring different generations together for a day of matchday magic. It was truly heartwarming to watch residents reminisce and share their favourite football stories from years gone by.

“We’d like to extend a huge thank you to the 23rd Chingford Scouts for joining us and making this a day to remember. With spirits high, everyone involved proved they still have plenty of goal-den skills to show off!”

As part of the campaign, Care UK has made donations to local walking football foundations, including Cambridge United Foundation.

Vicky Neal, Head of Cambridge United Foundation, said: “We are incredibly grateful to Care UK for its generous donation in support of our work with older adults across our community. Partnerships like this help us continue delivering programmes that make a genuine difference to people’s physical and mental wellbeing.

"Our walking football sessions in particular have become a vital lifeline for many participants, improving fitness, confidence and mobility while also tackling loneliness by creating meaningful social connections and friendships. The support from Care UK will allow us to reach even more older adults and continue using the power of sport to bring people together and enhance lives across our city.”

To find out more about Goal-den Moments, please visit careuk.com/goal-den-moments.

Ivy Grove provides full-time residential and dementia care, as well as short-term respite care. The home incorporates plenty of space for leisure activities and hobbies, with the layout of the building configured to facilitate the creation of close-knit communities and encourage social interaction among residents. Designed to support active and fulfilling lifestyles while promoting independence, Ivy Grove boasts a beautiful accessible garden, en suite bathrooms in every room and its own hair and beauty salon.