Hailsham care home raises over £600 for charities

A care home in Hailsham has served up a feast to tickle the taste buds as it hosted its first-ever community food festival in aid of two charities.

Team members at Care UK’s Bowes House, on Battle Road, transformed the grounds and threw open the doors for a Hawaiian family fun day featuring great cuisine, community and connection to celebrate the nation’s shared love of feel-good food.

Residents and guests, who accessorised with flower garlands, enjoyed a barbecue served up by the home’s chefs alongside fresh fruit kebabs. There was also a selection of exciting mocktails, an ice cream van and a traditional sweet stall from Scrumdiddlyumptious.

Visitors made their way around traditional fairground games, including a coconut shy, hook-a-duck, lucky dip and guess the number of sweets in the jar, as well as a bouncy castle and a raffle in support of Stroke Association and Alzheimer’s Society, raising a total of £679.10.

Resident Alan Martin, 79, said: “It was such a fun day. I really enjoyed being able to work on the stall with Sabrina from the lifestyle team, and it was lovely to see all the children enjoying the traditional games. I loved the chance to be helpful and keep busy all day!”

Complementing the flavour-packed day was the tinkling sound of the steel drums, with a live performance from Mark Cherie, followed by a mesmerising dance show by children from Holdance Studio.

Finlin Martin, Home Manager at Bowes House, said: “We are always looking for exciting ways to support residents in leading fulfilling lives, and food has a wonderful way of bringing people together.

“Many residents have a passion for cooking and enjoy sharing stories, recipes and traditions. Seeing everyone come together for delicious food, great entertainment and traditional fairground games made the day incredibly special.

“We were delighted to welcome so many people from the local community and raise money for two fantastic charities. It was a wonderful way to join Care UK's nationwide A Taste of Home celebrations, and we're already looking forward to welcoming visitors to future events at Bowes House.”

To find out more about A Taste of Home, please visit careuk.com/a-taste-of-home.

Bowes House is a state-of-the-art care home that provides full-time residential, nursing and dementia care, as well as short-term respite care. It boasts its own café, cinema and hair and beauty salon and offers a comprehensive activity programme, featuring a mix of themed events and group activities both inside and outside.