We are delighted to let you know that we have again been awarded the Top 20 Care Home Award for the South-West of England. This covers 1,800 care homes from Gloucester to Cornwall and we are judged on the independent reviews we receive through Carehome.co.uk. Our rating increased from 9.9 to 10 last month which has also given everyone a great sense of achievement.

Well done and thank you to all the team.

Residents very much enjoyed the children from Stowey Bears pre-school in Nether Stowey who came to visit on St Valentines Day. They were a joy to have with us and they sang some lovely songs and handed out flower pictures printed using their hands prints. The children joined in with some gentle exercise and games and we look forward to seeing them later in the year.

We enjoyed one of our volunteers, Jo visiting and doing a morning reminiscing all about food and utensils that were used or are used in the kitchen, she also came in one afternoon and did individual reminiscing with some of the residents.

Chris came in and played the organ, and Jan, our staff vicar did a lovely church service with some uplifting songs. Steve Holford came and sung a variety of tunes which the residents also enjoyed very much.

We had a couple of our own music afternoons, one playing LPs from the 60s and 70s and the other one was a music quiz. One Saturday afternoon some residents also went over to Stockland Club to an event called Saturday Afternoon Fever to listen to 60s to 90s music, have a little dance themselves or watch other villagers on the dance floor, the residents really enjoyed it. The DJ was Phil Edwards who also came and did a slide show of one of his travels to Alaska, and showed us the pictures of scenery, animals and the bird life he saw, some residents particularly enjoyed this.

The college students continued coming in to help weekly, but this stopped in March as they completed their work experience, they finish their course completely in June. This month they helped us start to sow some seeds, with Mike who came from the Combwich garden club. We wish them all the best and thank them for the time and patience they have given everyone.

In art and craft we started to make some sock bunnies for Easter, which we hope to display with other items. Lots of other games as usual were played throughout the month.