Snap happy – care home residents create photography gallery to raise money for charity

A care home in Church Crookham has taken part in a very unique project to raise funds for local charities.

The team at Bourley Grange, on Bourley Road, has adjusted their focus to help residents create their very own photography exhibition in the home. 

 

The aim of the project was to open a gallery in the home’s bistro, made up of images of residents and pictures taken by residents to raise money for The Alzheimer’s Society and Phyllis Tuckwell. 

Alzheimer's Society is a care and research charity for people with dementia and their carers. Phyllis Tuckwell is the only hospice care service for adult patients and their families, living with cancer or another terminal illness across the whole of West Surrey and part of North East Hampshire.

The exhibition took several days to complete, and residents were guided by volunteers Mike and Ana from the Aldershot, Farnham and Fleet Camera Club. 

During the gallery opening, guests sipped on delicious cocktails and enjoyed fresh canapés prepared by Head Chef Darwin and the home was decorated with banners and balloons provided by the respective charities.

The home is continuing to raise money for the two charities throughout the year and the total is set to be doubled by Care UK’s match funding initiative. 

Racquel Merdegia, General Manager at Bourley Grange, said: “Here at Bourley Grange, we are always looking for innovative ways for residents to live active and fulfilling lives – staging and taking photos for the residents’ own photo exhibition proved to be a huge hit!

“Our exhibition also provided a great opportunity for us to raise vital funds for two deserving charities, and we are so pleased we were able to collect donations. 

“I would like to thank Anna and Mike, from Aldershot, Farnham and Fleet Camera Club, who generously gave several days of their own time to the project. Residents were delighted with the results and proud to talk about their work to guests at the exhibition. 

“Our thanks go out to everyone who attended the gallery opening – everyone had a fantastic time celebrating the residents’ work!”

To find out more about Bourley Grange, contact Home Admissions Advisor at Bourley Grange, Natasha Peters, on natasha.peters@careuk.com or call 01252 756438 or visit careuk.com/bourley-grange.

Designed to enable residents to live active and fulfilled lives, while also promoting independence, Bourley Grange, which remains open to potential residents, incorporates space for hobby and leisure activities. The home provides full-time residential, nursing and memory care in addition to respite care. The layout of the building is configured into a series of individual suites, each having a dedicated lounge/dining room to help facilitate the creation of close-knit communities.