Stansted care home celebrates Sinhalese New Year

A care home in Stansted marked Sinhalese New Year with an afternoon celebrating Sri Lankan culture.

Residents at Care UK’s Mountfitchet House, on Coltsfield, were keen to celebrate the culture of the home’s Sri Lankan team members and learn about the traditional outfits, food and dancing from Sinhalese team members working at the home. 

Residents and team members were treated to some delicious authentic treats, homemade by their fellow team members, Prasad, Dulani and Liyanora, including rulan aluwa – a sweet treat usually made with coconut – and kokis – rosette-shaped cookies often served at cultural celebrations. The team also brought in a range of beautiful saris to showcase the outfits traditionally worn for celebratory events in Sri Lanka.

Adding to the celebrations, local Bollywood dance group, Belly Belles, demonstrated some traditional dancing, getting everyone involved and learning some of the popular moves. 

98-year-old, Patricia, a resident at Mountfitchet House said: “I really enjoyed the afternoon – we didn’t just watch the dancing but they got us all moving too! It was interesting to try the different foods and learn about the traditions.” 

For their commitment to providing an inclusive environment, Mountfitchet House were awarded the ‘Diversity Award for Care Homes’ in 2022.

Joanna Duke, Home Manager at Mountfitchet House, said: “Everyone here at Mountfitchet House is passionate about making the home an inclusive environment, where people of all cultures and backgrounds are celebrated.

“We have a number of team members with connections to Sri Lanka, and were delighted when they offered to teach us more about their beautiful culture. The residents loved having the opportunity to celebrate Sinhalese New Year and why it’s so important - and everyone really enjoyed learning to dance.

“I’d like to extend a big thank you to the team for organising this wonderful day and to Belly Belles for helping out – we’re already looking forward to next year’s celebrations!”

Mountfitchet House is a state-of-the-art care home which provides full-time residential, nursing, dementia and short-term respite care. The care home incorporates space for hobby and leisure activities and includes its own cinema, hair salon and café.

For more information on Mountfitchet House, please call Customer Relations Manager, Jade Rackham, on 01279 883849, or email jade.rackham@careuk.com

For more general information, please go to careuk.com/mountfitchet-house