Residents make handmade daisy badges for staff at care home near Market Drayton
One care home near Market Drayton has presented its staff with homemade badges to show their appreciation for keeping residents safe and happy during the coronavirus crisis.
Cheswardine Hall, just outside the village of Cheswardine, has been making efforts to keep up residents' spirits.
They include a daily sing-along to 'When You're Smiling', regular Skype and FaceTime calls between residents and staff, and extra sports activities.
Activities coordinator Claire Fishlock said: "Some of the things we have been enjoying are indoor and outdoor golf and we have also started a five-a-side chair football team – men versus women.
"We play every Thursday morning and it is very competitive with lots of fun and laughter from all. We even have our own football vests for each side with football goals too, plus the red and yellow cards which are used a lot!
"We are still holding our fortnightly church service with readings being provided by our local vicar and we now call it our “resident-led service“ with the residents now choosing readings, prayers and taking the lead themselves and running the service.
"The prayers can be personal and it’s so lovely to see everyone now wanting to speak out and give personalised prayers for their loved ones.
"We also covered our own version of the song 'We’ll Meet Again' and sent it out to families with a planned concert we were looking to hold prior to the virus.
"Staff and residents joined in together and it was so inspiring to watch and be part of lifting everyone’s spirits.
"We have received some lovely pictures from the children of the local school and from the staff's children which we display in the great hall. It really brightens everyone’s day to look at the lovely happy pictures."
About the badges, she said: "As a 'thank you' to all the staff, the residents and I thought it would be a lovely idea to show our appreciation in making a symbol which is personal to Cheswardine Hall.
"So after lots of discussion in activities we came up with a badge of a daisy. This was after we set about looking at what we had in the activities provisions and found some felt shapes and buttons.
"So the daisy badge was created. We hand wrote cards to go with them, with messages of thanks and inspirational quotes.
"We presented them after we did our clap for the NHS and carers. All the staff wear them and know that they were handmade with love and huge appreciation for our amazing team who are going over and above in this challenging time."
