Boost For Boaz As Care Homes’ £3,000 Donation Goes Into Immediate Use
A therapeutic work community for adults with learning disabilities has put into immediate use a donation of more than £3,000 from two Winchester care homes.
Colten Care’s Abbotts Barton and St Catherines View joined forces in support of the Sutton Scotney-based Boaz Project after residents chose it as their main charity to help over the past year.
Activities included staging a family-friendly ‘fete on the field’ on a green off Worthy Road, just yards from Abbotts Barton.
The day after receiving a cheque for £3,065.90 in respect of the homes’ fundraising, the Boaz Project was told it needed a replacement oven potentially costing thousands of pounds.
Boaz Project Manager Stuart Palmer said:
“As a small independent local charity we really appreciate everyone who gets alongside us as we help our members access interesting work experiences in the beautiful Hampshire countryside.
“When things break on the site or need replacing, fundraising such as that carried out by the Colten Care homes Abbotts Barton and St Catherines View is vital.
“On the day after we received their cheque, our oven broke down. The engineer did a temporary fix but said it really needed replacing at a cost of several thousand pounds. Without Colten Care we could not consider such a purchase. Each day we cook a hot lunch using much of the produce grown on our allotments by our members. Without the cooker this would not be possible. Thank you all.”
The homes’ fundraising fete brought together dozens of people from Winchester to enjoy children’s games, stalls selling cakes, plants and handmade gift items, a coconut shy, a barbecue, a tombola and the chance to see inside a fire engine.
Other initiatives in aid of the Boaz Project across both homes included raffles, sales of homemade greeting cards, sponsored get-togethers and staff dressing-up days.
Speaking at a cheque presentation at Abbotts Barton, resident Daphne Hopewell said: “I am delighted to be able to continue to support the charities which we, the residents chose for the year.
“Boaz is a particularly important one for me. I have family members who have needed lots of help and have benefitted from organisations such as this one.”
Abbotts Barton Home Manager Dee Lovewell said:
“We are proud to have raised such a fantastic total and provided direct help in this way for the Boaz Project.
“Fundraising is always an enjoyable experience for residents and staff and it helps residents continue to play a meaningful role in their local communities.”
The homes’ latest fundraising total has surpassed last year’s figure of £2,750, which went to Hart Wildlife, a charity that rescues sick and injured animals and birds from across Hampshire and neighbouring counties.
