Colten Care’s Annual Charity Totaliser Tops £32,000

Residents and staff at a family owned care home provider have raised £32,000 for good causes in the past year.

The amount means Colten Care has benefited charities and voluntary community groups by more than £140,000 in the past six years.

Each of the operator’s 19 homes in Hampshire, Dorset and Wiltshire is encouraged to nominate a main charity to help every year, leaving scope for other organisations to be supported too.

Activities organisers, social carers and other team members then enable residents to contribute directly in meaningful ways such as making arts and crafts to sell at fundraising fetes and suggesting ideas for sponsored events such as walks and quizzes.

Canford Chase in Poole, Dorset, reported the highest total of all the homes, raising £3,800 for charities including the Youth Cancer Trust and Macmillan Cancer Support.

Avon Reach in Mudeford, Dorset, was second highest with £3,350. Funds there went to help the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance, the RNLI and others.

Across all 19 homes, Colten Care doubled its specific fundraising for Children in Need, raising around £3,900.

Colten Care Activities Manager Karen Burdon said: “The chance to help people less fortunate than you is something our residents and team members are only too happy to grasp. It’s another way we can support the communities we serve locally and the big national charities that also do great work locally.”

Among other Colten Care homes in 2015:

– Castle View in Dorchester raised £2,700 for the Weldmar Hospice Care Trust, Dementia Awareness Week, Race for Life, Macmillan Cancer Support and the Children’s South West Hospice.

– Newstone House in Sturminster Newton raised £2,370 for CLIC Sargent and the North Dorset Women’s Refuge.

– Fernhill in Longham, Dorset, raised £2,365 for charities including Children in Need, Autism Awareness, Memory Walk and Race for Life.

– Braemar Lodge in Salisbury raised nearly £1,912 for Age UK, Children in Need, British Legion Poppy Appeal, Macmillan Cancer Support and Red Nose Day.

– Belmore Lodge in Lymington, Hampshire, raised £1,600 for Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance, Dementia Drop-in Centre, MacMillan Cancer Support, Children In Need, Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal and the RSPCA.

– Amberwood House in Ferndown, Dorset, raised £1,800 for the John Thornton Young Achievers Foundation, Comic Relief, Macmillan Cancer Support and Children in Need.

– Avon Cliff in Bournemouth raised £1,428 for the Royal  British Legion, Comic Relief, MacMillan Cancer Support and Children in Need.

– Linden House in Lymington raised £1,200 for the Alzheimer’s Society, Red Nose Day, Macmillan Cancer Support and Children in Need.