‘Great British Care Cycle Relay’
Championing Social Care, a volunteer-led group of leaders from across the social care sector, has announced it will be hosting Care Home Open Week from 26th June to 2nd July this year, with a packed agenda aimed at encouraging communities to engage with care home residents and the exceptional care professionals that care for them.
To celebrate the length and breadth of care homes across the country participating in Care Home Open Week, the inaugural ‘Great British Care Cycle Relay’ will travel from the North to the South, visiting care homes along the way that are at the heart of each community across the country.
The relay will fly the Championing Social Care flag high, passing on a travelling ‘baton’ between care homes throughout the week to reach a landmark destination in London. The relay is expected to attract some of the largest participation of its kind with care teams, suppliers, friends and supporters, along with some able residents, cycling short routes between each participating Care Home. Further details will be shared in due course along with information on how to take part in this milestone event.
Once again Care Home Open Week will provide homes with the opportunity to show what facilities, activities and services they can offer, and will also showcase the career opportunities available in the sector and encourage communities to support and volunteer for their local service.
Standout events at care homes this year include events from key partners:
1. Music for Dementia, founded and funded by The Utley Foundation, is leading Thank You Day on 2nd July focusing on musical activities, which will have a special emphasis on the unsung and often unseen army of carers. Over the past two years, 15 million people have taken part in this chance to say thank you for everyone and everything that makes our communities great places to live in and to get connected with the people they live alongside all year round.
2. Eden Project Community’s ‘The ‘Month of Community’ is a time to celebrate everything that makes our communities great. It began in 2021, in recognition of so many wonderful community initiatives taking place around the same time of year. A whopping 20 million people took part in 2022 and we hope you’ll join us in 2023!
1750 care homes have already signed up to participate in the event, with a record 4,000+ homes expected to participate this year. 40 MPs are already planning visits to local care homes. The week-long activities are aimed at encouraging communities to engage with care home residents and the exceptional care professionals that care for them.
Niharika Noakes, Championing Social Care Director says:
“Last year’s Care Home Open Week really succeeded in highlighting the incredible value of the social care sector to society, and the special relationships between care homes, residents and local communities. We’re excited about making Care Home Open Week 2023 even more successful than previous years, and are targeting record numbers of Homes across the country participating and even more MP visits.”
Sarah Metcalfe, MD of Music for Dementia adds: “Music for Dementia is delighted to be involved in this year’s Care Home Open Week. We hope that through participating in musical activations on Sunday July 2nd more people become aware that music can build connections, relieve anxiety and bring back memories. Music is also great at creating moments of joy – and we very much expect Care Home Open Week to be a joyous event from start to finish.
Victoria Verbi, Head of Campaigns at the Together Coalition adds: “We are so pleased to be working in partnership with Championing Social Care and that Sunday 2nd July of Care Home Open week will be dedicated to Thank You Day! We’ll be inviting all care homes to open their doors and say a great big thank you to the unsung carers and heroes who work tirelessly every day, using the power of music to spread joy and appreciation.”
The 2022 event received record engagement from care homes and MPs, with 2,400 care homes taking part and 105 MPs and ministers attending a local care home during the week, including Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice and Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab.
80% of the care homes who participated in Care Home Open Week 2021 agreed that the event helped promote their facilities, activities and services. 68% of the participating care homes also agreed that the event encouraged greater community engagement and volunteering.
Interested participants can register for Care Home Open Week 2022 or learn more by visiting https://championingsocialcare.org.uk
