April’s showers bring forth May’s flowers and what better way to show off natures wonder than with a spot of flower arranging. “Beautiful,” said Lorraine. “They are fit for a queen.” Read More »

In this years Parkhead annual Paper plane contest, competition was tough! There were world leaders in paper plane flying taking part and all eyes were on the trophy.   This year the competition was won by superstar paper plane whizz Kay. Kay was very pleased to have won and said …Read More »

Well done to Sunderland! We hope everyone has recovered from celebrating promotion to the Championship! Onwards and upwards for Sunderland!Read More »

Taking a little time out from her busy schedule, Debra, who lives in our Independent Supported Living Service, enjoyed a little bit of ‘me time’. Spending the day with, Beth, Senior Support Worker, Debra indulged in a little retail therapy and after a spot of lunch had a bit of …Read More »

We surprised each and every one of our brilliant foster carers with a delivery of spring flowers this Foster Care Fortnight to say a massive thank you for the incredible work they do with our Agency, Fostering North East. “Our foster carers are absolute heroes in the work they do …Read More »

As part of our commitment to supporting the mental health of our staff, our HR Lead, Denise Hall, is our charity’s qualified mental health first aider. Denise is always happy to lend a friendly listening ear to any of our staff who feel a confidential conversation about any issues that …Read More »

Staff, members and guests alike are delighted to see the return of our much-loved volunteers at the Alan Shearer Activity Centre. The small group lend invaluable helping hands to keep everything at the Centre running smoothly and looking its best. A huge shout out to Barbara in Browne’s Café; Peter …Read More »

It was off to Rome for residents living in our Holy Cross nursing home in Sunderland where they enjoyed a virtual trip around many of the city’s famous landmarks from the comfort of their armchair. Organised by our staff, the whistle-stop virtual tour included visits to the Trevi Fountain, The …Read More »

Welcome to Adrian, our new gardener at the Alan Shearer Centre, who is already busy weaving lots of plant magic around our gardens and grounds. With almost an acre of space to nurture – from our sensory garden to our woodland walk – Adrian has some exciting plans to make …Read More »

With their hand-made bush hats at the ready, residents living in our Holy Cross nursing home in Sunderland were well prepared for their trip around Australia – and they didn’t have to walk a step. From the comfort of their armchairs, our residents enjoyed many of the sights and sounds …Read More »

Some of our St Catherine’s nursing home residents have been making the most of the spring sunshine in their scenic garden room. Grabbing a comfy chair and an ice cream, Nancy and Selma took time for a cosy chat protected from the chill spring air while they relaxed and enjoyed …Read More »

For one resident living at our Alan Shearer Specialist Residential home, nothing beats the excitement of going to see the Toon play at home. Season ticket holder, Daniel, who has profound disabilities, has a seat next to the halfway line and can often be seen waving his arms whenever the …Read More »

From tots to seniors, age is no barrier when it comes to making the most of Easter fun. Residents in our St Catherine’s nursing home in Newcastle love getting together for craft sessions and when they’re combined with Easter treats and seasonal decorations to colour, it definitely marks the start …Read More »

Our Director of Care, Amanda Head, took on a pretty tough challenge when she was called in to judge some incredible Easter creations at one of our children’s homes. Young people living in our residential home in Darlington showed off their skills, imagination and attention to detail in the home’s …Read More »

Some of our adults with disabilities got together to enjoy a back-to-school experience with a bit of a difference. Residents from our home in Alnwick joined our Parkhead regulars at their Centre in Ashington for some fishy tales and hands-on learning with the Rockpool School. “Everyone had a whale of …Read More »

Now that spring has sprung, Janet, who lives in our home for adults in Alnwick, has been inspired to spread a little magic with her green-fingered gardening skills. Carefully sowing seeds in her favourite bird-shaped planter, Janet’s spectacular TLC was soon rewarded with healthy shoots that grew and grew. In …Read More »

Our Parkhead regulars made the most of the humble carrot on Carrot Day, making it the theme of their entire day at our Centre in Ashington. Starting off with a cookery session, their carroty culinary treats included carrot soup and carrot cake, which were later served as part of their …Read More »

A special Happy Birthday to Dot,  resident at our Holy Cross Nursing Home in Sunderland, who turns 70 today! Dot has been celebrating her 70th Birthday with her Holy Cross family this morning before her visitors arrive this afternoon.   Anyone that knows Dot will know how much she loves crafts …Read More »

On today’s National Day of Reflection, staff and service users across our charity have chosen their own way to remember the pandemic and all the people who lost their lives. At our independent supported living service in Kenton, everyone came together to lovingly create a stunning, landmark window made up …Read More »

Today we celebrate the life and work of St Cuthbert, the patron saint of our Diocese and whose name we proudly gave to our charity in 1997. The revered 7th Century Bishop of Lindisfarne was one of the great evangelists of early Christianity, helping to spread the word of the …Read More »

Top o’ the mornin’ to ya We have many residents of Irish blood at St Catherine’s, our Nursing Home in Newcastle, so everyone was in good spirits this morning on St. Patricks Day! It is a big day for our resident experts on all things Irish, John and Nancy, who …Read More »

Residents from some of our independent supported living services were over-the-moon to meet up for coffee again at our Alan Shearer Activity Centre café, Browne’s. Tempting slabs of chocolate cake and delicious cream scones were perfect partners to refreshing soft drinks or steaming cups of coffee as the friends got …Read More »

Gail, who lives at our Independent Supported Living Service, was slimmer of the week at her local slimming class this week, losing a fantastic 5lbs! “Staff have been so helpful,” said Gail “they have helped me make much better choices when choosing what to eat.” We think it’s all down …Read More »

Our Marketing and Communications officer, Helen, had a wonderful morning with the ladies of St Catherine’s our nursing home in Newcastle, as they mark International Women’s Day. “What a wonderful way to spend the morning,” said Helen. “Listening to our residents and hearing their inspiring life stories was a true …Read More »

A huge thank you goes to our dear friend and superstar Diane. Diane has supported our charity for many years, and around five years ago, she set up ‘Fit for charity’, a weekly keep fit class that runs every Tuesday at Bedlington Community Centre. Her classes have been an enormous …Read More »

When given the choice of marking World Book Day or World Wildlife Day there was no question residents at St Catherine’s, our nursing home in Newcastle, would go for the animals. “I just love animals,” said Selma. “Of course, I love books too but just not as much as animals.” …Read More »

Guests at Parkhead, our day centre for adults with learning disabilities based in Ashington, had a flipping good time today with their annual pancake day flipping competition. Bryan stole the show with an impressive 46 flips in a minute! Wow! Well done, Bryan- you definitely deserve your title as Parkhead’s …Read More »

Daniel, football expert and resident at our Alan Shearer specialist residential home, had the time of his life today when he met his all-time hero – Alan Shearer. The pair spent a good while discussing Newcastle United, Match of the Day and all things football.  Alan was also keen to …Read More »

Parkhead does the Great Britain pottery throw down! Guests at our Parkhead Day Centre in Ashington have turned their hands to pottery this week. Our nimble-fingered guests had so much fun, earlier in the week,  making their own creations, and today they finished off by painting their master pieces and …Read More »

Today has been an eventful Random Acts of Kindness Day across St Cuthbert’s Care! This morning, we popped into our St Catherine’s and Holy Cross nursing homes to personally hand-deliver a small gift. Each resident was delighted to receive a vase of cheerful, spring daffodils or chocolate of their choice …Read More »

A huge thank you to everyone who attended the Alan Shearer Foundation Ball and dug deep to help raise funds for our Alan Shearer Activity Centre, making sure this incredible service remains free for people with disabilities. Held at the Newcastle Gateshead Hilton and hosted by our Patron, local hero …Read More »

Love is in the air, with lots of Valentine’s Day celebrations happening across St Cuthbert’s Care today. Our Holy Cross and St Catherine’s Nursing Homes have pulled out all the stops with the decorations. Over at St Catherine’s, residents have been indulging in chocolate-dipped strawberries and hosted Valentine’s coffee morning, …Read More »

Oh, what a wonderful morning at our Holy Cross Nursing Home in Sunderland, for the first time in a little while – we are open to visitors. The time was perfect as resident, Joan, celebrated her 94th birthday.  “I can’t thank the staff team enough for making this happen. It …Read More »

Determined to keep up our week of ‘Health & Wellbeing’ our residents took on the challenge to make delicious, healthy home-cooked pizzas to honour National Pizza Day.  Carolyn and Debra from our Independent Supported Living project in Chapel House went for pepperoni and prawn pizza – very posh ladies. Whilst …Read More »

When it comes to snacking, residents at our home for adults in Alnwick know exactly how to keep it healthy. You’ll often find one of their five-a-day fruits tucked away in their baking, and today, it was the turn of the humble banana. In no time at all, Kate and …Read More »

This week, residents at St Catherine’s, our nursing home in Newcastle, are focusing on good health and relaxation.  Nancy, joined our Wellbeing Co-ordinator, Jenny, for a little gentle arm-chair Tai Chi. “It helps keep me mobile,” said Nancy.  “I’m in my 90’s and I don’t take any tablets.  If I …Read More »

It’s been an eventful week at Parkhead, our day centre for adults with disabilities. There’s been plenty of fun and games, bird watching, Chinese New Year celebrations and even chopstick championships, with Bryan crowned the winner! Well done Bryan! If you would like to find out more about Parkhead, learn …Read More »

Young people at our Auton residential homes for children in Darlington, Newcastle and Sunderland rang in the year of the Tiger in true Chinese style yesterday. The celebrations were complete with Chinese food tasting, decorations, arts and crafts, and even a Chinese dragon made an appearance. Residential Care Officer Nicole …Read More »

Today, as we mark Dignity Action Day across St Cuthbert’s Care, our staff, residents and guests have come together, following social distancing measures, of course, to promote dignity in care. People across our services chose their own way to celebrate the day and, as always, our day was filled with …Read More »

Young people at Auton, our residential home for children in Sunderland, have started a positivity jar to collect memorable moments throughout 2022. The jar is an inspired idea to help them focus on the positives of each day. Every week, they will each write down something meaningful or that they …Read More »

Residents, Hughie and Cheryl, gave a helping hand to staff this week, by preparing a lovely home-cooked meal of mince and dumplings, for their fellow residents at our home for adults with learning disabilities in Alnwick. “You can’t go wrong with mince and dumplings,” said Hughie. “It’s my favourite.” Both …Read More »

Linda, who lives in our Independent Supported Living apartments in Kenton, is loving the new easy reading corner created by our staff. Together with her fellow housemates, Linda is finding it so handy to have accessible versions of lots of essential information clearly displayed all in one place. The specialist …Read More »

Tartan togs, a wee dram or two and the traditional Address to a Haggis were just some of the ways residents living in our nursing homes in Newcastle and Sunderland found to celebrate Burns Night. Our Holy Cross residents in Sunderland shared toe tapping memories with a livestream of one …Read More »

Peter and Gail, who live in our Independent Supported Living apartments in Kenton, have taken their support for raising cancer awareness to the next level. After supporting cancer awareness for many years with fundraising tea parties, Peter has inspired Gail to take up the cause, too, and the pair have …Read More »

When it comes to organising birthday parties, the combined efforts of our staff team and residents at our home in Alnwick for adults with learning disabilities are pretty hard to beat. So, when it was time to mark resident, Hughie’s 74th birthday, their reputation was in safe hands with celebrations …Read More »

Residents at our Holy Cross nursing home in Sunderland have been honing their competitive side with a classic board game that everyone was playing in the 80s and 90s. The revival of Trivial Pursuit at Holy Cross has been very much welcomed by our residents. Getting together in teams, there …Read More »

Barbara, who lives in our Holy Cross nursing home in Sunderland, made the perfect partner for her perfect cuppa at a recent arts and crafts session. The colourful coaster is a great place to rest her tea when she enjoys a chat and a cuppa with her fellow residents, and …Read More »

Happiness and excitement are nothing new at our Parkhead Resource Centre in Ashington, but a recent sighting had our guests jumping for joy and springing into action to encourage a repeat visit.  Our Centre’s generous outside space has always received lots of TLC to encourage and care for visiting wildlife, …Read More »

Residents living in our Holy Cross nursing home in Sunderland all agreed that the delicious smell of their freshly baked bread made their home feel extra homely. Resident, Denis, got the ball rolling for a home baking session after spotting a tempting recipe in his daily paper. Calling on all …Read More »

Some of our guests at our Parkhead Resource Centre in Ashington couldn’t resist making the most of the snow as it fell today. Although there was barely a few inches of the white stuff, Bryan still had big ambitions to make a snowman – and it may be small, but …Read More »

Residents living in our St Catherine’s nursing home chose butterflies as a symbol of new beginnings as they got together to make calendars to remind them of all the important dates coming up in 2022. Nancy and Jean were just two of our creative residents taking part in the craft …Read More »

Throughout another difficult year we’ve been amazed at the incredible support we’ve received to help us to keep our vital services running. We would like to thank you all: * Our dedicated staff team, for their hard work and always going that extra mile * Our volunteers, for their invaluable …Read More »

Good friends and housemates, Chris and David from our Independent Supported Living service in Kenton, have just enjoyed a refreshingly unseasonal pre-Christmas break to make sure they’re ready for the big day. Their overnight stay in Whitley Bay was a welcome breather from the hustle and bustle of Christmas preparations …Read More »

Booklovers at our St Catherine’s nursing home in Newcastle were delighted when a delivery of hand-crafted bookmarks arrived from their friends at Sacred Heart High School. The surprise package from the students contained bookmarks bearing special messages, individual designs and Christmas wishes – all in cheerful, festive colours. One of …Read More »

Young students from English Martyrs’ Primary School have been sending lots of Christmas cheer to our St Catherine’s nursing home residents with their hand-made cards. Because the students are unable to visit with their annual performance of carols this year, each and every one of our residents received a cheerful …Read More »

As the big day approaches, there’s no shortage of Christmas festivities planned for residents at our Holy Cross nursing home in Sunderland – and no shortage of Christmas trees either. With each resident enjoying a tree of their own and all communal areas dressed in their festive best our home …Read More »

Residents living in our home in Alnwick for adults with learning disabilities are enjoying all the Christmas preparations, especially adding their own finishing touches. With just over a week to go, their delicious cake is now topped with marzipan, the last handmade cards are winging their way to friends and …Read More »

Our charity dog, Charlie, has been hard at work spreading even more festive cheer in our St Catherine’s nursing home in Newcastle. And the smiles that usually follow our little dog wherever she goes were even bigger when our residents saw that she had dressed up specially for the occasion …Read More »

Snow may not be lying deep and crisp and even just yet, but that hasn’t stopped lots of people across our services showing off their snuggly Christmas jumpers. Today’s Christmas Jumper Day is being supported with great enthusiasm and the festive knits are getting people nattering about each other’s stylish …Read More »

A pinch of this and a dash of that … our Parkhead Day Centre guests have been making some very special treats for the festive season. Although they are sworn to secrecy about their recipe for magic reindeer food, they are hoping they have all the right ingredients for Santa’s …Read More »

Christmas is fast approaching and one of our Holy Cross nursing home residents has been celebrating completing her Christmas card list with a nice cuppa. Our residents have been hard at work creating their own hand-made cards in their craft sessions, but as the finishing touches were completed, it was …Read More »

Staff at our Alan Shearer Specialist Residential home always make sure there’s a warm welcome waiting when anyone moves in but, for our newest resident, Daniel, there was an extra special surprise waiting to greet him. An avid Newcastle United supporter, Daniel, couldn’t believe his eyes when our staff played …Read More »

Our St Catherine’s nursing home could have been mistaken for Santa’s workshop yesterday as our residents couldn’t resist getting together to add a little extra magic and sparkle to this year’s festive decorations. Armed with glitter, silver foil and a paint palette filled with seasonal colours, our residents chatted and …Read More »

Although they swear it’s not a competition, tenants at our independent supported living apartments in Kenton are pulling out all the stops with their Christmas decorations this year. Trees are already standing proud in each apartment, and we were lucky enough to have a sneak peek at these three dazzling …Read More »

What better way to get the festivities started than to enjoy some swing tunes performed just for you by one of your favourite singers. Residents at our Holy Cross nursing home were full of cheer when Christine Rosemond visited their home to entertain everyone with a catalogue of catchy swing …Read More »

Residents at our St Catherine’s nursing home have begun their Christmas preparations today by making their famous Christmas cake. “The excitement of Christmas always begins with making the cake,” said Mary. “As you stir the mixture you must make a Christmas wish.” We hope the cake tastes as good as …Read More »

When the beautiful autumn leaves begin to fade and drop, they can make a bit of a mess, but, for one of our volunteers, clearing them up is simply a challenge to be overcome. Julie, who lives in our independent supported living service, likes nothing better than lending a helping …Read More »

The click of knitting needles is often heard in our St Catherine’s nursing home but there’s been more knit than natter recently for one of our residents. Knitting enthusiast, Nancy, has always found knitting a relaxing pastime, picking up her needles at every opportunity, but now she’s found a new …Read More »

Residents at our Holy Cross nursing home in Sunderland were left all shook-up when popular Elvis tribute act, James Fox, came along to entertain them. His fantastic blend of lively rock and roll songs and slow-paced ballads took everyone on a musical journey through the years, bringing back many fond …Read More »

Residents living in our home in Alnwick enjoyed a paw-fect time when they received a visit from a VIP – Very Important Pet, of course. Poodle, Alfie, is owned by one of our staff, but is a regular visitor to our home where residents always make sure they give him …Read More »

Although kindness is always at the heart of our work, staff in our St Catherine’s nursing home in Newcastle were still eager to show our residents how much they care on World Kindness Day. Activities’ Co-ordinator, Jenny, sprung a lovely surprise for everyone by leaving a chocolate and a cheerful …Read More »

Residents and staff across our charity fell silent in remembrance at 11am today as they paid their respects to all those who have fought or fallen in conflicts around the world. Army Veteran, Lesley, who works for St Cuthbert’s Care, joined residents at St Catherine’s as they marked the occasion …Read More »

When our St Catherine’s residents took part in a Zoom session with nine year old students from Broadwood Primary School, they asked whether they could share any secrets about how to look good. Mary, who is a vibrant 89 years young, answered: ‘Just be yourself – that’s when you’re at …Read More »

Via a Zoom link from their home, our residents were able to chat with groups of nine-year old students in their classroom and take it in turns to test their descriptive skills and imagination to create a fictional story together. With boxes of props to spur them on, the incredible …Read More »

Best buds, David and Chris, from our Independent Supported Living service in Kenton, have missed their boys’ holidays and wanted to getaway for a couple of days. So, after much deliberating, the friends decided to book two nights in Sunny Sunderland, at The Grand Hotel on the sea front. The …Read More »

Our Holy Cross residents came together this afternoon for an Arts & Crafts social. Tea and chats were flowing in equal measure, as everyone tried their hand at knitting and did a spot of painting. There were smiles all round as everyone enjoyed spending an afternoon of creativity in good …Read More »

It might still be October, but the seasonal excitement has well and truly begun at our independent supported living service in Kenton this week, as one resident grabbed their wooden spoon and mixing bowl to whip up a seasonal treat. With oodles of dried fruit, a bowlful of batter and …Read More »

Staff at our Holy Cross Nursing Home in Sunderland really know how to strike a chord with residents when it comes to activities, and they’ve done it again, this week, with indoor bowling. The action was aplenty as the activity room hosted the bowling battle between Denis, Fr Bob, Tess, …Read More »

Staff and residents at our St Catherine’s Nursing Home have always been a dab hand at a spot of knitting, and they have proven that again this week with some cracking cross-stitches and excellent embroidery. The latest examples of natty knitwork have come from resident, Nancy, who has been working …Read More »

What better way to get the week off to a flying start, than with a bit of a boogie and sing-song? That was the case at our Holy Cross Nursing Home in Sunderland, yesterday, as staff and residents put on their dancing shoes for a lively music and dance session. …Read More »

It’s getting to that time of year where we love to sit indoors, in the warmth and do a good puzzle. That’s certainly the case for a guest at our Parkhead Resource Centre, who has been finding joy in jigsaws. Brian, who has a visual impairment, has been able to …Read More »

Step aside, Alan Titchmarsh, and watch out, Monty Don – this week our Holy Cross residents have been perfecting plant potting. From the comfort of The Retreat – a conservatory area overlooking our beautiful grounds – our green-fingered friends, Grace, Denis and Sr Jude, took turns in lovingly planting autumn …Read More »

At our Alan Shearer Residential Home, nothing makes us smile more than when our residents get to celebrate – so we loved it, recently, when we got to put on a bit of a celebration. Our Party Princess was resident, Rachel, who celebrated turning 35 in style – with a …Read More »

As the weather gets more grey and damp, what is more comforting in the wind and rain than a cosy pub lunch? That was the approach this week for David, a resident at our Sherringham House Independent Supported Living Service, who took a trip out for some fine pub fare …Read More »

Residents and staff at our St Catherine’s Nursing Home in Newcastle have taken inspiration from nature and the arrival of autumn to bring a seasonal touch to one of their favourite meeting places. Their spacious lounge has been filled with hand-painted leaf pictures and garlands to reflect the amazing colours …Read More »

The week has got off to a flying start at our Parkhead Resource Centre, today, as guests have been whipping up homemade bird feeders. Taking turns in preparing a mix of seeds in melted lard for food and crafting feeders from paper cups, Matthew, Kay, Jennifer and Toni were far …Read More »

At the end of September we brought you the news that our booster vaccine programme was underway.  We are delighted to say more than 95% of our nursing home residents and a large percentage of our staff have now had their booster. Our swift action has been recognised in the …Read More »

Nothing brings a smile to our face quite like seeing our residents’ artwork, and this week we had a couple of efforts which were just our cup of tea coffee. A big fan of a cuppa and a catch up, Carolyn, from one of our Independent Supported Living services, decided …Read More »

What better way to spend an afternoon, than with a bit of a pamper amongst friends? That was the case at our Holy Cross Nursing Home in Sunderland, this week, as residents were in the lap of luxury for spa treatments including manicures and face masks. The atmosphere wasn’t TOO …Read More »

Former teacher, Bill, who lives in our St Catherine’s Nursing home in Newcastle, was top of the class on Teacher Appreciation Day when he delighted fellow residents with readings from his favourite book. The rainy day outside was soon forgotten as Bill read from the compilation of poems, sparking many …Read More »

The temperature may have dropped for us all, this week, but spirits have remained high at our Holy Cross Nursing Home in Sunderland, as residents have been making decorations for autumn. Set up with a variety of paints, craft paper, scissors, glue and even some seasonal twigs, our residents relished …Read More »

Guests at our Parkhead Resource Centre have been treading the boards in their dancing shoes, on a recent visit to Ashington YMCA’s Alligator Klub. The fun-filled day saw everyone gleefully taking part in all three of the Klub’s workshops in dance, music and theatre. “Everyone has been so excited, this …Read More »

We’ve had a huge boost for our nursing homes this week, as residents and staff at our St Catherine’s home in Newcastle, and our Holy Cross home in Sunderland received their Covid-19 booster jab. With the first vaccinations arriving back in January, the boosters provide a real shot in the …Read More »

Step aside, Susie Dent – residents at our St Catherine’s Nursing Home have been showing off their own linguistic flair, this week, as they set about cracking a crossword. Sheila, Nancy, Diane and Mary joined our Wellbeing Co-ordinator, Jenny, in an afternoon of ups and downs (and even the odd …Read More »

There was coffee, cake and plenty of chat over the weekend, as Peter, resident from our Sherringham House Independent Supported Living Service, rose to the challenge of raising money for cancer research. Not for the first time, Peter broke out the mixing bowl and sifted through his recipe book for …Read More »

It’s been a case of ‘many hands make light work’ at our home in Alnwick this week, as residents have been helping to prepare the garden for fresh flowers for winter. Our green-fingered friends, Hughie, Val, Kate and Cheryl, decided to leaf indoor activities for another day, as they set …Read More »

As the late September sun continues to grace us with its presence, our Holy Cross Nursing Home in Sunderland thought it would be quoit a good idea to make the most of it with some fun and games. Set in prime position in the home’s beautiful gardens, there was hoopla …Read More »

It might feel like summer has only just finished, but as we race towards October it is a handy reminder that Christmas is just around the corner. So, what better way to plan than by chipping in on Christmas dinner and growing your own potatoes? That’s exactly what a resident …Read More »

We had a special guest at our Parkhead Resource Centre, today, as an Elvis impersonator had us All Shook Up. Many of our guests have a Burning Love for Elvis, so when James Fox, came along to sing a few songs in full Elvis attire, everyone was delighted to have …Read More »

With The Great British Bake Off just around the corner, we thought it would be fun to whisk up the excitement at our St Catherine’s Nursing Home, with a bit of home baking. Teaming up with the home’s Chef, Joe, our residents rolled out the rolling pins and rose to …Read More »

Did you know our care home motto is: “If you see someone without a smile, give them one of yours?” Residents at our Holy Cross Nursing Home in Sunderland have been inspired by the motto, this week, using an arts and crafts session to create these wonderful pictures. Bridget and …Read More »

There’s bear-ly anything better than a good picnic, so our Parkhead Resource Centre thought it would be a great idea to celebrate the return of the good weather with a Teddy Bear’s Picnic. The centre was filled with terrific teddies as everyone brought in their favourite bears for the day. …Read More »

Mind your P’s and skip the Q’s – we’ve had a dabble in a bit of Scrabble this week. The war of the words took place at our St Catherine’s Nursing Home in Newcastle, as residents teamed up with staff to pit their linguistic wits against each other. Mary joined …Read More »

Our fantastic maintenance team have been hard at work at our Holy Cross Nursing Home in Sunderland, renovating a tired old potting shed into something a little special. Set in our beautiful grounds, “The Retreat” is the perfect place to spend a little time reading a book, potting plants, or …Read More »

Our home in Alnwick has said a great, big hello to Autumn this week, by putting on an a-peel-ing seasonal activity for residents. Picking the juiciest and greenest apples from the home’s garden; Hughie, Cheryl and Val all de-cider-ed to take the opportunity to do a spot of apple picking …Read More »

Barbara, who lives in one of our independent supported living houses, was as excited as any pupil returning to school this week when she set off for her first day back at work. Bag packed, packed lunch prepared and uniform pressed, Barbara was delighted to return to working as a …Read More »

Eileen, resident at our Holy Cross Nursing Home in Sunderland, celebrates her 71st birthday today and one of her birthday wishes was to listen to an all-girls choir. So, in true ‘your wish is our command style’, we were delighted to arrange a special performance by the wonderful Sunderland-based Songbirds. …Read More »

It’s always tough to say goodbye to the sunshine, so what better way to bid farewell to the summer than with a bit of a party and a barbecue? That’s exactly what our Independent Supported Living services did recently, when Sherringham House hosted residents from across our services for a …Read More »

We may be heading towards the end of the summer, but at Holy Cross the garden is stillin full bloom and providing a few late moments of sunshine. Indeed, residents, June and Barbara took the opportunity to have a wander around the greenery this week, taking a moment or two …Read More »

Our conservatory lounge is a favourite place for many of our residents at our St Catherine’s nursing home in Newcastle and it made an elegant setting for an impromptu lunch get-together recently. Overlooking our pretty courtyard garden, our residents find the bright and spacious lounge both uplifting and relaxing and …Read More »

Scones, sandwiches, and even a splash of prosecco were on the menu at Holy Cross this weekend as our residents indulged in a spot of afternoon tea. Sitting down to scones with generous lashings of jam and cream – the activity room was full of lively conversation while everyone enjoyed …Read More »

Tenants at our Sherringham House independent supported living apartments celebrated World Dog Day yesterday, by paws-ing regular activities to welcome a four-legged friend. Our tenants were delighted when Rhio – one of our staff member’s pet dogs – stopped by with her owner for a few strokes, the odd game …Read More »

We all love the odd boardgame or puzzle with friends or family, and an old classic has been helping some of our new residents form friendships at our St Catherine’s Nursing Home. Sitting down to battle it out over a friendly game of Connect 4, Mary and Ann – who …Read More »

Our Parkhead Resource Centre has been celebrating all things Viking this week, with a range of activities the Norse warriors would be proud of. Guests got into the Viking spirit by showing off their artistic sides and making and decorating replica shields, snacking on some Viking-inspired pizza and even a …Read More »

Our Alnwick home has been upgrading its kitchen facilities, and one of our residents has been providing support by whipping up their own designs. Upon hearing about the new installation at the home, Hughie quickly set about putting some real colour into his own blueprints and showing off his own …Read More »

It’s been another busy week at St Catherine’s Nursing Home, but they managed to wedge in another quality activity, as residents celebrated National Potato Day with a spot of potato printing. Ann, Freddie, Sheila and Mary all chipped in with their own potato Picassos, using carved potatoes and paint to …Read More »

Our team at Parkhead Resource Centre really love to put on a show when they can, and they took that literally this week as they brought a Variety performance to town. Set up outside in the sunshine, guests at the centre were captivated by a performance of ‘That’s Life’, by …Read More »

Holy Cross have been enjoying a taste of the finer things, this week, as our Sunderland nursing home hosted a brie-lliant Cheese and Wine afternoon. Residents were treated to a choice of red or white wine as they took their pick from a range of different cheeses. Based on their …Read More »

Our St Catherine’s Nursing Home has been hitting the right notes over the last week, as residents have bingo-ing wild for our musical competition. Battling it out in a game of Musical Bingo, the activity lounge has seen eyes down for a full house and spirits high for a good …Read More »

Our home in Alnwick was brushed with creativity last week, as our residents showed off their aptitude for art. Cheryl, Hughie and Valerie all highlighted their status as prospective Picassos, as they used tissue paper and plenty of colour to create individual impressions of their home street. Fiona, Support Worker, …Read More »

Our Parkhead Resource Centre has been fizzing with fun as guests and staff marked National Prosecco Day in style. With a glass of the brilliantly named, alcohol-free ‘Nozeco’ in hand, guests took turns competing in a variety of party games – Prosecco Pong being the toast of the town! Manager, …Read More »

Staff and residents at our St Catherine’s Nursing Home love to show off their artistic flair on arts and crafts days, and there was no overshadowing resident, Selma, this week as she showed off her love of silhouettes. Having told our Activities’ Coordinator, Jenny, of her fondness for these crafty …Read More »

It may be August, but Holy Cross have tossed their calendars aside and had a fun-filled afternoon making mouth-watering pancakes. Residents needed no egging-on to show off their culinary creativity – each preparing and making their own delicious pancakes to suit their individual tastes. Emma, Home Manager, said: “Everyone really …Read More »

A couple of our residents from our home in Alnwick were treated to a day out that was music to their ears. Cheryl and Hughie paid a special visit to St Michael’s Church in the town to take a look at their spectacular new bells before they were installed in …Read More »

Salad doesn’t come much fresher than this – the first crop of tomatoes collected from our very own Parkhead garden. The tasty toms have been grown and nurtured by staff and regulars at our Resource Centre in Ashington for months and James, pictured, had the honour of picking the very …Read More »

Our St Catherine’s residents are firm believers in ‘many hands make light work’ – especially when it comes to piecing together one of their favourite jigsaws. Avid dog-lover, Selma, got the ball rolling by choosing a dog-themed puzzle and was soon joined by fellow resident, Nancy. As the picture began …Read More »

Fresh from bowling last week, residents at our Holy Cross Nursing Home have been causing hoopla this week with a spirited game of ring toss. Continuing to be inspired by the Olympic competitors on TV, our residents stepped up to the mark to see who could make the most successful …Read More »

Did you know at St Catherine’s Nursing Home we have our very own singing sensation? Resident, Mary, who loves to sing, is rapidly becoming known as the Songbird of St Catherine’s. Whether residents are sitting in their rooms, socialising in the activity room, or taking in the sun in the …Read More »

With the Olympic Games now in full swing and the nation cheering on Team GB, guests at our Parkhead Resource Centre have been getting into the Olympic spirit by hosting their own games and ceremony. Opening with a parade of their own iconic Olympic flames made with coloured paper, our …Read More »

Cakes, flakes and fun have all been on the menu this week, as our residential home in Alnwick has been whisked away by baking. As summer and the warm weather are still very much here, our residents whipped up seasonal cake creations – with some even looking like delicious 99 …Read More »

There was fun to Spare over the weekend, as our Holy Cross Nursing Home residents decided to Strike out with a game of ten-pin bowling. With space cleared in the activity room, the pins and ball were neatly set up in preparation for the drama to unfold. Oooh’s and aaah’s …Read More »

Guests at our Parkhead Resource Centre have been taking one giant leap towards fun and discovery this week, as they celebrated the anniversary of the moon landing. In reference to the date Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin took those fateful steps in 1969, 20 July is known as National Moon …Read More »

Rachel, resident at our Alan Shearer Residential Home enjoys nothing more than spending time at the Alan Shearer Activity Centre with her favourite recreation assistant, Heather. The pair have enjoyed so many art and craft sessions over the last few months – with projects such as upcycling furniture and creating …Read More »

Who doesn’t love an ice cream on a hot summer’s day? Our residents at St Catherine’s Nursing Home certainly showed they did this weekend. In our true ‘your wish is our command’ style, we took delivery of our very own ice-cream truck to give residents a sweet treat. “That’s fantastic,” …Read More »

It’s been amazing to see some of our old friends as we continue with the phased re-opening of our Alan Shearer Centre. There was smile all round when David returned for the first time yesterday. After a dip in our fantastic hydrotherapy pool David enjoyed his pack lunch in our …Read More »

Today is St Swithin’s day and as the famous legend has it: St Swithin’s Day if thou dost rain, For 40 days it will remain, St Swithin’s Day if thou be fair, For 40 days will rain na mair Resident’s at our Nursing home in Sunderland have their fingers and …Read More »

From period costume to chocolate eclairs, residents living in our St Catherine’s nursing home in Newcastle have thoroughly enjoyed their virtual trip to France to mark Bastille Day. Accompanied by traditional accordion cafe music, our residents soaked up historical stories of fact and legend told by Activities’ Co-ordinator, Zaeley, who …Read More »

Residents at St Catherine’s Nursing Home in Newcastle decided to make the most of their beautiful garden this weekend. Never a one to miss a sunny day, our residents decided to take their ‘knit and natter’ group outside. The name of the group maybe a little misleading as sometimes there’s …Read More »

Our Marketing Manager Nicola, certainly knows how to make our residents smile. This weekend she volunteered to be taxi driver and day trip organiser for tenants at our independent supported living service. Linda, enjoyed a trip to Tynemouth, first stop was exploring the hidden gems in Tynemouth Market where a …Read More »

Guests at our Parkhead Resource Centre have kick started the Euro final’s weekend celebrating National BBQ week. There were lots of tasty BBQ regulars including burgers and sausages – Mr Sunshine even made a brief appearance. “Football fever took over the centre this week, so we thought we would take …Read More »

There was neigh holding back our two talented equestrians as they returned to riding school to show off their skills. Even though Sarah and Cheryl have been unable to enjoy horse riding since the start of the pandemic, they were soon trotting, cantering and galloping as if they’d never been …Read More »

Rain didn’t stop play at our Holy Cross nursing home where our residents thoroughly enjoyed getting into the Wimbledon spirit. It was game set and match for some of our residents who faced each other over their coffee table tennis court for a head-to-head with handmade paper plate rackets and …Read More »

As a leading social care charity, we are delighted to support the NHS, Social Care and Frontline Workers’ Day.  Today allows us all to acknowledge the hard work and dedication of our amazing staff teams. They have responded to the pandemic with their usual compassion, commitment and selflessness ensuring our …Read More »

Did you know that July is National Picnic Month? Residents at our Alan Shearer Residential home are already embracing the occasion with not just any old picnic … but a teddy bears’ picnic! The windows at our Alan Shearer Centre have been transformed to set the scene and are looking …Read More »

Residents at our Holy Cross nursing home have boundless energy and enthusiasm when it comes to making sure our national days are celebrated properly – even when there’s something special to mark almost every day. The month of June was jam packed with so many national awareness days, yet our …Read More »

Everyone attending our Parkhead Resource Centre in Ashington has been carrying out a little competitive cultivating at home as the race hots up to grow the tallest sunflower. While our centre sessions continued via Zoom during the pandemic, tiny sunflower seeds were posted out to encourage everyone to plant the …Read More »

Rock and roll and sausage rolls were an absolute must at Kate’s party tea as she celebrated her birthday with her housemates and staff. Our home in Alnwick was alive with music, fun and laughter when everyone joined in to make sure Kate had the best birthday ever. “We all …Read More »

A Whippet, a couple of Labradoodles and a brace of Boxers are among the special pets bringing so much joy to our service users on Bring Your Dog to Work Day.  Across our services, dogs offered strokes and cuddles and lapped up treats and ‘walkies’ throughout the day. “Many of …Read More »

There’s always something special about a cake and a cuppa with friends, but residents at our St Catherine’s nursing home in Newcastle have enjoyed making their coffee morning extra special. Taking delicious, but very plain, cupcakes, our residents dipped into a selection of pretty icing decorations to create their own …Read More »

When it comes to making a birthday celebration special, nobody does it better than staff and tenants at our independent supported living service in Kenton. That was the verdict of our latest party princess, Diane, who enjoyed celebrating at a cosy tea party at home with her fellow housemates. “I …Read More »

Young people at our Auton House residential children’s home in Newcastle have been dipping into all things ocean as they took a closer look at the incredible seas covering over 70% of our planet. Working with our staff, our young people learned how to be an ocean defender by doing …Read More »

The theme of this years’ Learning Disability week is Art and Creativity and there’s nothing our residents don’t know about being artistic and creative. From a game of Pictionary at our Parkhead Resource Centre to the fabulous art gallery created by our tenants at our Independent Supported Living service in …Read More »

Residents at our St Catherine’s nursing home have enjoyed an afternoon tea fit for a queen when they took part in a global tea party to mark Nutrition and Hydration Week. The week has been filled with all things food and drink related from smoothie making to baking, residents have …Read More »

Just when we thought national days couldn’t get any better, along came a day everyone across our charity was up for celebrating … National beer day! And with this glorious weather and football fever in the air who can blame them. Still on a high from being reunited at their …Read More »

These days there seem to be a national day to celebrate just about everything, but we think National Cupcake Day has got to be one of the best! And judging by the smiles from our residents, we think they agree too. Julie and Linda, residents at our Independent Supported Living …Read More »

Residents at our home for adults with learning disabilities in Alnwick enjoyed a sophisticated ‘cheese and wine’ themed night alongside their support workers this weekend. The night was thoroughly enjoyed by all as residents sampled a variety of wines and tasting a selection of cheeses. Fully embracing the occasion, residents …Read More »

Residents at our St Catherine’s nursing home in Newcastle have been keeping cool in style this weekend in their very own café. The vintage style café was created to give our residents a sense of ‘going out ’ in the comfort of their own home. With fresh scones and tea …Read More »

The beautiful game has come to our Parkhead Centre in Ashington as everyone is excited for tonight’s Euro 2021 opening ceremony. From face painting to a penalty shoot-out competition our guests have been having a ball.  Well done Stephen for being our top scorer – if Gareth Southgate needs a …Read More »

Tenants at our Sherringham House independent living apartments have been making the most of this gorgeous weather and what better way to enjoy the sunshine than with a visit to the seaside. David and David, along with their support worker, hopped on the metro to South Shields to soak up the …Read More »

In honour of National Smile Month, we thought we would share some smiles with you from across our services.Read More »

Staff at our Alan Shearer Specialist Residential home enjoyed a bitter-sweet moment when resident, Beth, was finally able to move back into her family home. After suffering horrific brain injuries in a car crash at just 18 years old, Beth moved into our Alan Shearer Specialist Residential Home five years …Read More »

Tenants at our Sherringham House independent living apartments enjoyed the perfect pairing of cheese and wine to mark National Cheese Day. With a glass of red wine and various cheeses to taste test, our sociable tenants relaxed together to share their connoisseur views and catch up on the day’s happenings. …Read More »

In celebration of Volunteer’s Week 2021, we would like to say a great big thank you to all of our volunteers, fundraisers and supporters throughout our charity. We can’t thank you enough for everything that you do! We have a wide range of volunteering opportunities, something as small as sharing …Read More »

Sensory experiences don’t come much better than the latest visitor to our Alan Shearer Specialist Residential home in Newcastle. Registered Manager, Gareth, surprised everyone when he brought his brand new puppy, Pax, to meet our residents and staff at the home. “Thomas particularly loves cuddly toys,” said Gareth, “but a …Read More »

Parkhead Resource Centre guests have had an egg-cellent day, with plenty of fun in the sun. Today is national egg day and what better way to celebrate than a good old fashioned egg and spoon race. But this was not just any egg and the spoon race, as there was …Read More »

It’s amazing what our St Catherine’s nursing home residents can pack into a lazy summer afternoon. Starting with a post-lunch period of relaxation listening to some classical music, our residents simply enjoyed basking in the sunshine in their tranquil courtyard garden. But, once refreshed, everyone agreed it was definitely time …Read More »

There was plenty of cheer at Holy Cross as fellow residents raised a toast to celebrate Edna’s 100th birthday in glorious sunshine. The sprightly centenarian enjoyed plenty of fun and laughter, oodles of presents, a garden get-together with her family – and a special card from the Queen, of course. …Read More »

At our Holy Cross Nursing Home, in Sunderland it’s always a good time for tea.So to enhance the experience we have re-decorated one of our rooms and turned it into our very own tearoom. Doesn’t it look fabulous! The tearoom is the perfect spot for residents to share a cup …Read More »

This little gnome might look familiar as last month residents at our St Catherine’s nursing home enjoyed painting him a jazzy green jacket and red trouser combo. ‘He’s looking quite the gentleman now and best of all he doesn’t talk back!’ laughed Mary.Now that the weather is perking up (fingers …Read More »

Young people living in our Auton Residential Children’s home in Sunderland took the theme of showing kindness to your neighbour and turned it into reality by giving a very special gift. Each of our young people took time to help put together a pretty hamper of tasty treats and make …Read More »

Residents at our home in Alnwick were glued to their TV for the return of the weird and wonderful world of Eurovision. With drinks and nibbles chosen specially to fit in with the multi-national theme, even their taste buds enjoyed a trip around the world. From Italian wine to Irish …Read More »

Something magical has been happening in St Catherine’s nursing home in Newcastle, and it’s all down to the talents of our residents. With the help of our clever activities’ co-ordinators, a collection of humble wooden spoons has been transformed into a bewitching collection of good fairies. Our residents had great …Read More »

Watch out Newcastle Eagles, now that the sun is finally shining, our Parkhead Peregrines have been out practising their moves. Regulars at our Parkhead Resource Centre in Ashington are loving being back together and couldn’t wait to get some friendly competition going around their basketball hoops. Pivots, Jump Shots and …Read More »

It’s been a busy and varied month so far for young people living in our Auton Residential Children’s home in Newcastle. Throughout the holy month of Ramadan, our young people learned about the importance of fasting and prayer and the celebration of Eid, getting a personal insight from one of …Read More »

Yesterday was a special day for Fr Bob, residents at Holy Cross Nursing Home in Sunderland, as he took delivery of his new set of wheels. It didn’t take long before he was whizzing along the corridor – although we aren’t sure he can give up the L plates yet! …Read More »

A massive ‘thank you’ to our wonderful foster carers, Ian and Amanda, for 20 incredible years of fostering with us. If you’d like to become a foster carer, our small, friendly team would love to hear from you. Why not give our Registered Manager, Sheila, a call on 07813 117758.Read More »

This week we have had typical May weather, the sun may shine, it may rain or we may have thunder, lightning and hail. But it hasn’t stopped our residents and staff from embracing the nature theme of Mental Health Awareness week. Residents from across the charity have been tending their …Read More »

There’s nothing our residents at St Catherine’s Nursing Home enjoy more than an afternoon of games in the lounge, accompanied with tea, cake and biscuits. Whether it be skittles, Connect 4 or Scrabble, Carers’ don’t stand a chance against our residents. ‘Of course, we are good at games we didn’t …Read More »

Today, as we celebrate International Nurses’ Day, we’d like to give a big shout out to all nurses. Our nurses are amazing, as well as providing our residents with expert care, they are always ready to offer a friendly smile and comforting companionship at any time of the day or …Read More »

There’s nothing quite like a good sing-song to spread some cheer, especially when it’s accompanied by a cuppa and some cake. Residents at our Holy Cross nursing home in Sunderland were full of smiles when our carers provided them with ready-made song sheets and musical instruments so they could sing …Read More »

Today marks the start of Foster Care Fortnight and our charity’s Fostering North East team is pleased to support this annual campaign with their own appeal for new carers for the many children in need of a loving home. Foster families, like any family, come in all shapes and sizes …Read More »

Whether it’s been arts and crafts, indoor planting or braving the cold residents from across our charity have embraced National Gardening Week. Although not everyone was hard at work – some took advantage of a rare glimpse of the May sunshine.Read More »

Some good old fashioned baking had residents at our St Catherine’s nursing home in Newcastle chatting away about the times they would bake for their families. With the help of our nursing home Cook, Vian, our residents made delicious plate pies from scratch, filling them with corned beef and potato …Read More »

There’s nothing like a bit of home entertainment when the weather is being far from spring-like outside and our residents at our home in Alnwick found just the thing to chase away the wintry weather. With the help of their karaoke machine, everyone was soon warming up their voices with …Read More »

There’s only one thing to do on a rainy day in May – enjoy a good old movie. Our residents at Holy Cross nursing home in Sunderland chose the all-time classic ‘Houseboat’ staring Sophie Lauren and Cary Grant to banish the cold, wet weather. Chris, our senior carer added an …Read More »

St Catherine’s Arts and Craft group have been hard at work hand-decorating planter and garden gnomes for National Gardening Week. They have even painted some beautiful butterflies to bring some of the outdoors into our home. “My two favourite things,” said Selma “gardening and painting, oh and a cuppa and …Read More »

Staff at our home for adults with learning disabilities in Alnwick were delighted when their frontline keyworker status was acknowledged with some very special gifts. Before lockdown, resident, Hughie, was often accompanied to church by his friend, Brian who thought a set of specially produced bibles would make the perfect …Read More »

Turning sweet 16 is a special time in anyone’s life, but for one of our looked after young people it was made an extra special occasion when her birthday wishes came true. Abbie, who lives in our Auton residential children’s home in Sunderland, really wanted a slumber party to mark …Read More »

No-one could hide how much they loved being back at our Parkhead Resource Centre in Ashington as the doors were finally able to open again after lockdown. Imaginative and engaging Zoom sessions had kept everyone going when they were unable to meet in person, but being back together in person …Read More »

Our services are celebrating St George’s day in very English style with afternoon tea, quizzes and good old arts and crafts. We have been surprised with some of the interesting facts we have learnt about St George did you know St George: Wasn’t English – he was actually born in …Read More »

Although the Queen is still in mourning, people living in our specialist residential home at the Alan Shearer Centre wanted to hold a special tea party in honour of Her Majesty’s 95th birthday. The royal tea party began with a baking session which produced delicious home-made cheese and fruit scones …Read More »

Sherringham Alfresco A day out turned into a bit of a celebration for tenants living in our Sherringham House independent living apartments. With lockdown easing, staff surprised them with a table booking at their local pub where they were able to enjoy a drink and meal out for the first …Read More »

Auton 80’s Young people at our Auton residential children’s home in Newcastle delved into history by reliving some of the fun highlights of the 1980’s.  Vibrant colours, hippy chic, lycra, leg warmers and oversized medallions were just some of the fashions on parade, while staff laid on a buffet of …Read More »

Our Parkhead regulars have taken their zoom sessions to the next level for ‘International Day of Human Space Flight’. Celebrating the 60th anniversary of the first human space flight Tomas and James certainly looked the part. We think they look out of this world! Parkhead, our day centre in Ashington, …Read More »

Like most of us, our resident’s at Holy Cross Nursing Home have been counting down the days for the return of their much-loved hairdresser, Margaret. And Margaret certainly didn’t disappoint, there were smiles all around as residents enjoyed a pamper and a good catch up in the salon. We think …Read More »

What better way to celebrate the arrival of some spring sunshine than by knowing how much joy our Alan Shearer Centre grounds and gardens are bringing once more. Rachel and Thomas, pictured, who live in our specialist residential home in the grounds, were happy to check everything was ship shape …Read More »

When freezing temperatures put paid to hopes of our Holy Cross residents being able to pop out to see the home’s spring garden displays, our staff had just the solution. If our residents couldn’t go out to see the flowers, staff would bring the flowers to our residents. Armed with …Read More »

Residents at our St Catherine’s nursing home in Newcastle have been paying their respects to Prince Philip with a special Mass in their chapel. ‘The news of Prince Philip’s death has come as a shock and is particularly sad for many of us as we belong to the same era …Read More »

We had toes tapping and chair dancing this morning, as residents at our St Catherine’s nursing home in Newcastle enjoyed a few games of musical bingo. ‘Our residents love a good sing-along and some friendly competition, so we thought let’s combine the two!’ beamed activities’ coordinator, Jenny. Resident, Mary, was …Read More »

Beth, one of our residents at our Alan Shearer Specialist Residential home, has felt quite the celebrity since being featured in the Chronicle, showing the special moment she was able to hold her mum’s hand for the first time in over a year. Across our charity, we have pulled out …Read More »

Around our services Easter has been marked with a host of different activities, each one giving the chance for our service users – and staff – to show off their talents. Our nursing homes have both enjoyed holding competitions, with Holy Cross in Sunderland organising a traditional Easter bonnet competition …Read More »

Residents at our Alan Shearer Specialist Home have been making the most of the good weather and our beautiful grounds. They started the afternoon off making Easter bonnets, for their parade during the Easter weekend, and rounded it off with a lovely picnic in the sunshine. Our grounds open to …Read More »

The warmer weather has got everyone looking forward to days in the garden, especially our residents at our home in Bailiffgate, Alnwick, who decided to get a head start by giving their garden a little spring clean. It was a real team effort as everyone got involved, from tackling unwanted …Read More »

It was the battle of our Newcastle and Sunderland nursing homes when residents threw down the gauntlet for a virtual quick draw challenge. No Wild West shoot outs were involved, simply a very enthusiastic game of Pictionary involving some technological wizardry to bring the teams together. Our residents at St …Read More »

Inspired by the Bake Off series on TV, residents at our home in Bailiffgate, Alnwick, have been rustling up their own favourite dishes. Traditional Scotch eggs were their first challenge, which tested their skills in cooking and peeling eggs to perfection before carefully wrapping them in a delicious coat of …Read More »

Our grateful thanks go to Morrisons West Denton for their generous donation of Easter eggs. We collected more than 200 delicious chocolate eggs from their Community Champion, Sharon, and they’ll now be distributed to our service users in time for Easter Sunday. “This is a wonderful gesture from Morrisons,” said …Read More »

Manager at our Alan Shearer Specialist Residential Home, Gareth, sprung quite a surprise for a special birthday. Whilst on annual leave, Gareth tapped into his incredible culinary skills to rustle up a glamorous and delicious cake for Emily, who lives in our home, to mark her 21st birthday. Combining all …Read More »

We’re delighted to be able to begin taking bookings for the gorgeous grounds and gardens at our Alan Shearer Centre from Thursday, 1st April. As well as having over an acre of open space to explore, our adapted outdoor equipment will also be available. Members and guests will be able …Read More »

This has been a difficult year for us all, with many of us living apart from our families and loved ones. Today, as we mark the Feast of St Cuthbert – the patron saint of our Diocese and the namesake of our charity – we remember his life. Cuthbert was …Read More »

The arrival of spring continues to inspire, with residents at our home in Alnwick choosing to pay tribute to the wonders of Mother Nature at this time of year. Daffodils, spring bulbs and budding trees in their garden got our residents thinking they’d quite like a touch of springtime colour …Read More »

Residents at our Holy Cross nursing home had a swinging time at their Spring Bop with a selection of much-loved music from the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s. The chilly, dull weather outside soon became a distant memory as everyone reminisced about days gone by and how exciting it was to …Read More »

St Patrick’s Day celebrations are in full swing right across our services today. In keeping with tradition, leprechauns, shamrocks, tasty Irish fayre and Guinness all feature in the fun festivities, but there’s a little of the unexpected, too. Over at our independent supported living apartments in Kenton, our service users …Read More »

Rachel, who lives in our specialist residential home at the Alan Shearer Centre, is celebrating the arrival of spring with her blossoming crafting talents. Supported by Heather – one of our Centre’s talented recreation assistants – Rachel has transformed a forgotten chair into a stunning floral masterpiece for her room. …Read More »

Young people at our Auton residential children’s home in Newcastle are learning all about baking, generosity, responsibility and patience in their latest project. In true sharing style, staff member, Laura, has given part of her special friendship cake mixture to the young people so they can start growing and raising …Read More »

As Mothering Sunday approaches, residents at our Holy Cross nursing home in Sunderland have been recalling the blissful days of motherhood. Residents living with dementia in our nursing homes often find comfort through doll therapy sessions with our staff, revisiting a time when they enjoyed nurturing and raising their families. …Read More »

A resident at our residential home in Alnwick is creating her very own hall of fame to show off her talents. With the help of our staff, Kate has shown amazing patience and courage to work with her disability to complete a painting of Winnie the Pooh. “It’s very difficult …Read More »

Our Parkhead regulars have added an Elvis concert to the list of things they’ve been able to enjoy together over Zoom whilst our Ashington-based centre is closed. Jamie Fox struck a chord with everyone with his Elvis tribute act, belting out some of The King’s greatest hits, including Teddy Bear …Read More »

Today has been a day to remember at our St Catherine’s Nursing Home as it was the first time Stan has been able to hold his daughters hand since January last year. It was an emotional reunion for all, with staff holding back tears. “It’s just so lovely to see …Read More »

Today, as we mark International Women’s Day, we acknowledge the many inspirational women throughout our charity.  With great admiration we share the story of one of our amazing resident at St Catherine’s nursing home, Barbara Hann CBE. At just 13 years old, Barbara was one of a number of girls …Read More »

The great British Pie is being celebrated this week and people around our services have been enjoying baking and eating their perfect pastries. Aromatic apple, sensational steak and kidney and comforting corned beef and onion were just three of the favourite fillings served up with pastry jackets. Of course, a …Read More »

What better way to enjoy World Book Day than to snuggle up with a good book in our book nook at our Alan Shearer Centre. That’s exactly how Rachel, who lives in our adjacent specialist residential home, chose to spend some time. Not only has Rachel enjoyed dipping into her …Read More »

At the first glimpse of warm, spring sunshine residents at our St Catherine’s nursing home in Newcastle couldn’t wait to get outside to revisit their gardens. Our sheltered kitchen garden and courtyard garden are both sun traps, giving all the protection our residents need to enjoy an early spring jaunt …Read More »

Despite lockdown, Debra, who lives in one of our independent supported living houses, is keeping up with her classes and her friends, thanks to a very special gift. The Hub, which Debra usually attends in person for drawing lessons and to meet up with friends, has provided her with a …Read More »

It may be Real Bread Week and, while many of our services are enjoying baking and eating their own bread, one of our children’s residential homes has gone gluten free. Understanding and respecting other people’s differences is a topic that’s often explored at our home so, when staff member, Jayne, …Read More »

Residents at our Alan Shearer Specialist Residential home are making the most of their exclusive time in our Activity Centre. Emily has grown to love our green sensory room with its mix of calming colours, bubble tubes and interactive light box. While she’s waiting to enjoy the Centre’s gorgeous grounds …Read More »

Philip, who lives in one of our independent supported living houses, has revived a favourite pastime thanks to his sister and the local postie. When a special package from his sister dropped through his letterbox, Philip was overjoyed to find it contained a cookery book with lots of his favourite …Read More »

Our services often exchange thoughtful little gifts, so, when craft and cookery sessions at our Alan Shearer Centre produced some goodies to spare, they were quickly dispatched to our nursing home in Sunderland. Cheery bird sculptures, made during a focus on bird watching at the Alan Shearer Centre, were soon …Read More »

Our Holy Cross Nursing Home residents in Sunderland were delighted when operations Manager, Michelle, brought in a surprise visitor. Michelle’s gorgeous dog, Poppy, certainly lit up the room, from playing fetch to having cuddles, she provided lots of fun and laughter. “When it was time to go home, Poppy didn’t …Read More »

Young people in our Auton residential children’s homes have been marking today’s global celebration of children in care by getting creative with their feelings and achievements. Acknowledging Care Day, each young person in our home in Sunderland has chosen to make a poster featuring, in their own words, what being …Read More »

Young people living in our Auton residential children’s home in Newcastle love a themed day – especially when it’s as colourful and expressive as their recent Mexican Day. Being able to express how they feel is something our young people can find difficult, so it can be really helpful when …Read More »

Tenants at our Sherringham House independent supported living apartments thought Christmas had returned this morning. However, the piles of presents to be found in every spare space of their kitchen diner marked the start of a very special 60th birthday bash for fellow tenant and friend, Chris. Keen football fan, …Read More »

Pancakes are definitely the order of the day today with lots of flipping and filling going on around our services. Residents at our nursing homes in Newcastle and Sunderland have been remembering times when their families were young and the excitement of making pancakes together. “It’s been lovely,” said St …Read More »

Lovingly crafted cards and hand-made badges are just some of the ways people around our services marked Valentine’s Day. This year, sending cards or tokens of affection to someone special has been more important than ever for many of our service users who are still unable to see friends or …Read More »

People around our services have been pulling out all the stops and honing their craft skills to make sure they are ready to greet the Year of the Ox. Beautiful wall displays, Chinese lanterns and traditional paper dragons – including an impressive giant sculpture made by our St Catherine’s nursing …Read More »

It’s perfect weather for making snowmen – and there are plenty of them cropping up outside our services. The rare, heavy snowfall has provided loads of fun – we just hope there aren’t too many people missing their winter scarves and hats. At least the snowmen look cosy! Julie and …Read More »

In our final piece to mark Apprenticeship Week, Robert, who now works for us as IT Support, shares his experience of our apprenticeship scheme: “As an apprentice, I think I had the best of both worlds: benefiting from all the practical experience – and a salary – that comes with …Read More »

As we continue to mark Apprenticeship Week, Rose, who has just joined our St Catherine’s Nursing Home as an apprentice carer, shares her apprenticeship story: “I’ve wanted to work in care for as long as I can remember and, when I did some research, I found St Cuthbert’s Care’s apprenticeship …Read More »

In our second piece to mark Apprenticeship Week, our HR Officer, Grace, provides a few more details about our apprenticeship opportunities: University isn’t for everyone, but you can still take the first steps towards a rewarding career by joining us as an apprentice in health and social care. Whilst working …Read More »

Throughout this week we’ll be taking a look at opportunities to work and learn with our charity as we mark Apprenticeship Week. As one of the longest-established social care charities in our region we are looking for reliable, dedicated and compassionate people to join our apprenticeships scheme in health and …Read More »

Staff set up a mini vaccination centre in our Alan Shearer Centre to make it is as easy as possible for people living in our adjoining specialist residential home to receive their first Covid vaccine. Each resident has profound disabilities which makes it difficult for them to understand the vaccination …Read More »

We love making sure our nursing home residents feel extra special and know exactly what’s at the top of their list of favourite indulgences. For residents in our St Catherine’s nursing home in Newcastle, staying in really is the new going out when we lay on afternoon tea in our …Read More »

With support from our staff, people around our disability services have been busy expressing exactly how important Dignity Day is to them. People living in our independent supported living services and our residential home in Alnwick have made murals, created artwork, and enjoyed lively debates, discussing some of the words …Read More »

Today’s Dignity Action Day offers an opportunity to focus on the importance of dignity in care and gives us the chance to highlight the work of our dignity champions. Each of our services, has its own dignity champion, ensuring the dignity and respect of each individual in our care is …Read More »

Rachel, who lives in our Alan Shearer Specialist Residential home, loves a good stint in the kitchen making delicious food to share. Her dedication to making the perfect pizza starts with hand-stretched dough, of course, and a variety of toppings that would be the envy of any pizza parlour worth …Read More »

This week’s Throwback Thursday has turned up a gorgeous photo to remind us all of lazy summer days that we all hope we can enjoy again later this year. Residents at our St Catherine’s nursing home in Newcastle love nothing more than basking under parasols in their courtyard garden, sipping …Read More »

Young people in our Auton residential children’s home in Newcastle have been taking a look back in history to mark Holocaust Memorial Day. Our staff have gathered information and photographs to create a mural for our home, which acts as a poignant reminder of the Nazi atrocities marked on this …Read More »

Residents at our Holy Cross nursing home in Sunderland are hoping their beautiful, hand-decorated bird houses are going to be a hit during this year’s Big Garden Bird Watch. Already surrounded by beautiful grounds and trees strung with tasty snack-filled feeders, their bird houses are another addition to their gardens …Read More »

Activity Co-ordinators, Jenny and Zaeley have delivered a fantastic Burns Night celebration for residents at St Catherine’s Nursing Home. The lounge has been transformed with decorations created by our residents to celebrate the work of Robert Burns. Along with poetry, our residents have also enjoyed some Scottish delicacies, including a …Read More »

Friends separated because of the pandemic have revived the art of letter writing to help them to keep in touch. Before lockdown, strong friendships had sprung up between people living in our home in Alnwick and others living in our independent supported living apartments in Kenton, with regular visits, shared …Read More »

When a member of our support staff retired, he couldn’t go without a very special memento being left behind to mark the especially close bonds he had with one of our service users. Michael, a key worker at our Sherringham House independent supported living apartments, was popular with all of …Read More »

On a dull and chilly winter day, Rachel, who lives in our Alan Shearer Specialist Residential home, found the perfect place to enjoy a favourite hobby. With unlimited access to our Alan Shearer Activity Centre, Rachel decided a cosy corner in the calming, Lilac sensory room was just the ticket …Read More »

Nicola, our Marketing Manager, brought a little bit of sunshine to our Residents at St Catherine’s as they celebrated International Flower Day. Many of our residents are keen gardeners, we thought this would be perfect to watch grow, we are sure when bloomed they will look beautiful. Symbolising friendship, the …Read More »

Grace, our Mental Health First Aid Champion shares her tips for overcoming #bluemonday: 1. Pick up the phone and catch up with a friend or family member Now more than ever it is important to stay connected to our loved ones. Make yourself a cup of tea and have a …Read More »

Our Parkhead regulars have had a ‘horrible’ time at their latest Zoom session – and enjoyed every minute of it. Their Horrible Histories Zoom get-together took a look back at the Georgina period, with everyone taking it in turns to become one of the dubious characters around at the time …Read More »

Photos are just in of some of our service users enjoying a day of celebration to mark Elvis Presley’s birthday. Rachel from our Alan Shearer Specialist Residential home chose to give her tribute by making a guitar from all the pre-loved materials she could find, making sure to finish off …Read More »

As frost, snow and plummeting temperatures continue across the region, one of our residents at our Alan Shearer Specialist Residential home has been preparing the perfect comfort food. When resident, Rachel, and recreation assistant, Heather, headed to the kitchen for their regular cookery session, they couldn’t wait to surprise everyone …Read More »

Christmas crafting may be over, but residents at our home in Alnwick still had some creative flair left over for their thank you cards. Our residents were so delighted with their Christmas gifts that they wanted to make sure their thank you messages were just as special too. So, adding …Read More »

Residents living in our St Catherine’s nursing home in Newcastle set aside their traditional games to try their hand at some virtual gaming. Being past masters of skittles, bowling, quoits and even the humble yoyo, it was time to expand their talents and, with the help of activities’ co-ordinator, Zaeley, …Read More »

Today at 3pm, 90-year-old Bill Fennelly was delighted to make St Cuthbert’s Care history by becoming our first resident to receive the COVID -19 vaccine. Receiving the vaccine, Bill, who lives in our St Catherine’s nursing home in Newcastle, said: “I’ve had many vaccinations in my life but none as …Read More »

Residents at our Holy Cross nursing home in Sunderland have enjoyed a Christmas performance by one of their favourite entertainers, thanks to a live link direct to their home. Entertainer, Michaela, has performed for our residents many times and her Christmas shows are always a massive hit with everyone. So, …Read More »

We would like to send a massive ‘thank you’ to class 11BBC at Sacred Heart RC High School for their incredibly thoughtful Christmas gift with a difference. The environmentally conscious class has dedicated seven trees to our charity as part of a drive by the National Trust to plant a …Read More »

Christmas may be just around the corner, but that hasn’t stopped residents living in our home in Alnwick adding a little bit more to their festive décor. Christmas crafts have been so popular with everyone that they wanted to make just a few more decorations – this time, some sparkling …Read More »

Christmas at our St Catherine’s nursing home is never complete without a visit from a school choir and, even in this difficult year, we found a way to keep to the tradition. A total of 55 Santa-hat-wearing students from English Martyrs’ Primary School lined our home’s kitchen garden to entertain …Read More »

Staff and young people at our Auton Residential Children’s Home in Newcastle have included a very poignant message in their Christmas decorations this year. A unique bauble takes pride of place on the home’s Christmas tree to mark the year of lockdown and celebrates the close bonds of everyone who …Read More »

Our Sherringham House independent supported living tenants produced a colourful and informative display for the foyer of their apartments to mark Human Rights Day. Our tenants collected posters and information sheets to promote this year’s theme of ‘Build Back Better’ which focuses on the importance of human rights in re-building …Read More »

Our St Catherine’s nursing home activities co-ordinator, Zaeley, is always prepared when it comes to creating something fun and new for our residents. With the help of a simple balloon and a basket, a new game of ‘balloon pong’ was quickly invented to spread smiles and laughter on a wintry …Read More »

Residents at our Holy Cross nursing home in Sunderland would like to thank the girls from St Anthony’s Catholic Academy for sending them lots of Christmas joy. Visits from the girls were always a highlight at our home so, to let our residents know they were still very much in …Read More »

We aren’t able to invite visitors into our nursing homes just yet, so we thought it would be lovely to look back at the time we had some very special visitors last year. Residents at our St Catherine’s nursing home are lucky enough to have some great friends in the …Read More »

There’s nothing quite like home-made treats at Christmas and Rachel, who lives in our Alan Shearer Specialist residential home, couldn’t wait to whip up some of her festive favourites. With the support of our recreation assistant, Heather, the kitchen was soon smelling of ginger and spice as a tasty dough …Read More »

Our Parkhead Resource Centre in Ashington isn’t only scoring a hit with their regular Zoom sessions; craft kits sent out by our staff in the post have been popular, too. When the latest craft kit arrived through the letterbox, it had everyone reaching for the paints, crayons and pencils to …Read More »

There was no way residents at our home in Alnwick were going to miss out on their beauty treatments while salons remained closed during lockdown. Too fond of a pamper to skip their usual facials and haircuts, our staff helped our residents to turn the home’s lounge into a relaxing …Read More »

To mark International Day for People with Disabilities, we’d like to showcase the work of two of our amazing young adults. Rachel and Matthew, who live in our Alan Shearer Specialist Residential home in Newcastle, love this time of year – especially when it comes to showing off their crafting …Read More »

Residents living in our St Catherine’s nursing home have each received a special handwritten card from staff working in our charity’s head office. The ‘thinking of you’ cards have been sent to let our residents know that, despite being unable to visit in person, our staff still have each and …Read More »

Back by popular demand is our Song of the Day, which lifted so many spirits around our services all spring and summer. From our children’s services to our nursing homes, people thoroughly enjoyed picking their all-time favourite song to share with everyone across our charity. And, with our new festive …Read More »

Dear Friends The events of this year have resulted in us working very differently at St Cuthbert’s Care. We have striven to ensure that our client groups have remained safe. In addition, to help to maintain high levels of physical and mental wellbeing, we have protected the close and precious …Read More »

A little throwback to when St Catherine’s Nursing Home had a furry VIP visitor, Laika the Labrador. Our residents were ecstatic when Wag and Company came to visit for some animal therapy. Laika made herself right at home and certainly brought a smile to everyone’s face, she was spoilt rotten …Read More »

Our tenants at Sherringham House independent supported living apartments like nothing better than a natter with a tasty treat or two – especially when they’re home-made. Each person chose their own recipe to follow and, after little more than an hour, the kitchen was filled with enticing aromas and a …Read More »

It may not have been high noon when our latest Parkhead Resource Centre Zoom session was held, but their Wild West afternoon was a massive hit just the same. Our regulars and staff dressed up for the occasion in fine style, complete with cowboy hats, sheriff badges and bandanas. And …Read More »

Pub quizzes may be on hold for the time being, but residents living in our St Catherine’s nursing home in Newcastle have enjoyed the next best thing. From the comfort of their cosy lounge, our residents had a brilliant afternoon taking a little general knowledge quiz while enjoying a glass …Read More »

Our multi-talented staff at our Holy Cross nursing home in Sunderland are happily turning their hand to hair styling to keep our residents looking their best. With lockdown preventing visits from their usual professional hairdresser, our Duty Manager, Sam, can easily fix a bad hair day in no time at …Read More »

November has been a busy time for young people living in our Auton House residential children’s home in Newcastle. The month has provided so many opportunities to learn and explore a variety of topics – from looking at men’s mental health to mark Movember, to joining in with the odd …Read More »

Although the days are short and the temperatures are dropping, we’re already planning stunning spring displays that are nature-friendly, too. All around our services, spring flowering bulbs are being planted – including over 3,000 assorted bee, bird and butterfly-friendly bulbs at our head office grounds which we also share with …Read More »

It was Zoom video calling to the rescue when our Parkhead Resource Centre regulars wanted to mark home-made bread day together. In the latest in a series of Zoom calls, our Parkhead service users certainly rose to the occasion by being prepared with all their ingredients for a bread baking …Read More »

Like many of us, our residents at St Catherine’s Nursing Home, are missing their weekly trip to the salon, but in true, your wish is our command style, our marketing team have come to the rescue. Although they know nothing about perms and we thought it best to hide the …Read More »

Parkhead, our day centre for adults with disabilities, in Ashington, is keeping spirits high and proving that although we may be physically apart, we can still spend time together. The team has gone above and beyond to create fun and engaging Zoom sessions, bringing fun-based learning back on the agenda, …Read More »

Residents across St Cuthbert’s Care have been creating beautiful displays to commemorate Remembrance Day. Each display has been hand-made with so much love and thought. From painted poppies, that drape beautifully in St Catherine’s Nursing Home’s chapel, to stunning silhouette artwork that is displayed at The Alan Shearer Centre’s window. …Read More »

Rachel, who lives in our Alan Shearer Specialist Residential home, has been enjoying autumn so much that it’s even providing inspiration for her cookery. As well as being a talented artist, Rachel enjoys cooking and baking, too, and, with the support of our staff, turned her hand to creating some …Read More »

Our residents at our Holy Cross nursing home in Sunderland have found a winning way to enjoy their five a day. Freshly made fruit smoothies that not only do you good but look terrific are available on their menu every day; and, to make sure they are the best they …Read More »

Firework celebrations around our services don’t need to go with a bang to be a success. Our service users have happily created a dazzling display of colourful crafts and paintings to mark Guy Fawkes night and, for those who like a little more sparkle, there’ll be a few virtual displays …Read More »

It’s great to get cosy during the autumn and winter months and Rachel, who lives in our Specialist Residential Home, has even been sparing a thought for the smallest of creatures. With the support of our staff, Rachel has made one of the fanciest bug hotels any discerning guest could …Read More »

Guys and ghouls are out in force around our services as everyone finalises their preparations for this year’s very different take on Halloween. Although the current restrictions mean our service users are unable to mingle to mark the spookiest event in the calendar, it certainly hasn’t cramped their style. Many …Read More »

Our Holy Cross nursing home residents in Sunderland have used their hands to capture some of the most special things in their lives. Combining crafts and reminiscence – two of their favourite ways to spend time together – our residents created templates of their hands to use as a blank …Read More »

Our Parkhead Centre in Ashington is bustling with exciting activities – even if they have to be of the virtual kind for now. While the Centre remains closed, regular Zoom sessions are helping our service users to keep in touch and making sure their admirable skills stay in tip top …Read More »