Acacia House
Since opening Acacia House, our residents have had lots of fun on different trips across London and beyond, including to the Science Museum, arcade, Flip Out, town centre. They have also gone ice skating, rollerblading, and played lots of games – with chess, Monopoly, Jenga, and UNO being their favourites!
Our team have been supporting residents with art therapy to help express themselves, and improve their emotional and mental health. The children have really enjoyed these sessions, and have produced some amazing artwork which has been proudly displayed at Acacia House.
The team have also been helping residents engage in regular cooking sessions and promoting a healthy breakfast culture, with delicious food prepared fresh every morning by 8am!
On Pancake Day, they had lots of fun experimenting with different flavours and recipes. Then on Eid, the team prepared a delicious feast to promote and celebrate diversity.
Acacia House is conveniently located just around the corner from sister home Magnolia House, enabling residents across both homes to bond and engage in activities together, and celebrate important milestones like birthdays as one family.
Magnolia House
Over the last few months, residents at Magnolia House have enjoyed a variety of activities including visits to the arcade, walks in the local community, and go-karting where plenty of laughs were had as they competed against their peers from Acacia House to see who could drive the fastest.
One resident expressed an interest in playing golf, therefore our team arranged a day out where he was able to practice his swing.
March was a milestone month for the children and team at Magnolia House, as they celebrated one resident’s achievable goal after being in care for over a year at the home. Although it was an emotional day to part with such an amazing young girl who has been a loved member of the Magnolia House family, we are incredibly proud of her resilience despite the pressures faced, which resulted in her being able to go back to school and settle in. Our team supported her to follow a daily routine, which led to her success story of being able to return home. To celebrate this milestone, Magnolia House hosted a party with lots of colourful decorations, and plenty to eat and drink to mark the occasion.
Encouraging family visits is extremely important, so it was lovely to see one resident reunite with his sister in Swindon where they played tic-tac-toe (he tried out various tactics but was sussed out by his sister early on!), visited the wildlife centre, and attended the Children in Care Awards together where they created memories to last a lifetime.
He then celebrated his 12th birthday in style at Nando’s with his peers, staff, and friends from Acacia House. He was lucky enough to get two chocolate cakes and presents from his family and our team!
The gang have also been practicing zen at home, and enjoyed an evening of facials, massages, and pampering, following by dinner with scented candles to brighten the mood!
The Oaks
We’re so proud of The Oaks for receiving a rating of Good in all areas after their first ever Ofsted inspection! To celebrate this fantastic achievement, Registered Manager Rebekah surprised her team and the children with a visit to Puppy Yoga, then a meal out at Nando’s. Everyone had a great time trying something different together, as well as focusing on their physical and mental wellbeing through yoga and puppy interaction.
On Valentine’s Day, the children all received a card, rose, and teddy from our team who wrote messages stating how much they care about them.
It’s currently Stress Awareness Month, so Rebekah surprised the team with goodie bags filled with treats and explanations for each to show her support for them, including calming tea, face masks, and rainbow drops!
The Oaks’ love for animals is forever growing and they can’t seem to get enough, so they signed up to the BorrowMyDoggy app where they got meet the lovely Hollie. With the support of our team, the children are able to pick up Hollie and take her for a nice long walk around the park, which means they get to spend time with furry friends and get some exercise in at the same time!
They recently had a new resident move in, and everyone is getting along like a house on fire. They love spending time together including dressing up as their favourite characters – Spider-Man and Batman!
They were also delighted to receive a special visit from their friendly local Police Community Support Officers (PSCOs). Our lucky residents were able to look in the PSCOs’ van, and were inspired to dress up like them and report to duty!
We are extremely proud of how well the children are doing at school, including one who has just started going to drama club where he gave his first ever performance, and was awarded with a merit certificate! Another is studying hard for her GCSEs and visiting potential colleges. In her spare time, she’s been going to the cinema, cooking, shopping, and enjoying the sunset at her favourite viewpoint.
