A day of wellbeing and connection at Topphome Court

Residents at Topphome Court came together for a special Wellness Day filled with activities designed to bring people together, encourage creativity and help everyone enjoy themselves.

Organised by EFT in partnership with Anchor, the day brought a variety of activities to Topphome Court, giving residents the chance to try something new, meet people from the local community and spend time doing things they enjoy.

Meeting some very special visitors

One of the highlights of the day was a visit from JoinHope’s trained therapy dogs.

The gentle, therapist-led session gave residents the opportunity to spend time with the dogs in a relaxed setting, with plenty of chances for conversation, connection and companionship.

For many people, animals can be a wonderful way to start a conversation or simply enjoy a quiet moment together. The visit gave residents the chance to meet the dogs, spend time with them and enjoy their company.

June Broome, a resident at Topphome Court, particularly enjoyed meeting Pio the therapy dog, and said:

Pip was very friendly and loved coming up to you to be stroked.

Finding joy through laughter

Residents also joined Sunny Turner, founder of Serious Laughter, for a playful wellbeing session designed especially for older people.

The session included gentle exercises, light movement and breathing techniques, with no pressure to be fit, find something funny or even arrive in a good mood.

Instead, it was about taking part, trying something different and enjoying the moment. Sunny also brought along tinsel shakers, drum sticks and puppets for residents to interact with, and there was the opportunity to join in with singing.

Getting active together

Louise Walker, a Rise Activity Leader, brought movement, sport and friendly competition to the day.

Residents took part in activities designed to get everyone involved, with no previous sporting experience needed. Louise's focus was on making the session welcoming and enjoyable, giving residents the confidence to have a go and join in at their own pace.

After some gentle seated exercise, residents took part in a game of seated football, passing the ball between two teams. Questions were also included to add to the teams’ scores, before a rugby ball was brought out for a final challenge when the game ended in a draw.

June Broome said:

You had to pass the ball from one person to the other using our feet which was really good fun.

The mixture of movement, laughter and friendly competition helped bring people together and gave everyone something to enjoy.

Getting creative

Creativity was another important part of the Wellness Day, with Gemma from Hidden Gems CIC running a relaxed drop-in creative table throughout the day.

Residents could try painting, decoupage or designing their own coaster, with all materials provided. Some residents also made photo frames and learned how to create cards and calendars using decoupage.

The flexible drop-in format meant residents could stay for as little or as long as they liked, whether they wanted to get stuck into a creative project, have a chat or simply see what was happening.

For Chrissy Brockhouse, a resident at Topphome Court, the creative activities were one of the highlights of the day.

I thought it was well thought out day. I enjoyed crafting and meeting new people.

A day that brought people together

The variety of activities meant there was something for different interests, abilities and personalities. Some residents enjoyed getting creative, while others joined in with movement, met the therapy dogs or simply enjoyed spending time with people they might not usually meet.

The day also gave residents plenty of opportunities to relax and spend time together over lunch, with sandwiches, pastries and cakes, alongside tea, coffee and fruit juice.

Resident Julie Hull summed up the experience and why it was so valuable:

The Wellness Day at Topphome Court was a mixture of fun, laughter and competitiveness. We had such a lovely time with the crafts, Sunny, the sports and the lovely service dog. It brought lots of people together. Nobody knows what someone is going through and this type of day makes a huge difference.

Residents from nearby Fernlea Lodge also joined the day. Lorraine Halliday said:

I thought it was well organised and there was something for everyone who attended. It was enjoyable.

Making space for wellbeing

Wellbeing can mean different things to different people. It might be getting active, meeting someone new, trying a creative activity, spending time with an animal or simply having a good conversation over a cup of tea.

The Wellness Day at Topphome Court brought all of these opportunities together, creating a welcoming space where residents could choose how they wanted to take part.