It was a lovely warm day for this year’s Summer Garden Party at Cornwell House, our residential care home, in the village of Ferring, near Worthing.

The staff and volunteers worked incredibly hard to make this a day to remember and it was well supported by families of residents, friends of Abbeyfield Ferring, volunteers and staff. It was a great opportunity for everyone to relax and enjoy themselves. The residents talked about it for weeks and we were very grateful for the support of local businesses who donated raffle prizes and plants. The event raised £619.50 and our residents will be deciding to spend the money which could go to social events or trips out.

This year, for the second year running, we welcomed the energetic dance and entertainment group, Eight Beat Jive. Their demonstrations of dance from the 1930s (Balboa) through to Lindy Hop (Jitterbug) in the 1940s, Rock ‘n’Roll and the history behind the music and dance, was thoroughly enjoyed by all ages.

The care home staff made cream teas, baked homemade cakes, served up hotdogs and burgers and sold hundreds of raffle tickets. The tombola did extremely well and all the cakes disappeared from the cake stall and lots of visitors purchased plants.

The Home Manager said ‘Thank you to everyone for making our garden party such a fun-filled day and seeing the smiles on our residents’ faces and the joy the day brings makes the hard work all worthwhile. We receive a lot of support from local traders and our suppliers. It was a fabulous afternoon.’