Staff at a care home whipped out their whisks and baked hundreds of cupcakes to raise a baking bowl full of dough for people living with dementia.
The culinary whizzes at Pendine Park’s Bryn Seiont Newydd dementia centre of excellence in Caernarfon held a socially distanced cupcake party in aid of the Alzheimer’s Society
The charity bake off was the brainchild of enrichment and activities co-ordinator Carys Phylip-Jones.
She said: “It was a bit difficult this year as we would normally invite the families of residents in and we’d all come together for a fun day. Sadly, as we are in lock-down and to keep the Covid-19 virus out of our home we couldn’t do that this year.
“But all the staff joined in and made cupcakes and bara brith which we sold to each other.
“Some family members also dropped off trays of cakes too. I also had some raffle prizes donated by local businesses and that helped us raise more than £150 for the charity.
“As a team we wanted to support the Alzheimer’s Society as we see every day how people live with dementia. It’s a charity that is close to all our hearts. So, whatever we raised it could only be good.
“The money we have raised will help the Alzheimer’s Society fund expert research and support services out in the community.
“Of course, we also made sure those residents who, due to dietary restrictions, could enjoy a cup cake or two got to do just that. Our kitchen staff made a tray full of cakes just for residents to enjoy.”
She added: “I also got to work with residents making our own pom-pom cupcakes out of wool which they enjoyed. It all made for a lovely day and I can’t believe how generous the whole staff team were.”
Pendine Park musician in residence, Nia Davies Williams, who went into work to support the event on what was her day off, says the cupcake day was a welcome fun event that left staff smiling.
She said: “It’s a pity we couldn’t invite families in as we normally do buy due to the coronavirus restrictions that wasn’t possible this year. However, it was a day that lightened the mood.
“Lock-down has meant we have had to do things very differently. But it does mean we have been able to spend more time with residents even though we can’t replace time spent with families.
“It’s meant learning new ways of working. I can’t bring big groups together in the music room as we used to so instead I’ve been going around individual lounges.
“And of course we are renown here at Bryn Seiont Newydd for having for choirs and musical groups come in to entertain residents. Of course, that hasn’t been possible since the health pandemic started.”
She added: “However, we all worked very hard to ensure residents still have the opportunity to lead enriched lives with plenty of activities to keep them occupied.”
Bryn Seiont Newydd manger Sandra Evans was proud of the way all the care home staff had adapted to the coronavirus pandemic.
She said: “The cupcake event was a wonderful idea and raised a good amount for the Alzheimer’s Society thanks to the generosity of the whole team.
“I can’t believe the number of cupcakes staff baked and it’s amazing that the whole batch was sold within minutes. There were hundreds!”
She added: “I’m so proud of the team, everyone has worked so hard during the pandemic in order to keep our residents safe, happy and engaged.
“We look forward to being able to welcome families back as soon as it is safe to do so but in the meantime it’s important, we keep all the residents in our care safe and engaged.”
