A New Forest care home hosted a celebration evening to offer a heartfelt thank-you to community volunteers for their work.
More than 30 people active in charities and community projects in and around Brockenhurst attended the special occasion in the garden of Colten Care’s Woodpeckers.
The event was an idea of Home Manager Priya Joseph and designed as a way of saying thank-you for the many activities that support those who are lonely or in need in the local area.
Among the attendees were representatives of Brockenhurst Parish Church who run regular lunch clubs and other initiatives for elderly people and those experiencing bereavement.
After welcoming the visitors, Priya invited Woodpeckers’ resident wordsmith Patricia Hoy to read out a poem she had written in praise of all the parish’s ‘dedicated volunteers’.
Patricia, one of six Woodpeckers residents to attend the event, proposed a toast with lines such as: “There are some special people, who help us out every year, They are of course our very, dedicated volunteers.
“We couldn’t do without them, they take on many different tasks, They are most accommodating, and do anything we ask.
“So here’s a great big thank-you, from the bottom of our hearts, To all our special volunteers, who’ve given us their precious hours, from the very start.”
The evening featured summer cocktails and mocktails, homemade canapés, a cake and a buffet of dishes prepared by chefs at Woodpeckers.
Guests were entertained on solo piano by Kevin Pritchard, a member of the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, who performed a series of popular classics.
In a thank-you note to Priya afterwards, the Church’s Senior Office Volunteer Lesley Munt BEM, affectionately known as ‘Queen of the Rotas’ for her work coordinating a monthly lunch club, wrote: “A huge thank you for inviting us to your evening for volunteers and for making us feel so welcome and valued.
“It was a really lovely evening – the food was absolutely delicious, the staff were all very welcoming, the gardens are delightful and the music completed a perfect setting.”
Lesley added: “Brockenhurst is so very blessed to have such a wonderful care home for its elderly residents.”
The evening served to highlight extensive links between Woodpeckers, the church and wider community including Lyndhurst Food Bank.
Residents at the home have chosen church lunch and friendship clubs, part of the pastoral outreach initiative Brockcare, as their main nominated good causes to support in recent years.
As well as providing lunches since 1988, Brockcare organises Christmas day meals, home visits, holiday-at-home boxes, afternoon tea and film events, and groups for widows and other single people.
This year Woodpeckers team members are preparing and providing puddings to the monthly Brockcare lunch club which is run by around 60 volunteers, including drivers, and typically welcomes around 30 diners.
Back at the home, Woodpeckers receives Holy Communion from regular visitor Reverend Canon Diane Webster who also hosts a weekly bible study group there.
Priya, who organised and presented cards and small gifts to guests as they left the celebration, said: “We had a fantastic evening and were so pleased to say thank-you to the volunteers who do such great work in Brockenhurst.
“This was all about thanking them while highlighting the importance of community relationships.
“Brockenhurst village is a lovely community and we here at Woodpeckers feel very proud to be part of it.
“It’s a privilege to be involved in what’s going on through our focused events, fundraising and community engagement.”
Another community volunteer active in the church lunch club, Christina Simons, praised the ‘amazing hospitality’ she received at Woodpeckers on the evening.
In a note to Priya, she wrote: “It was such a treat to be welcomed into the home, see the beautiful grounds and enjoy the delicious food and amazing piano player. Thank you for your ongoing support for the Wednesday lunch club, I know it is very much appreciated.”
