Rotherham care home residents went ice skating for first time and "laughed the whole way round"

Rotherham care home residents have taken to the ice for the first time - and giggled the whole way round!

Betty, Margaret and Joyce, who live at The Abbeys Care Home in Rawmarsh, Rotherham, were taken skating in their wheelchairs.

The trip was arranged by the team as part of an ongoing effort to give residents the chance to try something new.

The three of them said they loved the feeling of freedom out on the rink. Joyce said watching the children whizz past was the highlight of the day for her.

At the end of the session, the group had a cup of tea to warm up, though all three said they wanted five more minutes on the ice first.

Paul, whose mum lives at The Abbeys, said: “Haven’t seen mum smiling like that in a long, long time. Thank you for all you do, it means the world.” 

J’amie, home manager at The Abbeys, said: “It was lovely to see Betty, Margaret and Joyce out on the ice and having such a good time.

“None of them had skated before and they were laughing the whole way round.

“We want our residents to keep trying new things, so we look for ways to make that happen!

“I’m sure they’ll be back on the ice before too long.” 

Emma, wellbeing lead, said: “The children were speeding past and the ladies loved watching them. There was an amazing atmosphere and the residents were chatting about it for days afterwards.” 

The Abbeys Care Home is part of Each Other Care, a family-owned group of 11 homes across Lancashire, Yorkshire, Essex and Scotland. Across the group, team members make time to find out what matters to each resident and work to make their wishes happen, whether that is a favourite outing, a special occasion or something they have always wanted to try. 

Each Other Care is nationally recognised for its wellbeing programme at the Great British Care Awards, and involving residents in decisions about their days is a big part of life in its homes.