A NURSERY in Poole was chosen as the latest beneficiary of a community fund.

Residential and home care provider and registered charity, Care South, donated £1,000 to Muddy Boots Nursery in Parkstone after being nominated by Elouise Powell, home manager of Elizabeth House in Poole.

The money will cover transport costs for the children to visit the care home’s residents on a biweekly basis throughout the year.

The fund (formerly the Care South Chairman’s 2020 Fund) gives back to community groups, services and organisations that directly benefit Care South’s residents, care-at-home clients, or staff.

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Elouise handed over the donation alongside Phil Smith, Care South’s director of care, to Dawn Bascombe, manager of Muddy Boots Nursery School in Parkstone, alongside children from the nursery.

Dawn said: “We are so pleased to receive this generous donation from the Care South community fund which will enable our children to visit the residents on a regular basis to enjoy intergenerational relationships.

“It is always lovely to be welcomed into the home and it will be nice to see friendships start to form between the residents and children.”

Phil said: “Our community fund was created to support groups and organisations like Muddy Boots Nursery who wanted to visit the residents at Elizabeth House more but were unable to due to the travel costs involved.

“As soon as they walk into the room, the residents’ faces light up, and it’s truly heartwarming to see the joy and connection that these visits bring, so we are pleased to enable this to continue.”

Following the presentation, the children sat down with the residents to make Chinese New Year-theme crafts to decorate the residents’ rooms before enjoying drinks and snacks together.

Myra, who lives at Elizabeth House, said: “I think it’s great that the children come in to see us. It was fun to help them do their crafts.”

Jane, who also lives at the care home, said that she was ‘very pleased to see them.”

“They’re beautiful children,” she added.

Elizabeth House provides residential, respite, and dementia care. It features a choice of communal lounges for the residents, including a large conservatory area, overlooking a landscaped garden and patio offering peace and tranquillity, as well as an onsite hairdressing salon.

The home also has a dedicated activities team who organise a daily programme of events to bring residents together to socialise and build friendships.

Care South is a leading provider of high quality residential and home care services across the south of England.

The not-for-profit organisation, which is a registered charity, has care homes in Dorset, north Devon, Somerset and West Sussex, and home care offices covering east and west Dorset, and North East Somerset and south Somerset.

For more information about the care services available, go to care-south.co.uk or call Care South on 01202 712410.