A Christmas Celebration like ‘neigh’ other: Archers Court make wishes come true

This year across our amazing care homes we have been making the most magical Christmas wishes come true for lots of residents. This is why, when the Archers Court team decided to take Peter and Kathleen to a beautiful Christmas celebration based around their favourite animal, we were so excited to hear all about it.

On Sunday 7^th December, residents Peter and Kathy were accompanied by members of the Archers Court Care Home team on a trip they would cherish forever as they attended the Christmas Celebration at Washington Riding Centre in Sunderland.

Our excellent Sunderland home is an entirely Reconnect Dementia home. This means that the team not only provide specialist dementia care, but also prioritise engaging residents in meaningful activities which they’ve always enjoyed and giving them as much independence as possible.

For best friends Peter and Kathy, this tends to mean anything which includes horses! The pair became friends in 2023, when Kathy began living at Archers Court and immediately sparked up conversations with Peter surrounding their love for animals – you can read more about their camaraderie here.

Peter’s love for horses comes from when he was a young boy and used to interact with them on his rounds helping out the local scrap collector; he then eventually owned his own horse and spent his life looking after the majestic animals. Meanwhile, Kathy’s passion developed from attending races with her family when she was younger, and she too eventually owned her own horse called Rosie!

When Kathy first moved into the home, the team would take her and Peter to visit her horse Rosie at the local farm (you can even see a video of them here!). Sadly, Rosie passed away not long after, but Kathy is still encouraged to share her stories of her and loves going to see horses in the local community.

Deputy Home Manager Jackie told us: “Kathleen and Peter were overjoyed when we arranged the outing, especially when they found out that they could meet the horses, watch the parade and have photos taken with them… they said it would be a Christmas dream come true.”

Moments like this are always very magical for the residents and for the team, but this event in particular was very special for them. Their day also consisted of yummy food and refreshments, special demonstrations and shows and a tombola/raffle!

Home Manager Sharon has told us that Peter and Kathy returned to the home very excited to tell their friends about the day: “You could see immediately that the trip brought a lot of joy, happiness and a feeling of nostalgia for them both. Peter also seemed very confident in himself and his speech after a day of sharing stories about his horses!”

A huge thank you to Peter, Kathy and the Archers Court team for sharing their stories and the details of this magical experience with us. Making wishes like this come true for those around us is so special and the Archers Court team has captured the spirit of Christmas perfectly with this trip!

If you’re looking for a home for yourself or your loved one where their passions and happiness will be truly prioritised, then look no further than our wonderful homes. We make special wishes come true all year round!