December Newsletter

1st of December 

🌼 A Lovely St Andrew’s Day Afternoon at Patchwork ELC 🏴

We had the most wonderful afternoon at Patchwork ELC as we were invited to join their special St Andrew’s Day afternoon tea. 💙

The children treated us to delicious goodies, some relaxing colouring-in, a bit of ceilidh dancing, and even a short story all about St Andrew’s Day. It was such a thoughtful and joyful visit — these intergenerational moments mean so much to us all.

Thank you once again for a truly lovely afternoon. 💛✨

2nd of December

✨ Incredible News for Ardnahein Care! ✨

Our final inspection report is in, and I am over the moon to share that we received 5s across the board, Very Goods, with no recommendations! 🎉💛

This achievement reflects the heart, dedication, and compassion that our amazing team shows every single day. To our wonderful staff: you should be so proud of yourselves. You truly are the dream team, and I cannot thank you enough.

To our residents’ families and our lovely community: thank you for your ongoing support, trust, and encouragement. It means the world to all of us at Ardnahein.

I’m absolutely elated. Well done, everyone this is our celebration.

Grace
One very proud Care Home Manager 💛

#ArdnaheinTeam #ProudManager #CommunityCare #DreamTeam

5th of December 

We had a morning full of fun and laughter with a Balloon Bash, which caused plenty of mayhem—in the best possible way—thanks to the help of our friends from Patchwork 🎈

The afternoon continued with a lovely mix of afternoon tea, chocolate Christmas tree making, and an interesting tour of Dunoon Grammar School. A very special thank you to Mrs McCann for her wonderful hospitality and for making us feel so welcome.

🎄 Our Christmas Tree Competition Entry 🎄

Today, we entered our Christmas tree into a competition for care homes across Argyll and Bute—and this is no ordinary Christmas tree. At its heart, this tree is Ardnahein Care Home.

It reflects the people who make Ardnahein the warm, glowing community it is. Our tree features 50 individual QR-coded messages of goodwill from residents, staff, families, visitors, volunteers, and our intergenerational partners at Patchwork Early Learning Centre Nursery. Each message shares kindness, memories, and festive wishes.

The tree also holds moments from previous Christmases, making it a living memory of joy, connection, and community spirit.

This tree is all about connection. Through easy-to-use, resident-friendly QR codes—supported by staff—it beautifully blends modern technology with a traditional festive display, helping to bridge generations in a truly meaningful way.

This is more than a Christmas tree.

It is a celebration of people, memories, and the unique spirit of Ardnahein ❤️

6th Of December 

We had great fun during our bingo session, with Demilynn doing a fantastic job as our bingo caller and plenty of happy winners celebrating their prizes 🏆🎉 A lively and enjoyable activity that had everyone engaged and smiling.

The festive fun continued with carol singing, as staff and residents came together to sing much-loved Christmas favourites 🎶🎤 The room was filled with laughter, music, and festive cheer, creating a lovely sense of togetherness and community.

A wonderful time shared by all.

8th of December 

What a pleasure it was to welcome staff and children from Sandbank Primary School into our home this morning. They treated our residents to a wonderful performance of beautiful Christmas songs, filling the home with festive cheer and smiles.

We were especially touched by the fact that the children sang in both Gaelic and English, showcasing not only their incredible talent but also their confidence and enthusiasm. The joy this brought to our residents truly meant the world to them.

A heartfelt thank you to everyone involved for taking the time to visit and share such a special moment with us. These intergenerational connections are truly priceless ❤️🎄

11th of December

This morning Allan brought in a surprise 4-legged visitor… everyone, please meet Darcy! ❤️

Darcy is a 10-week-old red fox Labrador, and she absolutely melted our hearts the moment she came in. With those big puppy eyes and the softest cuddles, she brought so much joy to our morning.

Thank you, Darcy, for brightening our day — we can’t wait to see you again! 🐶✨

🎄 A Huge Thank You to St Mun’s primary school Choir! 🎶

Today we had the absolute pleasure of welcoming the wonderful children from St Mun’s as they visited to sing a selection of beautiful Christmas songs for us. Their voices filled the room with joy, and every resident had the biggest smile!

Thank you so much for bringing the magic of Christmas to us — your kindness and festive cheer truly made our day. ❤️✨

We hope to see you all again soon! 🎅🤶

We took our Ardnahein Tombola to the Dunoon Grammar School Christmas Fayre last night. Thank you to everyone who supported us, and well done to all of the winners.

12th of December 

Our residents have been getting well and truly into the Christmas spirit during our festive music therapy sessions 🎄🎶

The room was filled with familiar carols, toe-tapping tunes, and plenty of smiles, creating a joyful and uplifting atmosphere. Music is such a powerful way to spark memories, encourage connection, and bring comfort—and it was lovely to see everyone so engaged and enjoying the moment together.

A wonderful session full of festive cheer and togetherness.

15th of December 

We had a lovely morning getting creative with some wreath colouring-in. It was a calm and relaxing activity, filled with concentration, friendly chats, and plenty of festive flair. It’s always wonderful to see everyone enjoying a bit of creativity and bringing their own designs to life.

🎄 Home Cinema Afternoon 🎄

This afternoon, we enjoyed our very own home cinema experience, watching Elf on the big screen. With a feel-good film, comfy seating, and lots of smiles all around, it was the perfect way to spend the afternoon. Nothing beats a classic Christmas movie shared in good company.

17th of December 

🎄 A Huge Thank You! 🎄

We would like to say a big thank you to Caladh Funeral Directors for their very generous gift 🎁, which is greatly appreciated.

A huge thank you also to the lovely ladies from Ladbrokes, who kindly brought in some wonderful gifts, and to Morrisons for generously donating selection boxes for our Santa’s Grotto. These thoughtful donations will help bring lots of smiles, excitement, and festive cheer to our residents this weekend 🎅🎁

We are incredibly grateful for the kindness and support shown to us. Your generosity truly means a lot to our team and, most importantly, to those we support ❤️

18th Of December 

Today we celebrated Mary’s birthday with a special outing, enjoying a lovely lunch at Walkers in Dunoon ❤️ A wonderful way to mark her special day and create some cherished memories.

This afternoon, we had the pleasure of welcoming Caroline, Linda, Jane and Di, better known as the Tinny Tootlers, to our care home. This talented four-piece recorder group treated both residents and staff to a delightful feast of festive music, filling the home with cheer and smiles.

A huge thank you to the Tinny Tootlers for taking the time to visit and share such a joyful afternoon with us — it was truly appreciated by all.

19th Of December 

This morning some of the staff picked up their Secret Santas presents from each other.

🎄✨ Family Christmas Party at Ardnahein ✨🎄

This afternoon we held our family Christmas party, and what a wonderful time everyone had! The room was filled with smiles, laughter, and festive cheer, made extra special by the fantastic music from Kenny Wilson, who had everyone singing along and enjoying the moment 🎶💃🕺

Thank you Kenny, our residents, families, staff, and friends for making the afternoon so memorable. A truly lovely celebration 🎄

22nd of December 

🎄🏆 CHRISTMAS TREE SUCCESS 🏆🎄

On the 5th of December, Ardnahein entered our QR-coded Christmas tree into a competition with care homes across Argyll and Bute — and we are absolutely thrilled to share that our Christmas tree has been crowned the WINNER!

A huge well done and thank you to everyone involved in creating such a fantastic, creative display, and to all who supported us along the way. Our residents are over the moon, and we couldn’t be prouder!

What a wonderful way to celebrate the festive season 🎅✨

You can view the qr messages on our YouTube channel https://youtube.com/@activitiesardnahein?si=TdseTfxpH4fDH6Xf

27th of December 

🌿 A Moment of Relaxation 🌿
This afternoon our residents enjoyed a lovely, relaxing foot massage from Margaret. 💆‍♀️
It was a wonderful way to unwind, with lots of smiles, calm moments, and a real sense of wellbeing all round.

29th of December

🚂 All Aboard for a Trip Down Memory Lane! 🚂

This afternoon, we brought out the old wooden train track set and set off on board our steam engine! Hugh took on the role of conductor, Brian was our expert track engineer, and Jimmy kept the coal going. Anne looked after everyone with the refreshments trolley, Mhairi was the ticket conductor, while Ian and Kath enjoyed the journey as passengers.

It was a wonderful afternoon filled with conversation and laughter as we reminisced about old trains and the different stops along the way — travelling from Gourock to Lanark, with a stop off in Glasgow.

A truly lovely way to spend an afternoon together, sharing memories

30th of December 

🎈✨ Balloon to Noon Preparations! ✨🎈

This morning, Jessie and Margaret got to work preparing our Balloon to Noon for New Year’s Eve 🎉
Each balloon has a fun prompt or question hidden inside, ready to be popped as we count down to noon and share memories, laughs, and reflections together.

A lovely way to welcome the New Year and get everyone chatting — we can’t wait to see what’s inside! 🥳💬

♠️🃏 Card Game Champion! 🃏♠️

Today, Ian enjoyed a couple of games of cards during a 1-to-1 activity. We played Blackjack and Golf, and Ian won both games, very convincingly! 😄👏

Santa's Cottage Event

we held our Annual Christmas Grotto, and it was a truly wonderful weekend at our Santa’s Cottage event, filled with festive cheer, smiles, and special moments for everyone involved.

Christmas Day 

🎅🎄 Santa Came to Ardnahein! 🎄🎅

What a fantastic day at Ardnahein, filled with plenty of visitors, lots of smiles, and a truly festive atmosphere ❤️ Santa’s visit brought so much joy, making the day extra special for our residents.

A very big thank you to our amazing team for making today so festive and full of cheer. Your dedication, warmth, and commitment are what make Ardnahein such a special place, and the care you give every day truly shines.

The afternoon was topped off with a lovely Christmas lunch, enjoyed in a warm and festive atmosphere with delicious food—a perfect way to celebrate the season 💛

Christmas Day Lunch 

🎄🍽️ A huge thank you to our wonderful chef Gregor who truly outdone himself with our Christmas dinner spread.
Absolutely beautiful to look at and even more scrumptious to eat!
So much care, effort and love went into every dish, making Christmas Day extra special for our residents, families and team.
We are so lucky to have you, Gregor, thank you for everything you do ❤️