#Care4Christmas Success

Kent based interior design and fit out company, Rap Interiors, combined the power of our network with 3 other Kent based businesses to support the residents and staff at Maidstone Care Homes this Christmas.

The mission began through the power of social media and scrolling past a Facebook post by Kayte John. Teaching Assistant Kayte started off with 1 care home which crept up to 4. Then Rap Interiors joined and the target moved to 15. Then Gallagher Group and Rift Group joined and so the target was set at 22 care homes.

Our mission was to provide every resident with a present to open this Christmas so they didn’t feel alone this year as their families couldn’t visit over the festive season. The carers of the Maidstone Care Homes would also be thanked with a hamper full of goodies to share from with additional hampers being sent to Maidstone Hospital too.

To read more about the story of our campaign, click here.

Donation Totals: Over £8000.00

The Just Giving page has so far raised £6820.

Exceeding our target of £5000.00 – thank you to all of those who donated, both businesses and individuals.

The Just Giving page will remain open to continue to raise money to give the gift of song to care homes during 2021.

The additional monies raised will pay for a local singer, Jen Shilling, to visit the care homes throughout next year. You can still donate here.

We have also had £1550 raised from local companies donating money outside of Just Giving.

To read more about the story of our campaign, click here.

Delivering the Christmas Presents to the Care Homes

Design Director Julie and Jan from Rift Group went out to deliver the Christmas presents for the residents, the hampers for the staff and a special gift to all of the care homes.

Many of the care homes got a karaoke machine as their special gift while one care home got an arts and crafts hamper and another got a hamper of board games as their residents are isolating in their rooms

Every care home was over the moon and thankful for their gifts from businesses who have also had an uncertain year. There were some tears too from the carers who were overwhelmed by the generosity of everyone’s donations.

What’s Next in 2021

The gift of giving doesn’t stop at Christmas this year, we will continue to be giving to help our Maidstone Care Homes into 2021 too.

The Gift of Song

The monies left over from buying the presents and hampers will pay for a singer to perform in each care home, when it’s safe to do so, several times next year.

Jen Shilling, a local Maidstone singer, will travel to the care homes in 2021 to perform at the care homes for the residents, singing all their favourite old time songs.

Christmas Raffle

All 22 care homes will be entered into a draw in January with the opportunity of winning two prizes…

Prize No.1

In the #Care4Christmas campaign, Metrikus, a market leader in smart building software UK, and a network colleague member of BITA have thrown an amazing 2021 gift for one care home, to be pulled from a draw in January.

They will provide their software, an air quality sensor, and a state of the art air purifier, certified for swine flu (COVID family) to trap and kill bacteria and viruses. This system is currently in use in hundreds of buildings (including hospitals) showing remarkable results.

More information can be found here. Metrikus can be contacted via gary@metrikus.io.

We will report on findings of the lucky care home in due course and the improvements this system will deliver, during 2021.

Prize No.2

The second prize will be the gift of magic table art which will be installed for one month in two homes, free of charge.

Magic table 360 is a powerful light projector, computing and an infrared sensor. Light is projected onto a surface like a table, floor or ceiling, and as hands, arms or feet move through the light, the games change and move.

The games capture people’s attention and draw them into what is happening in front of them to focus on stimulating movement and enhancing emotional wellbeing.

The games are designed for every resident in a care home to use, no matter the stage of their journey with dementia. It also means it’s quick and easy for carers, family and friends to play and help run sessions.

Thank You

Thank you to every individual and business who were incredibly generous and donates to this fantastic cause. We had over 100 supporters on our Just Giving Page with a few special thank you’s here:

• Howdens
• Watson Day
• Applied Broadcast Systems
• JJ Systems
• D3 Contracts Ltd
• FCSUK
• Oakenwoods Group Ltd
• Greywood
• Invictacut Limited
• Sean Rustrick Accountants Ltd
• T.L Group
• Dixon Floor Ltd
• NE Electrical
• Elm Contractors Ltd
• Family Business Place
• Paul Timlin
• Graphica Team
• Concept Cubicle Systems Ltd
• PWL Decorating Services
• Design 2 Deliver
• Redspace Interiors
• Athena Air Lts
• Lighthouse Safety
• Superior Healthcare
• Wolf Services Heating
• City Healthcare Solutions
• CPM Management Consultancy
• Whitehead Monckton
• JDL
• SRA Structural Design
• Spatial Dimensions
• Stafford Perkins Chartered Surveyors
• Shaggy to Chic
• The Fig Tree Spa
• Fast Track Flooring
• Colia Investments
• WGY
• Pavillion Graphics
• Costplan
• Swanmac
• Define Fit Out Ltd

Home manager, Gabriele Jerome, at Barty House says:

“It was such an emotional, generous donation. All the presents were lovingly wrapped and carefully labelled to ensure that they were easily allocated to the right residents.

We’d like to say a huge thank you to Julie, Jan, Lyndsey and Kayte, as well as everyone who donated gifts and money and gave up their time to wrap presents. We know that businesses have had a very difficult and uncertain time this year and we are incredibly grateful for your selfless support. Together you have helped make such a difference to our residents’ Christmas. Thank you, too, for recognising our staff – they have worked tirelessly this year on behalf of residents. It is wonderful to see that community spirit is so alive and well in Kent!”

Thanks from Lyndsey Gallagher at Gallagher Group

“We proudly joined forces with Rap Interiors and RIFT Tax Refunds to bring a little sparkle to those who might not get to see relatives this Christmas. This year has been dreadful for everyone and the thought that someone could be lonely at Christmas in a care home is heart-breaking.

The support we have received over the past 15 days has been incredible, we have received gifts and vouchers from so many caring people and businesses in Kent. It’s been amazing to see how people come together to help those less fortunate or isolated. We started this mission believing we would be able to donate enough gifts for 15 local care homes, with the fantastic support from businesses and local people we have managed to get enough gifts for 22 local care homes. A small gift will make a big difference to those that are feeling lonely or isolated without visitors this Christmas.

We have excelled our target, but if you would like to donate there is still time as we are extending the Just Giving page until 24 December! From the bottom of our hearts, thanks a million, your generosity and kindness has been incredible.”

Our Final Thank You

“This has been an overwhelming campaign for Rap Interiors, Rift Tax Refunds and Gallagher Group.

We kept raising the bar as more and more gifts and monies were generously donated. We can’t thank you enough.

The gift of giving on behalf of you all has been a truly wonderful feeling at this time of year, and in this current global situation.

With many areas going into Tier 4 it’s going to be a continuous thought in our minds that relatives cannot visit residents in homes. Therefore we are extending the Just Giving page, and if you can continue giving until this world gets back to being healed, we will keep booking the singers.

Thanks again everyone and however you are spending your Christmas, we send you much love.

From, Julie, Jan, Lyndsey & Kayte”