Local Residents Spend a Day in Wonderland at Mad Hatter's Tea Party
Residents of The Orwell, which provides support for older people, have enjoyed an Alice in Wonderland themed day with friends, relatives and staff.
4th October 2010
The Orwell is owned and operated by Craegmoor, the leading independent provider of support for people with learning disabilities, mental health problems, autism and complex needs, as well as older people.
Festivities at the Mad Hatter's Tea Party began with a morning of singing and dancing which was led by members of staff who dressed up as the Queen of Hearts and the White Rabbit. Residents then enjoyed a delicious tea party held in the atrium that had been decorated with brightly coloured teacups and teapots.
Preparations for the party began several months ago, with residents working together each week to make a new themed hat. The end result was a dazzling array of headwear, with many different themes, ranging from animal to floral - and one hat which depicted the story of Alice in Wonderland.
The party would not have been complete without Alice herself, who was played by local schoolgirl Katie Newton. Katie's hat, which featured an actual house of cards, won the Best Hat Competition!
The Orwell's friends came along to join the party, as well as relatives of the people supported there. Guests included local Scout Leaders, the county's British Legion, and Jenny Jenkins, the former Chairperson of Babergh District Council, who helped choose the winner of the Best Hat Competition.
Mandy Dennington, Activities Co-ordinator at The Orwell, said:
"We had such a wonderful time at our Mad Hatter's Party. The hats were absolutely fantastic and we all enjoyed making them. It was great to welcome so many of our friends to enjoy the fun with us and we'd like to say a special thank you to Katie Newton who made a brilliant Alice."
Sheila King, the Area Manager said:
"Craegmoor is passionate about enabling the people we support to enjoy creative and fun activities. The Mad Hatter's Tea Party was the perfect opportunity to do this with friends, family and people from the local community."
For more information contact the Craegmoor Media Team
on 0203 463 0805
ENDS
Notes to editors:
• The Orwell is located on Vicarage Lane, Wherstead, Ipswich, IP9 2AE
• Craegmoor supports over 4,000 people with learning disabilities, autism, complex needs and mental health problems as well as older people
• The wide range of services offered by Craegmoor include:
o Supported living services
o Residential care
o Specialist further education colleges
o Transition services
o Independent hospitals
o Recovery centres
o Nursing homes
o Specialist brain injury services
o Independent living in secure accommodation
• Craegmoor is one of the leading independent providers of specialist support in the UK with a turnover of approximately £170m and employing over 6,000 people