I came into post as Benoni's Activities & Engagement Lead in February and I am so proud of what we have achieved since then. Supporting residents to tackle perceived barriers to participation, and visit places they've never been to before, is definitely a highlight of the job.

We've developed our offering to include pet therapy, creative wellbeing, singing, movement, meditation, communion, coffee mornings, excursions, and more. We really do offer something for everyone and work hard to ensure that we remain person-centred, encouraging individual development and wellbeing. 

Another part of my role is championing staff wellbeing. A few months ago, I started having one-to-ones with colleagues with the aim of tackling the stigma surrounding mental health conversations and providing support around stress and anxiety. These have been well received and, thanks to recent training funded by Benoni, I am now a qualified Mental Health First Aider and Health and Wellbeing Coach. This means I can recognise when someone is struggling with their mental health and offer non-clinical support. Coaching is another route for staff and residents to explore regarding short and long-term health and wellbeing goals (i.e. stopping smoking, losing weight, increasing mobility, reducing anxiety) and I'm looking forward to putting these new skills into practice.

I created a resource pack on managing stress and anxiety for our recent Wellbeing Day. If you would like a copy, just ask a member of the activities team next time you visit. I also deliver creative wellbeing workshops in the Penzance area when I'm not at Benoni. Visit A Cornish Geek Letters for more information.

Our very own Matron John Clemens and Deputy Matron Anne Pickin are in the process of buying Benoni Nursing Home. Read more in their letter to stakeholders below.

Dear Benoni family, 

We are writing to you today to inform you about a change of ownership of Benoni Nursing Home Limited. We are currently in the process of buying the home, which is incredibly exciting. 

The takeover will be complete later this month and we feel it’s important to inform our stakeholders of the developments. 
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We plan to share our ideas for the future of Benoni with you soon but please be reassured that nothing will change in terms of the day to day running of the home. None of our current services will be affected. If you would like to talk to us about this, please ask a senior member of the team to book an appointment for you. ​

Yours faithfully, 
John Clemens and Anne Pickin 

Congrats to Tamsyn who was nominated by her colleagues for Employee of the Month.
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Comments include "she talks to residents and interacts with them in a very professional way. She doesn't treat them like children and uses vocabulary they can relate to and understand", "has been very helpful, understanding, and supportive. Thank you. I appreciate all your help", and "so helpful and kind". Well done, Tamsyn!

Our residents’ wellbeing is at the centre of our ethos and care at Benoni.

We look at and view the body as a whole, including the physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual aspects. These are not dissociated and compartmentalised but interact with each other and form the whole individual. Hence our interest in introducing holistic therapies for our residents and our staff who may
want to discover and learn more.

My role is varied and diverse and no two days are the same. At its core, is ensuring that anything which can improve our residents wellbeing on any aspect of their bodies is addressed and looked after. So, for example, if one of our residents is experiencing some type of debilitating chronic pain, as a team, we will try to
address it (with consent), first with hands on healing Reiki while we are waiting for the extra pain relief to arrive. By the time the medication arrives, they may not need it as Reiki may have reduced the pain. The therapies are not just here to enhance their daily activities but also to avoid first medical intervention and improve their overall wellbeing.

It is a real privilege for us, as a team, to be able and encouraged to work in a way which takes into account our residents’ sovereignty while always leaving them with a choice to decide and take part in a whole body experience.

Miriam, Holistic Therapist & Activities Coordinator

Congrats to Miriam, our Employee of the Month.

She was nominated for "coming in and being a fantastic help at the BBQ, even though she just got back from New York" and "being a wonderful support for Alison, Jo, and Cathy with their Reiki development".

Thank you so much to everyone who came along to our summer BBQ and supported our fundraiser.

Last year's summer party raised £400 and Matron said if we raised £500  he would take custard pies to the face. We raised a whopping £778.30 through our raffle, tombola, cake stand, and BBQ.
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As you can see, we had a long queue of people ready with the custard pies!

 We are so grateful for all of our donations. We had 75 raffle prizes plus a whole trolley full of tombola goodies. It's so lovely to have such fantastic community support. Thank you.

The kitchen team worked their socks off to make sure we all had full, happy tummies. Just look at this spread!

The residents loved Duane's musical medleys last year so we had to invite him back again! Definitely a highlight of the afternoon.

We can't wait to do it all again next summer!

We're so lucky to have a Holistic Therapist on our team. Earlier this month, Miriam (far left below) led a Reiki Level 1 session for colleagues who were interested in developing their holistic practice and gave us the following feedback:

“Cathy, Alison, and Jo joined me for our first Staff Reiki workshop. They were all very excited, and so was I, as I always feel it is so special to be able to attune anybody into what I know is a birthright.

The morning flew by, sharing experiences and queries, as well as Reiki background history, gently savouring the Reiki energies, while the afternoon was dedicated to practicing the newly acquired skills on each other.
By the time the day came to an end, the eagerness and enthusiasm experienced by each one of them was really palpable. I could feel that they really wanted to put into practice what they had learned, and start to make a difference to their lives, as well as to the lives of loved ones around them. One of their last questions before we parted was “when can we do Reiki Level 2?”
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It brings much joy and warmth to my heart to see and feel their motivation, as I know this is a gift of a lifetime which will improve their everyday lives beyond any of their expectations.”

Congrats to Karen, our Employee of the Month.
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She was nominated for "always sharing and demonstrating techniques and knowledge, and encouraging and being supportive of colleagues". Well done, Karen!