Fundraising Calendar Showcases Care Home Residents

Diamond House Care Home in Downham Market, Norfolk, has stated its hope that the sale of a calendar featuring its residents will generate funds for new raised garden beds. The calendar’s photographs capture the home’s typically busy activity schedule for its residents. Images within the calendar include a visit from a Shetland pony and a Nerf gun battle, involving foam darts, between residents in the day room. The staff and the photographer sought to challenge existing perceptions of life for individuals residing in a residential home. Allison Webster, the activities coordinator at Diamond House, remarked that the project offered an opportunity to share the care home’s daily life with the wider community. She stated, “We do some really weird and wonderful activities here and its nice for everybody to see.” Webster added, “A lot of people think in a care home it’s all about bingo and knitting. But we do Nerf gun wars, have animals in and we do crafts.” Each calendar will be sold for £9. The initial production of 100 calendars was financed through local business sponsorship. This arrangement ensures that all revenue generated from sales will directly contribute to the fundraising target of £900. Photographer Chelsea Savage captured the images utilized in the calendar. She commented, “Everyone has special moments to capture whether it’s the start of life, birthdays, weddings, towards the end of life – everyone has family that wants those moments captured forever.” Savage further stated that the calendar perfectly summarized Diamond House, describing it as “Fun, life, doing things and not just sitting around in a care home.” Pam Haylip, a resident whose image appears in the calendar, expressed hope that the endeavor would secure adequate funding to improve the garden, which she holds dear. Nevertheless, she also conveyed that she found the attention her photograph was attracting “very embarrassing.” She remarked, “They all keep saying you know Pam it looks cool. But you don’t see yourself like that do you!”