Activities at Kirkburn Court Care Home

We had a lovely time joining Becca Clark and James Wylie – members of V&A Dundee’s exhibitions team – as they took us on a virtual tour of the museum’s incredible Scottish Design Galleries.

We were introduced to the wide range of unique objects at the galleries from architecture and engineering, jewellery and textiles to theatre and their fascinating stories.

And we were able to learn more about the importance of all objects in telling the rich and varied history of Scottish design.

It was a lovely talk, enjoyed by all.

This month, we decided to hit the beach and enjoyed a big beach party. Complete with our own tiki bar, limbo and beach volleyball court – residents and staff had great fun donning their summer gear! In true Peterhead style, it was raining outside but this did not dampen our spirits! Great fun was had as we attempted the limbo and sampled some Pina Colada mocktails.

We took a wonderful virtual trip to Iceland and visited the SEA LIFE Trust Beluga Whale Sanctuary to have an inside look into the daily care of their two resident beluga whales: Little White and Little Grey.

Our residents were introduced to the history of the Beluga Whale Sanctuary and learnt more about its mission to provide a more natural home for belugas in human care with a first-hand look at how the dedicated team are not only caring for the whales, but preparing for their future in the sea sanctuary!

It was an enjoyable event for everyone, learning more about the amazing beluga whales and how they are cared for at the sanctuary.

We have recently been working hard on a garden project whereby we have created two ‘kindness corners’ for our residents to visit when they are outside enjoying garden time. Residents and staff have been putting their artistic skills to good use by painting lots of rocks with kind messages and bright colours. We very much wanted to create a bright and cheery corner to bring a smile to all those who visit.

August 2021 saw us host our very own Olympic Games. We kicked off with some crafts by making our own Olympic rings and torch – it was a great effort by our residents! Our events then included basketball, pool noodle javelin, bean bag high jump and duster sprint. Great fun was had and competition was fierce as our residents competed to get the highest scores in each event! We then rounded things off with a staff/resident relay and sack race outside. Once the final scores had been tallied, residents were awarded gold, silver and bronze certificates along with medals. It really was a brilliant week and it was lovely to see staff and residents working together.

To mark World Photography Day, staff and residents were treated to a live streaming photography masterclass courtesy of top professional photographer, Damian Bailey.

A professional photographer since 2003, Damian has won Wedding Photographer of the Year and is listed as one of London’s top wedding photographers, having photographed over 700 weddings.  Damian travels all over the country shooting weddings, events and families and loves to help people create memories by capturing wonderful images that will be passed on from generation to generation.

Damian’s talk explained how he goes about capturing special moments and what makes a great photo in terms of technique and composition.  From landscapes to portrait photos, Damian shared his hints and tips for getting the best shots whatever the subject matter.