Our Health and Social Care Partnership’s (HSCP’s) Day Care Services have always strived to provide positive outcomes for older people living in the community through social opportunities, mental stimulation and the promotion of physical movement. Recently, we held a Challenge Cup tournament, which combined and promoted all these outcomes. Three of our Day Care Services for older people participated in the tournament to win the Challenge Cup. 

Wallacewell Day Care was picked as the venue for the tournament and they were competing against Woodside Day Care and Hawthorn Day Care, all hoping to win the Cup and claim glory for their day care unit.

On the day of the event, the sun was shining and the doors to the garden were open along the extended activity area / dining room to ensure that there was plenty of room for everyone to socialise before the main event. 

The competition then started and each team completed three challenges:

• a target game 
• quoits and 
• a quiz with three team members from each centre. 

They even managed to have a quick game of bingo after lunch although this wasn’t part of the tournament

Dean Sockalingum, Service Manager for Older People Residential and Day Care Services, said: “Whilst everyone was competitive, there was a friendly and relaxed atmosphere during the games and everyone participated with good humour.

One of the positive outcomes from lockdown was that staff from the three different units had all worked together within the care homes. This assisted with the organisation of the event, the teamwork and atmosphere on the day. Our modern apprentice were also actively involved in organising the event as part of their development".

Whilst the scores were being totalled everyone was treated to tea and cakes from a local bakery (which went down very well!).

The winning team who picked up the cup were the ‘Wallacewell Warriors’, and Doris picked up the cup on behalf of them. The other Warriors, John and Betty, were presented with individual prizes and requested copies of the winners photos to share with their family and friends. 

The services users all thoroughly enjoyed the day and commented that “it felt like a bit of normality” and that it was “great to get out and meet everyone”.

The service users from Hawthorn Day Care thanked everyone for a well organised event and for making them feel so welcome. Woodside Day Centre also thanked everyone for organising the event and while they were disappointed not to have won the Challenge Cup, they were delighted to have won at the bingo. 

The day was such a success that we plan to have a quarterly tournament for the Challenge Cup, which will give many more service users a chance to participate. 

Robin Wallace, Head Residential and Day Care Services for Older People, said “it was fantastic to see how well the staff from different day care units worked together to organise the day and make it a success for the service users. I congratulate the Wallacewell Warriors on their win and look forward to seeing if they can retain the cup”.