Staff and residents at Charnwood Lodge care home in Dumfries have been collecting donated raffle prizes, named on the barrow. Pictured are (from left): Paddy Finlay, Dorothy Brennan, Shona Cameron, Elizabeth Mulvi-hill, and Gemma Brown (Image: Les Snowdon)

Dumfriesshire £3k fundraiser for care home Tiny Tablet

Cycle challenge and Christmas raffle get appeal off to a great start

by · Daily Record

A major fundraising campaign is under way at Charnwood Lodge Care Home in Dumfries to raise £3,000 for an interactive touch screen tablet.

Known as a Tiny Tablet, at the touch of a few keys they can provide a range of interactive activities designed for entertainment, cognitive stimulation, and social interaction to engage residents – especially those with dementia or cognitive challenges.

Shona Cameron, activities co-ordinator at Charnwood Lodge, said: “Having a Tiny Tablet would make such a difference to what we can offer our residents here.

“The technology is amazing.

“We’d be able to play music and have scenes on the screen relating to different eras which would be great, play games, exercise classes, entertainment and even have virtual church services – and they’d be able to talk to their families on the screen.

“It is limitless what we could do with it, really – a whole new world would open up.”

Charnwood Lodge resident Dennis Cooper took a turn on the exercise bike for the 500 miles fundraiser to help the Tiny Tablet appeal, raising £74 (Image: Les Snowdon)

The team has set the ball rolling by holding a 500 miles fundraiser on an exercise bike with staff and residents cycling the distance from Dumfries to John O’Groats.

Shona is also organising a Christmas party for residents, family and friends on December 18 and hopes to boost the fundraising with a money-spinning raffle.

Shona Cameron, activities co-ordinator at Charnwood Lodge, Dumfries, with one of the donated items for the fundraiser (Image: Les Snowdon)

She said: “I have had some support from businesses in Dumfries but have been turned down by plenty too, who said they have been inundated with charities and schools asking for donated items. So I have appealed to businesses in Glasgow and Edinburgh and have got some great things.

“I’ll let everyone know when they can buy tickets but in the meantime anyone who would like to help us with a donation – no matter how small – for the Tiny Tablet, or a raffle prize, can drop it off at Charnwood Lodge or give me a call at 01387 270350. Everything will
help.”

Prizes include, so far: tour of Rangers’ Ibrox stadium; QOS family ticket; meat voucher; Dalscone family day pass; Camera Obscura, Edinburgh; Escape Rooms, Edinburgh; two tickets to the Royal Yacht Britannia; ToyTown voucher; £100 JJ Currie voucher; fourball at the Galloway; fourball at Southerness; Barbours donation; Stealth cash donation; McDonald’s £20 voucher and a Laser Quest voucher, Glasgow.

Community effort to help staff and residents at Charnwood Lodge care home in Dumfries (Image: Les Snowdon)

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