Our staff work closely with tenants to provide a range of activities for them to come together and enjoy in our Sheltered Housing Schemes.
Click on each activity below to find out a bit more about activities that are currently running in our schemes, as well as activities and classes that have taken place in the past.
In February, COPD Community Connectors visited Nicolson House to present a COPD workshop for residents and local people. The Community Connectors programme is designed to gain a deeper understanding of the lived experience of people with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease when accessing support and living a healthier life.
This was event was part of a series of workshops for the residents to discuss the enablers and barriers of life living with COPD. Later sessions were led around the benefits of being active, with some seated exercises thrown in for fun and a Pharmacy Technician from Southend East PCN helping residents improve their inhaler technique.
You can find out more about what the COPD Community Connectors do and read their impact statements here: COPD Community Connectors – SAVS (savs-southend.org)
Residents said:
“The session had a bit of everything, we were given information and then we had an opportunity to talk about ourselves.”
“I didn’t know how to use my inhaler properly or the procedure about rinsing my mouth after steroids so that has helped me.”
“We should have more talks like this as it helps us understand the services that are available to us and the exercise was great fun!”
The choir at Adams Elm House has been a great success. With over 15 residents attending every week, they are really enjoying the sessions with their teacher. This idea came from one of the residents at Adams Elm House asking if it is possible to get a choir together as a lot of the residents enjoy singing and attend choirs outside the scheme. The residents are having so much fun and are happy to be socialising with their neighbours.
In October 2023, The Adams Elm Choir treated us to a performance of some of their favourite songs from the stage. From Les Misérables to Shrek, they sang a collection of nine songs, and we even recorded some so that you can enjoy the performance online!
After the performance we were treated to a specially made cake and tea to celebrate the choir. The choir is made up of some Adams Elm residents as well as other members of the community that have since joined, taking the choir from strength to strength.
Over two years on from their formation, the choir also performed a summer concert in June 2024, which the Mayor attended and enjoyed! (pictured)
Here's what the residents are saying:
“I was a bit nervous at first, but they are such lovely people and I look forward to it every single week. It offers warmth and fun and Ashley is just terrific. I had some bad health and this choir lifted me back up.”
“I’ve always enjoyed singing, even at school, and I don’t have a spectacular voice but in a choir, you’re covered!”
“I’ve come from Shoeburyness, and this offers great wellbeing and socialising, it’s a nice way to spend retirement. Singing is good for the soul”
If you would like to watch a clip of their performance, you can find it on YouTube: Adams Elm Choir - The Bare Necessities - YouTube
Everyone Health has visited some of our Sheltered Housing schemes for a free 36-week course that focuses on strength and balance exercises to prevent falling over. It was then followed up with a coffee morning, where residents are provided with information regarding what they can do at home to also reduce the risk of a fall.
8-14 residents attend the course at Kestrel House and 5-7 residents attend at Scott House, they all thoroughly enjoyed these sessions and said that they looked forward to them every week. It is a great opportunity to get active and socialise at the same time!
By doing these exercises residents could build stronger muscles and become more flexible, as well as improving balance, mobility, and stability. Not only are there huge benefits to the physical health of residents, but exercising improves mental health by reducing anxiety, depression, negative moods and improves self-esteem, cognitive function, and sleep which increases energy levels.
Yoga 4 All has visited and provided an hour of seated yoga at a number of our sheltered schemes, with between 3-8 residents attending and enjoying the sessions each week.
The course involves a variety of different stretches which help with mobility, increase of flexibility, whilst improving core strength and balance. Yoga also helps to promote better breathing technique and increases oxygen intake which of course helps with mental health and improves positive feelings.
Here is what the residents have said:
‘I had serious breathing problems and attending Yoga 4 All has been a medical miracle, I can breathe a lot better. It’s made me come out of my flat and be more sociable’
‘Exercise like yoga gets your endorphins going, calms you down and you can go out in a completely different mood, it’s built my confidence’