Did you know that, in addition to improving our sense of well-being, doing good deeds for others has also been proven to reduce stress levels and even benefit our physical health? This February at Westward Care, we made a concerted effort to be kind and helpful by celebrating Random Acts of Kindness Day across all our homes.

First celebrated in 2004, Random Acts of Kindness (RAK) Day was designed to encourage people to carry out simple acts of kindness, whether that means baking a cake for friends or simply lending an ear to someone who's having a bad day. RAK Day falls every year on 17 February, making Monday this week the day when acts of kindness were in abundance at our locations this year.

At Pennington Court, there was a lovely act of kindness from Stella, who shared a box of chocolates with a lot of very grateful residents and staff! There were also some kind donations to our upcoming Easter raffle at Pennington Court on RAK Day, with a rabbit teddy one of the prizes collected.

At The Cedars, the residents gathered as a group to talk about the different acts of kindness they had received and given, while in an art-making session everyone made sure to compliment one another's work. Some residents also enjoyed a pamper session on RAK Day, including some much-appreciated hair care. The Cedars residents even decided to start a kindness diary, to record everyday acts of kindness beyond RAK Day.

It wasn't just residents who enjoyed RAK Day this year - Westward Care staff members were also treated to a random act of kindness. That morning in the staff rooms, our wonderful staff found trays of pastries and fruit, and a note from Peter, Gail and Sharon which read: 'This Random Act of Kindness Day, we'd like to say a big thank you to all our amazing staff for their hard work and dedication. Enjoy breakfast on us!'