Residents and staff at Colten Care homes across Dorset spent World Smile Day bringing joy to each other and their communities.
At Fernhill, a dementia care home in Longham near Bournemouth, residents took part in a fancy dress parade, enjoyed pizza making, and posed for photos pulling funny faces. Resident Kiki Tormey said it was “a day full of fun that brought my friends and I all together.”
At Bourne View in Poole, residents were asked what makes them smile, with Irene Whyment writing, “physical activities and getting my hair done.”
In Chichester, residents at Wellington Grange created flower bouquets with handwritten tags containing positive messages. The home’s chefs baked cookies to accompany the gifts, which were distributed to the public at places such as libraries and cafés.
Team member Lana Harmon said the reaction from people who received the gifts was priceless, with many touched by the thoughtful gesture.
At Woodpeckers in Brockenhurst, residents and staff took selfies showing off nineteen different smiles and joined in an exercise class to music.
Meanwhile, Abbotts Barton in Winchester marked the day with jokes and a quiz identifying smiling famous faces including Doris Day, Winston Churchill and Bruce Forsyth.
World Smile Day was created by artist Harvey Ball, the designer of the original smiley face in 1963. The day is now supported by the World Smile Foundation, which continues his mission of spreading kindness and goodwill.
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