Delivery of joy to Butterfly Lodge

Residents at Plymouth dementia care home Butterfly Lodge have been the happy recipients of Christmas gifts from the public, donated and distributed by Dunelm as part of their national ‘Delivering Joy’ campaign.

Butterfly Lodge staff were invited to submit gift requests to their local store for inclusion in the retailer’s annual campaign, which last year saw 60,000 donated gifts across the UK, provided by kind-hearted customers.

Home deputy manager, Sarah McCaffrey, said: “We’ve already had 30 gifts delivered by Dunelm, and we understand there are around 70 more to come, which is just lovely.

“It’s such a simple scheme, but the results are fantastic, and we’re so glad are residents are included as beneficiaries.

“From the autumn onwards, visitors to the store collect a tag with a gift request written on it.

“Then they return the tag attached to an appropriate gift which can come from any retailer, or even be home-made, and Dunelm staff ensure the gift is delivered before Christmas.

“The tags include information about the recipient, such as their age, gender, and interests, and the kind customers can buy or make an appropriate gift and then they take it to their local store in a gift bag by the date on the tag.

“I know the Dunelm staff work really hard checking and delivering the gifts, and we are so grateful to our local team – it’s a brilliant way of spreading festive cheer.”

Residents at Butterfly Lodge are eagerly awaiting the beginning of December when the staff team launch their countdown to Christmas with a special advent calendar featuring a special Christmas-themed event or activity up to and including Christmas Day itself.

Sarah McCaffrey said: “I don’t want to spoil the surprises ahead of time, but our calendar includes some delightful visitors, trips out, music, games and lots more features to help our lovely residents live their best lives and enjoy this special time of year.”

Butterfly Lodge is run by award-winning care provider Camelot Care, who also have care homes in Bridgwater, Wellington and Yeovil with a fifth due to open in Holsworthy in 2025.

Photo: (L-R) Butterfly Lodge's activities co-ordinator Paul Hutt taking delivery of Christmas presents from Dunelm volunteers