The residents of a Wellington dementia care home have been celebrating getting back to near-normality after Covid with a special Harvest Festival service in association with their parish church, St John the Baptist.

The service at Camelot House and Lodge was led by church members, Cyndy Maskew and Maralyn Norman, with support from Richard Dempslake, the home’s activities co-ordinator.

Richard Dempslake said: “For the first time it almost felt like it used to before Covid, with that all-important community-led social time that our residents so enjoy. It was such a lovely service.

“We are finally starting to be able to be a bit more relaxed again, and the church members were really interacting with our residents, talking about harvest festivals over the years, admiring our display of fruit and vegetables, and sitting down to join us for a nice cup of tea and a slice of warm fruit pie.

“There was a poignant moment in the service when we said a prayer for our late Queen Elizabeth, and the people we support appreciated that hugely.

“Traditional services like Harvest Festival really mean a lot to many people living with dementia because they are occasions many of them have celebrated throughout their lives, so the preparations and participation give us all a great excuse for reminiscence activities which they love.”

The activities team made the most of the opportunities afforded by the service by following it up with a harvest-themed quiz for residents later in the day.

The service forms part of a packed and varied activities programme organised for residents at Camelot House and Lodge. The home is run by award-winning specialist dementia care provider Camelot Care who also have homes in Bridgwater and Plymouth. See www.camelotcare.co.uk