Gerri the giraffe is on the fundraising trail

Staff and residents at a coastal rest home paid a visit to a local charity shop to show off two new wheelchair purchased with the help of a £1,000 donation.A contingent from Fridhem Rest in Heacham went to Hunstanton Charity shop to thank staff for their support.It follows a fundraising “giraffe trail” idea which the home’s activities coordinator Christine Nicholl spearheaded after learning about a giraffe sculpture trail in Cambridge.Christine said: “We have had a decoupage giraffe at the home for a few years now which currently lives in the dining room. He gets dressed up from time to time but that’s all we do with him. I thought it would be really funny to take him to Cambridge to see the other giraffes.”

The idea turned into a fundraiser and, with the help of colleague and carer Bethan Hamilton, the home’s Gerri the giraffe travelled by bus and train to the city.“We were very lucky to get lots of support from members of the home, friends and family. They helped not only sponsor us but helped us get Gerri travel ready. Our biggest support was from the team at Hunstanton Charity shop. They got in contact with us after seeing our fundraising page on Facebook. We were shocked to get a call and so humbled at their generous donation. The team had decided to donate £1,000 to our cause,” said Christine. She added: “All the money raised at Fridhem Rest Home is used to support the activities programme. This programme is vital to our residents’ wellbeing. We continually fundraise throughout the year as all the activities at the home are funded from this money.“The generosity from the Hunstanton Charity Shop meant we were able to purchase new wheelchairs. These wheelchairs are special in the fact that the leg rests adjust raising forward and up. We have many different residents over the years with all varying abilities. In the past those with dexterity issues with their legs have been unable to use wheelchairs comfortably meaning they have missed out on trips out from the home. Now with these new chairs we are hoping that these residents will now be more comfortable and be able to once again explore the outside world and no longer have to miss out.” Staff wanted to thank the shop for its generosity and took a some residents in the wheelchairs and Gerri to the Westgate shop.“It was lovely to meet the team and thank them in person. It is hard to express the gratitude we all feel, both staff and residents. We are all very much passionate here at Fridhem in helping our residents continue to make the most of life, and with kind donations like this from the Hunstanton Charity Shop we can continue to do so,” said Christine.Shop owner Angela Green said: “Hunstanton Charity shop is an independently run shop with a team of just nine volunteers, we have been donating to local groups and activities for 15 years since opening the shop. We are always in need of volunteers and donations to keep our little shop open and helping others when we can.“It was a pleasure to meet some of the residents and staff from Fridhem and so pleased that we were able to help with the wheelchairs, hopefully this will lead to lots of days out for more of the residents.”