Supporting Charities Across Herefordshire

Three Ashberry Healthcare homes have raised over £2350 and built lasting community partnerships through 2026's Charity of the Year initiative.

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Holmer Court Care Home, Broomy Hill Nursing Home and The Weir Nursing Home each choose a local charity to support throughout 2026. While their chosen causes are different, the aim remains the same: to strengthen community connections, raise awareness, support important local work and create opportunities for residents to get involved in causes that matter to them.

The initiative forms part of Ashberry Healthcare’s wider commitment to working alongside local organisations and building stronger relationships within the communities surrounding our homes.

Holmer Court Care Home - Supporting The Royal British Legion

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At Holmer Court Care Home, residents chose The Royal British Legion Herefordshire as their Charity of the Year. The partnership holds particular significance for residents, many of whom have personal connections to the Armed Forces through their own experiences, family members or memories of national service. Supporting The Royal British Legion is about more than fundraising – it provides an opportunity to honour memories, share stories and recognise the sacrifices made by previous generations. The partnership has already created some wonderful opportunities for residents, families, friends and staff to come together in support of the charity.

On Friday 21 August, Holmer Court held a sponsored walk with a target of 100 laps of the garden and £250 in donations. Residents completed an amazing 135 laps, while families, friends and staff joined them to complete a further 350 laps. The event raised an incredible £593 for the Poppy Appeal, more than doubling the original fundraising target. One particularly special moment during the walk came from 97-year-old resident Pat, who shared how The Royal British Legion had supported her and her family when she was a child. Her story was a lovely reminder of the personal connections many residents have with the charity.

"They were helping everybody they looked after you - not because of your name, but because of your condition."

The home was also delighted to welcome Darren Maynard, The Royal British Legion's Appeal Manager for Herefordshire, who spoke to residents about the charity's work and the support available to veterans, serving Armed Forces personnel and their families.

Darren also joined Holmer Court's employee awards ceremony, where he shared more about the charity's work before receiving a £500 donation from Ashberry Healthcare. He said:

"Thank you very much for everything that you do. But that's not just the staff - that's the residents, that's families as well, who indirectly help the RBL Poppy Appeal and donate."

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With further collaborations and fundraising activities planned, Holmer Court is looking forward to continuing its partnership with The Royal British Legion throughout the year.

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Broomy Hill Nursing Home - Supporting Herefordshire Mind

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At Broomy Hill Nursing Home, residents and staff chose Herefordshire Mind as their Charity of the Year. The local charity has supported people across the county for decades, providing mental health services and helping to ensure that no one has to face mental health difficulties alone. The partnership has already gone beyond fundraising, with Broomy Hill finding ways to bring Herefordshire Mind’s work into the life of the home.

One key development has been the appointment of Broomy Hill administrator Steph as a Herefordshire Mind Ambassador. Following her training, Steph has been helping to encourage open conversations around mental health, support colleagues and signpost people towards appropriate sources of help.

The home has also created opportunities for residents to connect with the charity. Resident David recently visited ArtSpace, an art group run by Herefordshire Mind for people who experience anxiety. He enjoyed meeting people of different artistic abilities, catching up with old friends and spending time in the welcoming community setting.

Broomy Hill has also been fundraising throughout the year. Its Move for Mental Health challenge brought together staff, residents’ families and friends, who collectively cycled 123.3 miles. A further walking challenge saw six participants cover 14.2 miles, with £248.40 raised.

Broomy Hill also welcomed Alicia Potter from Herefordshire Mind to its employee awards ceremony, where she shared more about the charity's work and read out a letter from Charlie, one of the charity's service users, before receiving a £500 donation from Ashberry Healthcare:

"I just wanted to say a massive thank you to you for your kind and generous donation to Mind. It is hard to put into words the value that donations like yours bring, but truly the impact they make is incredible."

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With further fundraising and activities planned, Broomy Hill is looking forward to continuing its partnership with Herefordshire Mind throughout the year.

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The Weir Nursing Home - Supporting We are Farming Minds

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For The Weir Nursing Home, choosing We Are Farming Minds as its Charity of the Year felt like a natural fit. Located in the Herefordshire countryside, The Weir has strong links with the farming community, and many of its residents have personal connections to farming, having spent much of their lives working on or around farms. We Are Farming Minds provides important mental health support to farmers, their families and the wider agricultural community, helping to tackle isolation and reduce the stigma surrounding mental health in farming. Throughout the year, The Weir has focused on building connections and creating opportunities for the charity to engage with the local community.

The home was delighted to host a monthly One Foot in the Grain gathering, welcoming We Are Farming Minds to The Weir. The event provides a relaxed and welcoming space for people to come together, enjoy conversation and learn more about mental health support available within the farming community.Residents and guests were able to spend time with the We Are Farming Minds team, while The Weir's kitchen team prepared a selection of homemade cakes and scones for everyone to enjoy.

The home also welcomed Sam from We Are Farming Minds to its employee awards ceremony. Sam spoke about the charity's work before receiving a £500 donation from Ashberry Healthcare. Sam expressed

"There's such a huge stigma surrounding mental health in the farming community, and it's incredibly unfair that we face the challenges we face on a daily basis, often in isolation. So coming together like this is fantastic."

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While The Weir's Charity of the Year partnership has not focused on financial fundraising, the home has placed particular value on developing relationships, raising awareness and providing opportunities for the charity to connect with the local community.

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More Than Fundraising

Across all three homes, the Charity of the Year initiative has shown that support isn't just about raising money - it's about connection. From Holmer Court's sponsored walk to Broomy Hill's fundraising challenges and The Weir's community gatherings, residents have had the chance to get involved, meet new people and support causes close to their hearts.

With more events planned for the rest of 2026, Holmer Court, Broomy Hill and The Weir look forward to continuing their work with The Royal British Legion, Herefordshire Mind and We Are Farming Minds.