Belong Atherton celebrates 10th anniversary in 1920s style

Residents of Belong Atherton didn’t let Covid-19 restrictions stop them marking the village’s 10th anniversary in style with 1920s-themed celebrations, shared across households using Facebook Portal video messaging to enable residents to connect with each other safely.

On the day, the village was strewn with Art Deco banners and bunting, colleagues and customers accessorised with feather boas and headpieces to take part in Charleston dance-themed chair-based exercises, led remotely by village exercise instructor, Chantelle Crawley, and each household enjoyed a 1920s-themed buffet and birthday cake. Entertainment, which was screened live in the households, came from Anna Beamont, known as the Golden Age Songbird, who sang classic songs from the roaring 20s to the 1950s. The village team also created displays of photographs from the ten years since the opening of Belong Atherton.

Commenting on the festivities, Rebecca Woodcock, general manager of Belong Atherton, said: “It was wonderful to look back on shared memories of the past ten years and see how the community has developed. Although we couldn’t celebrate with the wider community as we would have liked, technology meant that we could come together as a village safely, and we’re looking forward to welcoming more people to the village as lockdown measures are eased.”

Photo 1: Members of the village team in fancy dress (left to right) Gill Kelly, Front of House Manager, Nicola Johnstone, Support Manager, Christine Thomas, Bistro and Catering Manager, and Rebecca Woodcock, General Manager.


Photo 2: Members of the Belong Atherton team pose at the 1920s-theme party (left to right) Kim Calland, Experience Day Support Worker, Jo Woods, Experience Day Coordinator, and Carol Jepson, Lead Senior Support Worker




Photo 3: Residents and colleagues at Belong Atherton take part in Charleston Dance-based chair exercises, led by the village's exercise coordinator via video link.