Retirement Communities come together for Viva Las Vegas Event in Warwickshire

Four hundred older people from retirement communities in Coventry and across the Midlands, gathered in Warwickshire Exhibition Centre to enjoy tribute acts including Take This, Totally Tina, Elvis and the West End Jersey Boys, as well as poker tables and market stalls.

The event was run by Coventry-based charity The ExtraCare Charitable Trust with attendees from 30 retirement schemes and villages including the city’s new Earlsdon Park Village.

Residents also had the chance to take part in a raffle and raised a total of £455 for the charity that will go towards future activities like this event as well as the charity’s Enriched Opportunities Programme that specialises in supporting residents with dementia.

The residents of Earlsdon Park Village in Coventry had extra cause to celebrate as the one year anniversary of their village opening happened at the start of July.

ExtraCare’s Activities Manager Donna Peters said: “We love organising these events for our residents as it allows them to meet together with people from other ExtraCare locations and enjoy some great entertainment.”

“The acts this year were chosen by the residents and they were brilliant. They captured the atmosphere perfectly and put on a fantastic show.”

Research with Aston University in Birmingham has shown that the ExtraCare model reduces feelings of isolation and loneliness and this event is an example of how the charity achieves this.

The ExtraCare Charitable Trust

ExtraCare is a registered charity established in 1988 and based in Coventry. Our vision is better lives for older people and our mission is creating sustainable communities that provide homes older people want, lifestyles they can enjoy and care if it’s needed. To deliver our vision and mission we essentially do three things:

• We develop new villages
• We operate villages and schemes
• We support our villages, schemes and our ‘extra-care’ model through fundraising, advocacy and research

Each village or scheme has 5 to 18 social, health and leisure facilities that are accessible to our residents, volunteers and local people representing all age groups living in surrounding communities. Our Charity Shops help fund care and well-being services for older people living at our each of our locations.