As this was our first year organising activities for Dignity Action Day we wanted to make sure that it was a special day for all involved and it was the perfect opportunity to get everyone thinking about Dignity.

Our preparations began with asking all service users and staff to colour in a leaf template and write on it a word or phrase which describes what dignity means to them. Those who were unable to do so independently were supported by their key-workers to join in. Over the course of the week our pile of dignity leaves grew and grew, once assembled, they became a beautiful Dignity Tree that represented our collaborative work to raise the awareness of Dignity with and for our service users.

A cake bake and gift event was also organised where each of our areas were paired up with a ‘buddy home’ for whom they would bake some cupcakes and give them as a gift to the service users and staff. The cake swap was a great success and some tasty cupcakes were enjoyed by all.

In addition each area was asked to have a think about how they could do something special for the service users they support. This was designed to add a more personalised dimension to the day. Service users were able to enjoy individualised activities such as pampering sessions, face painting, hand and foot massages and a game of Bingo.

The day was enjoyed by all and we are all looking to our next event, Dig for Dignity, where we will be planting shrubs and trees with purple flowers in our gardens so we have a constant reminder of the importance of dignity in care.