Mayor opens care home Halloween party as residents take over the airwaves

Residents at Orchard House Care Home in Mablethorpe welcomed the Mayor, Councillor Kate Marnoch, and a live broadcast from Mablethorpe Coastal Radio on Friday 30th October, as the home opened its doors to the community for a spooky Halloween celebration.

Cllr Marnoch opened the event at 4pm and drew the raffle live on air. The raffle raised £60, which will be shared between resident activities at Orchard House Care Home. 

All 36 residents joined in the fun, dressed in costume alongside their families and enjoyed a cold buffet of Halloween treats. They also chatted live on air with the radio presenters, who returned to the home after a visit earlier in the year.

Cllr Marnoch said: “It was a pleasure to join the residents and their families for such a lively afternoon. Orchard House clearly has a wonderful community spirit, and I was delighted to open the event and help raise money for activities at the care home. The costumes were fantastic, and it was great to hear the residents on the radio too.”

Preparations began weeks ahead, with residents making Halloween decorations, including ghosts hanging from the ceiling in the main lounge. Staff say a fair few Halloween sweets were also sampled during activity sessions.

Orchard House resident, Lynda Ames, 78, said: “I had such a lovely time at the Halloween party. I’d been looking forward to dressing up for weeks and planning my hair style. I dressed as a witch and talking on the radio was the best part.”

The afternoon was also open to the wider community, with local people invited to join in as the home aims to raise awareness of its day centre and build links with groups in the town. For the home, events like this are about more than the party itself, helping residents stay connected to the town around them.

Janet Bolton, Registered Manager at Orchard House Care Home, said: “We wanted local people to know that our doors are open, and it was wonderful to see so many neighbours join us. Our residents love being part of the wider community, and events like this help us build lasting links with groups in the town. We also have a day centre and we’d love to welcome new faces, so if anyone came along to our event and fancied coming back, we’d be delighted to see them.”