Ralph the Therapy Dog Makes a Paw-sitive First Visit to Heanton Nursing Home

At Heanton Nursing Home, a new four-legged visitor has already made a strong impression to everyone at the home.

Ralph, a therapy dog from Pets for Therapy, recently made his first visit to the home alongside his owner, Gemma Darke, spending time with residents (who the home fondly refers to as family members) and team members across the home. From the moment he arrived, Ralph quickly became a popular guest, bringing plenty of smiles as he made his way around

The visit marks the start of regular visits, with Ralph now set to return each month. During his first visit, he spent time enjoying plenty of fuss and helping to create natural moments of conversation. One family member, Roger, particularly enjoyed spending time with him, making the most of the visit and the chance to have Ralph by his side.

Abigail Denford, Home Manager, spoke about the value of introducing visits like these. She said: “Animals can often bring something different into the day. They can help people feel settled and can encourage conversations about pets from earlier in life. It was lovely to see how naturally people responded to Ralph and how much they enjoyed having him here.”

Therapy animal visits can play an important role in care settings, offering companionship, encouraging interaction and helping to create moments of familiarity. For some, it can also be a simple source of enjoyment and a welcome change to the day. At Heanton Nursing Home, introducing regular visits from Ralph is another way the home continues to create meaningful and enjoyable experiences for family members as part of everyday life.

 

For more information about life and activities at Heanton Nursing Home, please visit Activities in Care - Heanton Nursing Home

Pupils Help Decorate New Lounge at North Devon Nursing Home

Schoolchildren from Ilfracombe Junior School recently visited Edenmore Nursing Home to help add some sea-inspired decorations to the home’s newly refurbished lounge.

During the afternoon, family members (residents) and the children painted small wooden fish, which have now been hung in the new lounge as part of the room’s décor.

The space has been refreshed with nautical and seaside-inspired touches, shaped by Edenmore’s coastal setting and sea views. One of the feature walls includes a fishing net and starfish, where the painted fish are now displayed!

Some of the pupils had visited previously for the home’s VE Day celebrations, but this time the whole Year 3 class came along! Visits like these have become a lovely way of keeping the home connected to the local community and bringing different generations together.

Family members Susan and Adrian particularly enjoyed the visit. Susan spent time carefully painting alongside the pupils, while Adrian enjoyed walking around the room, chatting with different students.

Once the fish had been painted, the class was invited upstairs for a sneak peek at the new lounge. They were asked to guess where their decorations would be displayed, with many quickly spotting the fishing net feature where they have now been hung.

Before heading back to school, the children performed a poem for the family members, ending the afternoon on a lovely note.

Team member Emma shared about the day, ‘It was a lovely afternoon for everyone. The children absolutely love spending time with Susan, and they loved seeing the new lounge. They actually gasped when they walked in the room!’

The new lounge has now officially opened and is already being enjoyed by family members. On the day of the opening, family member John particularly enjoyed spending some time with Doug, the home’s project manager, with the pair sharing a conversation about tools. When John learned Doug had been part of the team responsible for the room’s new look, he shook his hand and said, ‘Thank you. I love it, it’s amazing.’

The refurbishment is part of several projects taking place throughout the home, helping to create spaces that feel welcoming, comfortable and engaging for the people who live and work there. 

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Edenmore Nursing Home offers 24-hour nursing and residential care by the North Devon coast. To learn more about life at Edenmore, visit www.edenmorenursinghome.com

 

The Burton wins the 2026 Hallett Independent Acquisitions Award at the London Original Print Fair

We are delighted to announce that The Burton at Bideford has been awarded the prestigious 2026 Hallett Independent Acquisitions Award at the London Original Print Fair.

The award has enabled us to acquire two remarkable etchings by celebrated artist Dame Paula Rego RA for The Burton’s permanent collection: Mary, Mary Quite Contrary I (1989) and Little Miss Muffet I (1989).

Paula Rego (1935–2022) was a pre-eminent British-Portuguese visual artist and fierce storyteller who used emotionally charged figurative art to subvert fairy tales, challenge social norms, and champion women's rights. Part of Rego’s Nursery Rhymes series, the works reimagine familiar childhood tales through the artist’s distinctive visual language. Their acquisition brings work by one of the twentieth century’s most influential artists to North Devon, making internationally significant art accessible to local audiences and enriching The Burton’s growing collection.

The works were selected by our Director Harriet Cooper, for purchase through RAW Editions a London-based gallery with expertise in post-war and contemporary editions.

Harriet Cooper said:

“We are thrilled to welcome these important works to The Burton’s collection, where they will support future exhibitions, learning programmes and community engagement. This purchase is part of our strategy to bring work by leading contemporary artists into conversation with the unique heritage of Northern Devon, reflecting on how our rich local identity connects to vital global conversations.”

RAW Editions shared:

“It was fantastic meeting Harriet Cooper and we are thrilled to be able to support their curatorial and educational programme through this acquisition. These have been works close to our heart as a young family and we can’t wait to follow their journey at The Burton as they become part of the local community and inspire new artists.”

The Hallett Independent Acquisitions Award is a purchase grant to enable a museum or gallery to acquire an original print or prints for their collection. The Award aims not only to enhance art collections across the country, but also to build relationships between museum curators and the art market. Hallett Independent, who generously fund the Award, are brokers specialising in fine art and heritage insurance, committed to supporting museums throughout the country.

The Burton’s permanent collection includes over 3,000 artworks and objects, covering a breadth of specialisms including fine art, ceramics, decorative art, photography and works on paper. Originally established through artist Hubert Coop RBA’s gift to the borough of Bideford, the collection has grown through major acquisitions and gifts over the past 75-years to represent works of local, national and international significance.

The acquisitions supported by Hallett Independent will be included in the two-year project Burton 2101: Collections for the Future supported by Art Fund, and be part of a forthcoming project exploring the trope of the vilified woman in relation to the history of The Bideford Witch Trials in 1682 which resulted in the last documented executions of women accused of witchcraft in England.

Little Miss Muffet I (1989), Paula Rego, Etching with aquatint,

Mary, Mary Quite Contrary I (1989), Paula Rego, Etching with aquatint, printed by Culford Press, via RAW Editions

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The Burton at Bideford, Kingsley Road, Bideford EX39 2QQ. Free entry. For more details see www.theburton.org or get in touch at info@theburton.org.  

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Opening Hours:

Tuesday – Saturday 10am–5pm

Sunday 11am–4pm

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