It was a day full of excitement, laughter, and new experiences as Emily’s House, Millie’s, and Holly House came together to celebrate D’s 11th birthday in true Courtyard style.
To make the day extra special, the team invited The Animal Man to join the fun — bringing along an amazing range of creatures for the children to meet up close, including snakes, spiders, a tortoise, African snails, a bearded dragon, and even a shrew.
The star of the show? Ginger the snake, who instantly became a favourite. “All the children loved Ginger — she was the one they all wanted to hold and stroke,” said Victoria, Interim Service Manager at Emily’s House. “D enjoyed looking at her, even if he wasn’t too sure about holding her himself!”
Victoria explained how the homes regularly come together to create shared experiences like this: “We all have the same aim — to make sure the children have opportunities to build friendships, try new things, and enjoy the same kind of fun and excitement every child should have. It’s so rewarding to see them come together and enjoy something special.”
After the animal encounters, D continued the celebrations with a bowling trip — one of his favourite activities. “He loves the atmosphere and people-watching,” Victoria added. “It’s always something that makes him smile.”
Reflecting on the day, Victoria praised her team’s creativity and dedication: “The team know the children so well — they always come to me with ideas for how to make each celebration meaningful. It’s inspiring to see how much they care and how hard they work to create moments like this.”
She added a heartfelt thank you to everyone involved: “Thank you to the whole team — your enthusiasm, energy, and commitment make such a difference in the children’s lives. Seeing D and the others so happy makes it all worthwhile.”
Pete, Interim Managing Director, also shared his appreciation for the team’s hard work and creativity: “It’s wonderful to see our teams collaborating across services to create such positive, memorable experiences for the children we support. The effort and care that went into D’s celebration is a brilliant example of what we’re all about — teamwork, joy, and putting the people we support at the heart of everything we do.”
A big thank you to the entire team across Emily’s House, Millie’s, and Holly House for coming together to make D’s day so special — and a very belated happy birthday to D from all of us at Courtyard Care!
