A care home in Doonfoot was buzzing with excitement after residents, relatives and staff came together for a special day celebrating bees.
Greenan Manor Care Home, operated by Meallmore and based on Tiree Avenue in Ayr, hosted a bee-themed activity day which included the safe observation of more than 12,000 bees.
Residents were joined by Ayr beekeeping expert Phil McAnespie, a former president of the Scottish Beekeepers Association, who brought along his bees and shared his knowledge with everyone at the home.
The event was organised by activities coordinator Clara MacKinnon and quickly grew from a simple bee observation session into a full Bee Day involving teams from across the care home.
Greenan Manor was decorated for the occasion, while the kitchen team baked bee cupcakes for residents to enjoy. Quizzes, wordsearches and puzzles based around bees were also held throughout the day.
Staff even dressed up as bees, with residents joining in the fun by wearing quirky themed headwear.
The highlight of the day was the chance to see thousands of bees up close and learn more about their life cycle from Phil.
Resident Ella said: “The bees were amazing. I thoroughly enjoyed the session and would like him to come back again.”
Fellow resident Sheila added: “It was an interesting day, and I would love to see Phil and the bees come back.”
Joe Janikowski, Care Home Manager at Greenan Manor Care Home, praised Clara and the team for making the day such a success.
He said: “Clara did a fantastic job of turning what was an interesting activity into an entire day of fun and learning.
“Our residents loved taking part in it all, along with the novelty of seeing so many of the Greenan Manor colleagues dressed up as bees.
“Phil and his 12,000 bees were undoubtedly the highlight of the day. We were all fascinated to be able to get so close to them without fear of being stung, and we learnt so much from him.
“Thanks to Phil for coming in to share his passion with us, and to Clara and the full team for making the day so special.”
Situated on Tiree Avenue, with coastal views across Ayr Bay, Greenan Manor Care Home offers ensuite rooms with modern conveniences and provides care for older people.
The home is run by Meallmore Ltd, one of Scotland’s health and social care providers. The company currently operates 27 homes across Scotland, including 21 for elderly residents, five for adults with mental health needs and one for adults with learning or physical disabilities.
Three further homes are also in development, including Pitfodels Wood Care Home in Aberdeen, which will provide services for elderly p