Going the extra yard; because the extra yards together make the extra mile

Kinections is a project ran by My Home Life Scotland. Kinections aims to develop and grow sustainable dementia-friendly communities in East Ayrshire with and for older people with dementia living in care homes and those who support them, enabling them to enjoy the best possible quality of life.

Recently the Kinection’s team has been spending time in local East Ayrshire care home’s, celebrating all the ways in which people go ‘The Extra Mile’.  Through these wonderful rich stories has evolved the mini project ‘Extra Yards together make the Extra Mile’ . The overall purpose of this mini project is to encourage the act of story telling and therefore the discovery of the ‘wonderful little things’ that happen in the care home daily, that bringing light to life for those visiting, working, living and dying in them. Going the Extra Yard,  is anything that creates instances of thought or actions that brings that extra care, compassion and kindness; given freely with no expectations.

The Kinection’s team would like to invited care homes across the UK, to help them gather 1760 stories. Stories of someone going that Extra Yard for someone else – maybe a resident, colleague or visitor to the care home.

We are all confident Kinection’s can gather 1760 stories to reach their 1 mile target. As 1760 yards make a mile and you make the magic.

If you would like to share your stories with us, hear more about going the Extra Yard or become involved, please email: mhl@city.ac.uk

To share stories and keep the momentum going the Kinections team will be tweeting under the hashtag #GoingTheExtraYard

“We’re offering you an inch and hope you’ll take a mile! Best wishes from the Kinections Team”.

If you would like some supportive tools to help get you started on your journey of discovery, please visit Kinections resources