Community

Pets As Therapy Exhibit at Crufts

This week we have been catching up with Pets As Therapy (PAT), our Cosyfeet Charity of the Year, to find out about their great success at Crufts. Crufts, the world’s greatest dog show is an excellent opportunity for Pets As Therapy to tell people about the amazing work they do.

The Pets As Therapy finalists at Crufts

Pets As Therapy enhance health and wellbeing in the community through the visits of trusted volunteers with their behaviourally assessed animals. Pets As Therapy volunteers visit hospitals, hospices, nursing and care homes, special needs schools and a variety of other venues all across the UK. Their visits provide companionship and friendship and help to tackle loneliness to those in need.

Crufts is a fantastic opportunity to celebrate their achievements. We would like to congratulate Sheena Scrimgeour and Inca, a Labrador-cross, who won the HiLife PAT Dog of the Year. Inca had many nominations, including one from the Norfolk and Suffolk NHS and is highly thought of in the 5 establishments she visits each week, including Hellesdon Hospital, a secure NHS mental health clinic, a dementia ward, Hellesdon High School and a prison. Inca and Sheena have been visiting for over 6 years. An executive in the NHS said, “Both Inca and Sheena are inspirational in the work they do for our patients. Inca visits with her coat shining and her tail wagging, her dark eyes full of compassion. She doesn’t judge she just gives them a chance to connect with another living being. One patient says Inca is the best thing in the world.” An elderly resident says, “It’s hard to put into words the impact Inca has when she visits. You feel her presence in her heart.”

A big congratulations must also go to Blu, a beautiful Pyrenean Mountain Dog, and owner Christine Kenyon, from Kington in Herefordshire, who won PAT Show Dog of the Year.

Blu - Pets As Therapy Show Dog of the Year

Cosyfeet wants to help Pets As Therapy continue their vital work. That's why we are donating 25p for every pair of our bestselling Holly or Richie slippers you buy this year. To find out more click here.

We are helping a local family raise money to carry out charitable work in Romania by raffling off a giant teddy bear at our flagship store in Somerset.

Inspired by his daughter’s friendship with a Romanian pen pal called Alexandra, Tim Kelly, from Street, and his family have spent the last 18 years working to help people in the district of Bacau in Romania. Whilst on holiday in Romania in 2000, they visited Alexandra, who has Cerebral Palsy, and were shocked by the extreme poverty that they witnessed. She and her sister were living in one room with very basic facilities. Unable to forget what they had seen, when they returned to the UK Tim's daughter, Alice, raised over £6,000 which enabled them to pay for a week's camping holiday for many of the children from the Placement Centre in Onesti as well as buy an apartment for Alexandra and her family.

Tim Kelly donating Cosyfeet shoes to Florica Pasca, from the Grove care home

Over the years the Kelly family have extended their support network by visiting The Grove, a care home in Bihor which looks after homeless people. Medical treatment in Romania must be paid for, so after emergency treatment in hospital, unless they have the money to pay, patients must go back onto the streets where they are in danger of freezing to death. The home, which is run without any support from the government, currently accommodates over 270 people, some of whom are mentally ill, have alcohol problems, are at risk of suicide and all have been abandoned by their own families. The Kelly family not only donate their time and love but also take vital resources including shoes donated by local companies including Cosyfeet. Millfield School and The Victoria Club have generously donated clothing. The Kelly family also regularly visit an orphanage where many of the children have disabilities.

If you would like to donate to this worthy cause, pop into the Cosyfeet shop at The Tanyard, Leigh Road in Street where raffle tickets can be purchased. The raffle will be drawn on Thursday 14^th June 2018.

Opening hours: Monday - Friday: 9.30am - 4.30pm, Saturdays: 9.30am - 4.00pm

Our Cosyfeet shop manager, Liz, with our giant prize!

The importance of gardening and growing plants to help tackle some of the biggest issues facing us today will be key themes at this year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show (22nd - 26^th May).

Every year the grounds of the Royal Hospital in Chelsea, London are transformed into show gardens and vibrant displays for one of the world's most famous flower shows. The show has become an important venue for watching emerging gardening trends. New plants are launched, and it’s often described as the garden design equivalent of Paris Fashion Week.

The importance of gardening and growing plants to help tackle some of the biggest issues facing us today will be key themes at this year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show.

The designs will reveal how gardens can help us tackle the biggest environmental problems of our time - sustainable materials, including plastic. The show will also highlight how plants, flowers and green spaces can have a positive impact on our lives, in terms of health, wellbeing and happiness. Celebrating gardens as beautiful havens to escape and enjoy, the designs demonstrate how they can bring a sense of normality to fractured lives.

Sue Biggs CBE, Director General of the RHS says: “It is fantastic to see the gardens at this year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show are reminding us all of the power of plants and the huge impact gardening and green spaces can have on so many aspects of our lives.”

Visit www.rhs.org.uk to find out more.

With the royal wedding between Prince Harry and Meghan Markle almost upon us, local florist, Jake Nicholson-Lailey, tells us about the bouquet he would create for the princess.

Who are you and where are you based?

I am Jake Nicholson-Lailey, I own and manage Abundiflora, a beautiful florist in the heart of Somerset. 

What does your version of the royal wedding bridal bouquet consist of and why?

I would give Meghan a bouquet reflecting her warm and caring personality and something to link back to the golden age of Hollywood glamour, given her acting roots and classic beauty. Gardenias, roses and ferns in a trailing style. Quite a petite design so not to overshadow her beauty, and, of course, the dress!

I think Meghan will carry something in keeping with royal traditions, but with a nod to the current trend for heritage flowers and English design. I think her bouquet will be trailing but not too large, with lots of white and potentially a hint of palest pink. I think her bouquet will feature peonies, sweet peas, stephanotis and lily-of-the-valley. Of course, every English royal bride carries in her bouquet a sprig of the myrtle planted by Queen Victoria, and I’m sure this tradition will continue. 

How do you see wedding trends potentially changing after the royal wedding?

Every publicly broadcast wedding has an effect on trends, whether it’s a soap opera wedding, a celebrity wedding or indeed a royal wedding. After Prince William’s marriage to Catherine, we saw a huge rise in the popularity of lily-of-the-valley. Most brides could not afford this very expensive bloom and opted for gypsophila as a cost-effective alternative. I think Prince Harry’s marriage to Meghan will continue the current trend we are seeing for pastel tones with a country ‘just gathered’ feel.

Click here for your chance to win a stunning bridal-inspired bouquet!

Win a beautiful bouquet for a friend or loved one

Tell us why your friend or loved one deserves some flowers and you could win them a beautiful bouquet, made by local florist Abundiflora, worth £55.00. They’ll also receive a box of chocolates, teddy bear and candle worth £25.00.

To enter our competition, simply state your reason via the online form below by Thursday 31^st May 2018. Once we have chosen our favourite entry, we will contact the winner to obtain the name and address of the person they have chosen to receive the bouquet gift set. Terms and conditions apply*

Good luck!

*Terms and Conditions
To be in with the chance of winning a bouquet gift set worth £80.00 for a friend or loved one, tell us why they deserve to win via the competition form above by 11.59pm on Thursday 31^st May 2018. Our favourite entry will win the prize. The winner will be contacted by email. Bouquet prize will be similar to the image shown, but not an exact replica. Prize cannot be exchanged for a cash alternative. We reserve the right to withdraw this competition at any time.

We are exhibiting at the IOCP Annual Conference in Southport on the 11th and 12th May, The Alliance of Private Sector Practitioners Spring Convention in Rugby on the 11th and 12th May and Primary Care at the NEC Birmingham on the 16th and 17th May.

If you are attending any of these events please come and say hello, view the latest styles and enter our free prize draw. We look forward to meeting you.

May is National Walking Month. Walking really can help to give your heart the workout it needs to stay in good condition. Discover more reasons to walk.

Being active helps reduce your risk of developing a heart or circulatory condition, as well as having a stroke, developing type 2 diabetes, obesity and osteoporosis.

Dog walks are a great reason to get out and about

In addition to these amazing health benefits, here are a few more great reasons to get outside and walk:

-          Feel more energetic 

-          Get a healthier body shape and appearance

-          Control your weight

-          Feel less stressed

-          Increase your self-confidence

-          Sleep more easily

-          Enjoy your surroundings

-          Meet people and make new friends through walking groups

-          Save money

The organisers of National Walking Month have some top tips to encourage more walking:

-          Get yourself a pedometer and aim to walk 10,000 steps a day. Start with one day a week, and build to 10k every day.

-          Walk to the shops around the corner rather than driving, or get off the bus a stop or two early and walk the last 10 minutes to the office.

-          Whether you’ve got a meeting at work or are going for a coffee with a friend, the beauty of talking is that you can do it while walking. Go for a stroll together instead of sitting still.

-          Motivate yourself to walk more by putting your equivalent petrol money or bus fare in a piggy bank each time you walk. Watch those pennies add up and treat yourself at the end of the month for being so active.

Get the best footwear

It is important to protect your joints when walking. Our Move and Bounce styles are ideal for walking as they are shock-absorbing and have an exceptional level of underfoot comfort.

Move and Bounce are the perfect footwear for spring walks

Rain needn’t be a problem as our walking boots and shoes for men and women are 100% waterproof so your feet stay protected whatever the weather. Choose from Minnie and Moose for women and Stanley and Livingstone for men.

Our Moose and Livingstone boots will keep your feet dry on rainy days

Wearing the right socks is just as important as wearing the right shoes. Our Active Wool Seam-free Sock is a superb sock for walking. Stretchy and cushioning for comfort, it’s also breathable, anti-bacterial, odour resistant and great at absorbing moisture.

Make walking more comfortable with a specialist insole. Our Shock-absorbing CosyCushion™ Insoles are made from a bouncy, cushioning material while our DuoSoft Plus Insoles are ideal if you have arthritis or very sensitive feet.

If your feet and legs are weary after all that walking, why not treat them to some well-deserved pampering with our Botanical Foot Soak and Tired Legs Cream.

Do you have a favourite place to walk? Let us know where in the comments below!

Make the most of spring with 10% off all orders over £35. This offer ends at 11.59pm on Monday 7th May 2018 so you will need to be quick! Simply add any item/s worth £35 or more to your basket and enter the code CFBNK10 when prompted. The discount will be automatically applied to the order. It’s as easy as that! *Terms apply

*Terms and Conditions
To get 10% off your order, simply add any item/s worth £35 or more to your basket and enter the code CFBNK10 when prompted. The discount will be automatically applied to the order. This offer expires at 11.59pm on Monday 7th May 2018. Cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer. Offer available on in-stock items only and/or if all items are in stock. We reserve the right to withdraw this offer at any time.

Buy any 3 products from our hosiery collection and get the cheapest item free! Stock up on all your favourites or use the opportunity to try something new! Offer excludes socks.

To take advantage of this fantastic 3 for 2 offer, add at least 3 hosiery items (excluding socks) to your shopping basket and enter the offer code CFH3F2 when prompted. The cheapest item/s will be free. Offer ends at 11.59pm on Tuesday 8th May 2018. Terms and conditions apply.* 

*Terms and Conditions
To redeem this ‘3 for 2’ hosiery offer, add at least 3 packs of hosiery (excluding socks) to your basket and enter the code CFH3F2 when prompted. The discount for the cheapest pack/s will be automatically applied to the order. If purchasing multiple items, then the cheapest items will be free. Cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer. If you are returning items for a refund, all items must be returned to qualify. This offer expires at 11.59pm on Tuesday 8th May 2018. Offer only applies to products in our hosiery category and to products that are in-stock. Click here to view our hosiery collection. Please note: This offer does not include socks (apart from the Seam-free Foot Socks - product codes STFSX and XRFSX) or hosiery helpers. We reserve the right to withdraw this offer at any time.

Krystal from Middlesex has won a £50 Pets at Home voucher for her picture of her lovely cat, Jingle!

Jingle not only helps out in the garden, but she can sense when Krystal's mother is suffering from an epileptic fit and alerts Krystal with a special miaow.

Well done, Krystal!