A HALSTEAD care home provider is celebrating its 40th birthday.

Colne View care home, on Dame Mary Walk, has been hosting a range of activities and fundraising events to mark Care UK’s 40th anniversary.

To celebrate, Care UK is aiming to raise £40,000 collectively to give to communities, charities and organisations across the country.

As well as hosting a charity tea dance at Halstead Day Centre, the Colne View's chosen charity, the home will also be holding a charity quiz night at the Empire Theatre.

The Empire is home to the Dementia-Friendly Cinema and Dementia Friendly Choir, two initiatives Colne View helped kick-start.

As part of the wider fundraising activities, Care UK boss Andrew Knight and other staff undertook a 240-mile bike ride challenge.

Taking a total of five days, the journey started at Care UK’s oldest care home, Haven Lodge in Clacton, and finished at its newest, Oxbow Manor in Shrewsbury.

Along the way, they stopped off at Colne View, where residents were waiting to cheer them on with a homemade banner.

Plucky resident Kathy Knopp, 65, even joined in the cycling, riding 40 miles on her exercise bike across 40 days.

Colne View manager Monica Boldeata said: “We’ve been hard at work fundraising for Halstead Day Centre, which provides support for older people living in the community.

“Here at Colne View, we’re keen to create strong links with our local community, supporting them where we can and enabling residents to have even more opportunities to make new connections outside of the home.

 “We’re all really proud to be part of something so special and can’t wait to see how much money we’ve managed to raise for the surrounding community.”

 To find out more about Colne View, visit careuk.com/colne-view