A St Ives Care Home resident has received a unique advent calendar from her granddaughter.

Phyllis Markwell who lives at the Rheola Care Home, in St Ives received the advent calendar from her granddaughter Joanne Habbin.

Joanne created a personal advent calendar in a unique way by making up 25 numbered bags for Phyllis to enjoy daily.

It has been extremely hard for residents’ families in care homes, not to be able to see their loved ones as they would normally before the lockdowns started and Joanne wanted to provide some joy for her grandmother.

Inside the bag are pictures and photographs of family and places, that Phyllis has a lot of connection with.

Accompanying the pictures are notes about who are in the pictures and what Phyllis used to call them when they were younger.

Also, inside every bag there is the mandatory chocolate which Phyllis gratefully enjoys.

Phyllis looks forward to opening her personal advent calendar to see what is in her bag.

This is such a wonderful idea and makes Phyllis feel so much more connected with her family.

Staff and Phyllis’s friends also look forward to it every day.