Meallmore has been highly commended in the NAPA Arts in Care Homes Competition 2026 for Postcard Stories, a creative project celebrating the experiences, memories and personal stories of residents across our homes in Scotland.
Led by Sam Heron, Meallmore's Activities Lead, the initiative brought residents together in celebration of Arts in Care Homes Day and this year's theme, The Stories That Connect Us. Through postcards inspired by their own lives, residents shared favourite places, significant moments and the memories that matter to them.
The recognition celebrates the creativity and contributions of the residents who took part, alongside the colleagues who helped bring their stories to life.
Watch Sam introduce Postcard Stories
Personal stories, shared through postcards
A postcard offers a small space for a story, but the meaning behind it can be much bigger. For this project, residents created postcards that reflected their own experiences, interests and life journeys. Each one was an individual contribution, offering a glimpse of the person behind the artwork.
The postcards were exchanged between Meallmore homes, allowing stories to travel beyond the community in which they were created. A memory shared in one home could become a conversation in another, connecting residents through the things they had chosen to express.
Painting, drawing, collage and mixed media were among the approaches used. This variety gave residents different ways to tell their stories, rather than expecting every contribution to look the same.
Celebrating Arts in Care Homes Day
The National Day of Arts in Care Homes is led by NAPA, the National Activity Providers Association, and takes place each year on 24 September. First held in 2019, it brings care settings across the UK together to celebrate arts and creativity.
NAPA's 2026 theme, Stories That Connect Us, recognises that stories can be shared in many forms. Memories, traditions, photographs, music, recipes and artwork can all offer a starting point for creative expression and conversation.
Postcard Stories reflected that theme by putting residents' own experiences at the centre of the project. The focus was not simply on producing artwork, but on giving those taking part an opportunity to share something personal and meaningful with others.
Activities shaped around the people who live in our homes
Sam Heron's leadership brought together contributions from across Meallmore, with teams in our homes helping residents turn their ideas into postcards and share them with other communities.
The project reflects an approach to activities that starts with the individual: what someone enjoys, what interests them and which experiences they would like to share. Residents' stories were the starting point, and their choices gave the project its character.
For families, those contributions also offer a reminder of the interests and life experiences that continue to be part of the person they know and love. Each postcard celebrated a resident as an individual, with a story worth hearing.
This is also at the heart of person-centred care: recognising someone's history, preferences and relationships, rather than seeing only the support they need. Postcard Stories offered a creative way for residents to express that individuality in their own words and images.
A conversation starter for families
For anyone exploring care for a parent, partner or friend, daily life matters as much as the surroundings. The activities someone enjoys, the people they spend time with and the opportunities they have to make choices all deserve a place in that conversation.
A project like Postcard Stories offers a useful starting point when visiting a home. Families might ask how the activities team gets to know a new resident, how familiar hobbies can be continued and how residents can contribute ideas. Our guide to choosing a care home brings together other questions to consider alongside what you see and hear on a visit.
There is no single activity that will suit everyone. The significance of these postcards lies in their differences: each reflected something the resident chose to share. That is what made the project a collection of personal stories, rather than simply a collection of artwork.
Recognition for residents and colleagues
Being highly commended is a wonderful acknowledgement of everyone who contributed to Postcard Stories. Above all, it recognises the residents whose creativity, memories and experiences made the project possible.
Thank you to every resident who took part, and to Sam and our activities and care teams for helping bring these stories to life. Together, they have shown how sharing experiences through art can create meaningful connections across our homes and celebrate the people at the heart of Meallmore.
More stories from life at Meallmore
Connections take many forms across our homes. At Mearns House, residents, families and the wider community came together for a summer fete supporting Scottish Autism. Read about the Mearns House summer fete and the people who helped make it happen.
Our colleagues have also received recognition for another important part of daily life. Read about Jody Marshall's national NACC award and Meallmore's finalist places, celebrating the work of our catering teams.
To find out more about life in a Meallmore home, explore our care homes across Scotland and speak with your local team about arranging a visit.
This article provides general information, not medical, legal or financial advice. Meallmore cannot accept liability for decisions made on this information. Speak with our team about care and check with a trained professional as well: your GP or healthcare team for health, an independent regulated adviser for financial matters, a solicitor for legal questions, or your local authority for assessments and funding. Rates, thresholds and council policies change, so confirm current figures. In an emergency call 999; for urgent non-emergency help in Scotland call NHS 24 on 111. Never use this article in place of medical help.
Background on Arts in Care Homes Day and the 2026 theme: NAPA's National Day of Arts in Care Homes and Stories That Connect Us.
