A GENEROUS donation from a local family has allowed a care home to buy a new, exciting piece of technology.

The 'Tiny Tablet' is a giant touch screen activity tablet built into a solid wood surround and mounted on wheels. It is now being used at Charlotte Straker House, Corbridge.

It can be rolled into different rooms and is connected to the internet so different apps are easily downloaded to be used by care home residents.

“The Tiny Tablet is an amazing piece of equipment", said registered manager, Pam Crawley.

"Some of our residents have poor sight, and they are now able to videocall and easily see their families and friends, as well as playing jigsaws, games, word searches and connect to the internet to use apps such as Google Earth, or YouTube.

"For those who are less mobile or who are isolating, it can be wheeled into their room so that they can keep connected and busy. 

"Simple things, like using Google Earth and being able to drop yourself into street view is such a wonderful experience as it really brings back memories for the residents and they are able to talk about where they lived previously.”

The tablet is fully wipeable and therefore potential infection risks are easily managed.

Berenice Groves, chair of the trustees, added: “The smiles from our residents when the tablet is wheeled into their rooms will stay with me for a while.

"It’s such a versatile piece of tech, and so far, we’ve used it for relaxation and meditation, storytelling, art, creativity and music, memory games, video calling and quizzes.

"We’ve downloaded apps to allow residents to play sports that they’ve not played for a long time.

"It’s a wonderful piece of kit for improving coordination, memory, and mood. We are very grateful and would like to thank those who donated the cost of the tablet, and for the additional comfort and joy it has brought to the home.”