Ashcombe HouseBarchester Healthcare

Activities at Ashcombe House Care Home

Activities are an integral part of life at our care home. We want to ensure that the people we support have as much fun as possible during their time with us, so it’s important that our activities programme is created with the interests of residents in mind. Our skilled Activities Coordinators bring a certain uniqueness to the home that can’t be found anywhere else, and which is reflected in the activities they organise.

Life-encriching activities booklet

Read our brochure ‘Life-enriching activities’ for more information about life in our care homes.

Read our brochure
Gillian Buxton

Gillian Buxton

Activities Coordinator

Hi, my name is Gillian and I am the Activities Coordinator at Ashcombe House.  I love spending time with and getting to know our residents, this helps me to offer meaningful activities within the home.  From big events to a chat over a cuppa every day is different. I am very privileged to do a job that I really enjoy.
When I'm not working my Working Cocker Spaniel Basil keeps me busy!

Celebrating life at Ashcombe House Care Home

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Life long friends
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Life long friends

Peggy and Joan, two of our residents, first met at Basingstoke High School for Girls 85 years ago at the age of 13 years and have been dear friends ever since.

We took Peggy and Joan on a trip down memory lane to Alresford, a village local to Basingstoke.  As we drove to Alresford along Garlic Lane Joan and Peggy shared how they used to cycle along Garlic lane together as young girls on their way to Alresford.  Peggy said that the roads were very different back then.

When we arrived at Alresford we visited Long Barn where Peggy and Joan enjoyed a coffee and shared a watercress scone while they reminisced about their school days, remember friends they shared and adventures they went on together.

Joan remarked how incredible it is that they're still friends as they approach 100 years old. She said it's truly wonderful that they can continue to share such special moments together.

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Bombay Sapphire Distillery
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Bombay Sapphire Distillery

We went on an outing in our minibus to visit Bombay Sapphire Distillery in Whitchurch. While we were there, one of the distillery hosts took us around the old mill, sharing the fascinating history of the buildings and explaining how Bombay Sapphire Gin is made on the site.  Bombay Sapphire has ten exotic botanicals infused into every drop of their Gin, and we were lucky enough to see each of the plants in their beautiful greenhouses.

We visited the Botanical Dry room where we saw and smelt the botanical ingredients before learning about the rare vapour infusion distillation process which makes Bombay Sapphire gin so unique.

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Enjoying the garden
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Enjoying the garden

Our garden is looking beautiful, with all the flowers in full bloom. The colours of the flowers are really vibrant in the sunshine.

The residents gathered together in the garden to relax, soak up the sunshine and enjoy each other’s company. Our chef came round with a selection of ice lollies and ice creams for everyone to enjoy. Staying hydrated is so important in this weather.

Sally said there is nothing quite like good company and a sweet treat on a sunny day!

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Punch and Judy Show
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Punch and Judy Show

We had a fantastic afternoon as we welcomed Ben Bamboozle, a traditional Punch and Judy show, to entertain us — with some very special young guests from Kings Furlong school. 

Our residents especially loved watching the children’s reactions. Their joy and laughter were so infectious. Joan said it was lovely to hear the children’s laughter. Sally said she immensely enjoyed the whole afternoon, and it made all the difference to have the children enjoy the show with us.

Punch and Judy shows have been enjoyed by generations. Today we were reminded of the joy that comes from connecting generations through sharing special moments. At the grand old age of 363, Mr Punch still makes everyone laugh, young and old.  

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VE Day celebrations
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VE Day celebrations

We spent the week celebrating VE Day 80. On Monday, we gathered together in the lounge to watch the moving VE Day celebrations in London on the television.  Gerry was really pleased to see the Portsmouth Royal Marine Band taking part in the parade. The Red Arrows fly past was the highlight for Sally.  

We enjoyed a good old singalong, singing VE Day songs including Pack Up Your Troubles, We’ll Meet Again and Somewhere Over the Rainbow along with other songs. Vera Lynn songs were definitely our favourites.
The children from Kings Furlong school came to visit and made crowns for everyone. It was a joy for the residents to talk to the children as they were busy colouring and sticking jewels on crowns which they proudly presented to each resident.

Finally, we celebrated with a delicious buffet lunch made for us by our fantastic chefs Tracey and Jules. Everyone got together in the lounge to enjoy the amazing food, followed by a performance by the band China Wolf, which finished with us all singing ‘God Save The King’. It was a week that reminded us of who we are, and of all we still mean to one another. 

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Southsea in the sunshine
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Southsea in the sunshine

At Ashcombe House we like to take advantage of the sunny weather to go out and about in our minibus. The residents thought a trip to the seaside for fish and chips would be a lovely way to enjoy the gorgeous sunny April weather.

We decided to visit Southsea as Georgie used to live in Southsea and fondly remembers her time bowling at her bowling club and Gerry grew up and lived in Portsmouth before moving to Ashcombe House. Walking along the seafront enjoying the sunshine and the sea view, we bumped into Gerry’s old neighbours!  Gerry was delighted to see them. They chatted and caught up with their news.

After a delicious lunch of fish and chips on the pier, Ron walked down to the seaside to collect some seashells. Gerry remembered the barbed wire on the beach during the war to protect against invasion. He was pleased to see Ron able to enjoy walking on the beach. 

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Conkers Garden Centre Visit!
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Conkers Garden Centre Visit!

We took advantage of a lovely sunny day in March to go out in our minibus to Conkers Garden Centre. Sally and Gerry were keen to look around at all the indoor treats and the outdoor plants. We needed a new plant for our garden. Sally was in charge of choosing one that would fit in well with our other plants. Sally decided a yellow Forsythia would be a perfect addition to our garden, so we chose the best one we could find! We are looking forward to seeing it in full bloom.

A trip to the garden centre wouldn’t be complete without a visit to their café! We sat in the garden overlooking the stream enjoying a coffee, a hot chocolate and a piece of cake in the early spring sunshine.

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Milestones Museum Memory Lounge
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Milestones Museum Memory Lounge

Last year Ashcombe House was fortunate to be invited to pilot the Milestones Memory Lounge. Our residents thoroughly conducted the sessions, which involved items and memories from the 1960’s. We were invited to attend the official opening of the Memory Lounge, which gave us a chance to see the finished 1960’s ‘house’ full of items that spark memories and conversation. It was a lovely afternoon. We met the Mayor of Basingstoke and got a chance to explore the museum, visiting and reminiscing about all the shops that used to be in Basingstoke.

We ended the visit with a trip to Milestones' very own pub, The Baverstock Arms!  

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Nutrition and Hydration Week
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Nutrition and Hydration Week

Ashcombe House enjoyed taking part in Nutrition and Hydration Week.  We started the week with Guinness and Irish cream with our St. Patrick Day celebrations.  On our Baking for Fun morning, we made jelly and blancmange in a rabbit mould.  The blancmange rabbit brought up memories of birthday parties.  Peggy said that it wasn’t a party with a rabbit blancmange!  Our Nutrition and Hydration Trolley was a great success. It was taken around the home, so everyone could choose a treat to enjoy.

However, the star of our Nutrition and Hydration Week was our fruit-carving afternoon with our amazing chef Jules. Jules showcased his fruit-carving talent, turning fruit and vet into a sea scene, apple swans, orange mice and our very own Joan’s face in a watermelon!  Pat said how wonderful it was to see the fruit and veg come to life.  Everyone enjoyed a bowl of fruit while we all agreed it had been a fabulous afternoon.

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Life long friends

Life long friends

Peggy and Joan, two of our residents, first met at Basingstoke High School for Girls 85 years ago at the age of 13 years and have been dear friends ever since.

We took Peggy and Joan on a trip down memory lane to Alresford, a village local to Basingstoke.  As we drove to Alresford along Garlic Lane Joan and Peggy shared how they used to cycle along Garlic lane together as young girls on their way to Alresford.  Peggy said that the roads were very different back then.

When we arrived at Alresford we visited Long Barn where Peggy and Joan enjoyed a coffee and shared a watercress scone while they reminisced about their school days, remember friends they shared and adventures they went on together.

Joan remarked how incredible it is that they're still friends as they approach 100 years old. She said it's truly wonderful that they can continue to share such special moments together.

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Activities and Events Partnerships

As part of our bespoke life-enrichment programmes, we host a number of live virtual events in the home on a regular basis through a number of partnerships with places of interest and world class performance companies

English National Ballet
Together With Music
Blenheim Palace
Oomph!
NAPA
Bloomin Haus
Vegetarian For Life
Sea Life Trust - Beluga Whale Sanctuary
Historic Environment Scotland
Five Sisters Zoo
Damian Bailey Photography

Life enrichment

With us, it's all about making every day meaningful for our residents. We do this through our Life Enrichment programme, designed to suit the needs of each person in our care, and support individuals in retaining their joy, purpose and life skills for as long as possible. We offer a range of daily activities for individuals to get involved in, whether that's socially as part of a group, solo or with a team member, ensuring everyone receives the support that adds enrichment to their life.

Watch our video on life enrichment in our homes.

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Care & Facilities

Care & Facilities

Our facilities are designed to the highest standards and the care we provide is delivered by passionate and highly-trained professionals.

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Food & Nutrition

Food & Nutrition

We offer a constantly evolving menu that caters to the tastes and dietary requirements of those we support.

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Our team are here to help you when you are ready to talk about the care and support you need. Please call our team to arrange a visit and come and take a look around our home.

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01256 442 675
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65 Worting Road, Basingstoke, RG21 8YU

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Ashcombe HouseBarchester Healthcare

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When you join the Barchester family, we don’t just want you to feel valued, we want you to truly love what you do. This is your chance to make a difference every day.

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Ashcombe House Care Home offers Nursing care, Residential care, Respite / Short stay.

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