Celebrating life at Barchester

The children from Kingsthorpe Primary School Nursery and Reception are always a joy to have in the home and on a regular basis they bring the residents joy and laughter. Resident wanted to give the children an extra Easter gift on their return after the Easter break. 

At Brampton View we know that intergenerational activity is hugely beneficial to all involved as it encourages communication and social skills. Intergenerational contact also helps to develop language and reading confidence through shared activities, as well as increasing confidence and self-esteem. Lastly it helps children to develop empathy, care and kindness, helping them to understand and talk more positively about ageing and older people

National Gardening Day continued at Bere Grove today as residents got their hands delightfully dirty planting bright, beautiful spring flowers into garden pots today. Lots of smiles and a splash of colour to brighten our outdoor spaces, we think they’ve done a blooming marvellous job! 

Spring has officially sprung at Bere Grove.

An outing to the local village pub in Henfield is a trip enjoyed by residents initiated by request of residents resulted in the sharing of fond memories and connecting with the wider community.

Presenting the opportunity for residents to enhance social and emotional wellbeing in a relaxed environment it encouraged the group to bond and strengthen relationships outside of Red Oaks. There was much laughter and engagement with the local community enhancing quality of life.

These regular pub outings promote social inclusion, emotional wellbeing, independence and contributes positively to residents overall happiness and sense of fulfilment. 

Each week Red Oaks holds a community choir which is led by Music Therapist Kylie. It brings together music, memories and social connection in an inclusive and enjoyable session. The session is fun with popular songs that are easy to sing, with large print lyrics and requests from the group are always welcome.

Singing always lifts our mood reducing any stresses and creates a sense of joy in the home. Residents in enjoy the Henfield community joining us alongside family members creating meaningful shared experiences with the local community.

Friday is always looked forward to see friends that have been made, singing together and a good natter over tea and cake afterwards to catch up on the events that have happened over the week.

With the large garden at Red Oaks resident the gardening club have been busy sprucing up the courtyard, planting, tidying ready for the burst of colour that they will have in the coming weeks. Working as a team it was wonderful to see everyone taking pride and creating a beautiful welcoming  environment bring the courtyard to life.

Gardening is an activity that many of our residents enjoy, adapting to people’s abilities, it plays a meaningful role in supporting physical and  emotional wellbeing. Being surrounded by nature, plants, fresh air and natural light boost mood  and create a sense of calm. For many residents gardening offers a sense of purpose and achievement seeing the plants grow and thrive under their care.

Easter saw a unique experience at Red Oaks of hatching ducklings, it was an unforgettable experience that melted the hearts of residents, visitors and staff. The experience started with the eggs in the incubator, the excitement built as cracks appeared in each egg and the ducklings over the period of a few days started to emerge. Very quickly they became the talk of the home with everyone watching them grow into mischievous balls of fluff!

Watching the ducklings take there first swim in the paddling pool we watch them go from tentatively exploring the water to very quickly and confidently diving and whizzing about.

We were sad to say goodbye to the ducklings, they had a positive impact on all but we were happy to know that they were off to their forever home in a large open space with plenty of water to swim in.