Celebrating life at Barchester

We had such a lovely time meeting all the wonderful animals from Secret Wood Sanctuary.

Louise and Nigel are incredibly passionate and have a wealth of knowledge about all the animals they are supporting and caring for. 

They shared with us each animals journey and how they came to be part of their sanctuary family. 

The therapeutic benefits of spending time with the animals was so evident.

Animal Connections is one of our top shared interests at Corrina and so it was wonderful to give all of our residents this experience. 

Residents especially enjoyed petting the beautiful Flemish giant rabbits Atlas and Apollo.

The Camberley Branch of the Royal British Legion held a fascinating  members ‘night at Corrina.

Paul Smith, executive trustee of the Secret WW2 Learning Network, gave an incredible talk on undercover agents, double agents, and their secret training in stately homes. Paul has been a military historian and author for over 30 years. 

It was a very interesting and informative evening and we are looking forward to hosting the next meeting.

We headed off from Corrina Lodge Care Home for another special wish come true and a fabulous 60th Birthday celebration! 

Nigel, the real star of the show, his sister Geraldine, and our team members headed off to Basingstoke at Central Studio to watch the band Sabbotage, an authentic tribute to Black Sabbath, Nigel’s favourite band of all time. They performed an incredible set of Nigel's all-time favourite songs.

It was a joy to see Nigel living his best life with his sister Geraldine by his side. 

The amazing set finished with his top Sabbath song, 'Paranoid', followed by a special photo with the lead singer, Tony (aka Ozzy and a great photo taken of the audience by the band). Nigel definitely soaked up the brilliant  atmosphere of the evening!

A fantastic end to a very special night!

Residents from Atfield House enjoyed a lovely afternoon together at Pembroke Lodge in Richmond Park. The weather was just right for this occasion and everyone enjoyed the warm wind, and the views were beautiful! We chatted along, as we enjoyed cakes and drinks together, looking over the valley, watching the planes go by and keeping the wild life at bay, who would have liked to have a taste of our cake too!

We spotted a lovely butterfly around the corner by the flower beds on our walk back to the mini- van. It sat there so long, that we could almost touch it. Our residents shared the experiences with us, they had in Richmond Park, as we strolled through the garden grounds. Truly this place holds special memories of moments shared with loved ones many years ago. That is why these outings to these places are so special! 

Everyone enjoyed the afternoon and we are looking forward to the next outing already!

Here at Cookridge Court we like to focus on resident well being, and for many of our residents being able to give back to the community helps bring meaning and fulfilment to their daily lives. Betty recently shared with us that she would like to help with daily chores that she used to do at home, so of course we sprang into action to make this happen for her. Betty can now be found in her very own pinny every morning, clearing the breakfast tables and doing the washing up with host Lexie.

Days at Cookridge Court usually begin with an exercise class to get everyone moving. Residents can choose from a huge variety of fitness opportunities from chair based exercise, through yoga, music and movement and even boxing! As you can clearly see from his expert stance, Mr R was a keen boxer in his National Service days, and he thoroughly enjoyed some gentle sparring with coach Zac.

Residents, relatives, and staff came together to celebrate Indian Independence Day.

We all tried different Indian dishes, and watched documentaries on India’s history, and listened to some Indian music. 

All our residents had a wonderful time, and enjoyed celebrating this wonderful day.

Anna & Lin from St Peters Church joined us for a creative activity inspired by God’s Net Of Love. Together, we made a colourful net and fish scene with everyone getting involved and sharing their creativity. A lovely way to spend time together, reflect on the meaning behind the activity and enjoy some fun along the way.

Drummond Grange was transformed into our very own little corner of the Edinburgh Fringe as residents, relatives, friends and team members came together for an afternoon of music, laughter, incredible performances and plenty of dancing!

We kicked things off in spectacular style with the brilliant Hoop Babes, bringing an amazing cabaret performance full of acrobatics, comedy and a little audience participation! Our very brave volunteers certainly gave everyone something to laugh about! Then it was time for our fabulous main act, Lady Phoenix, who brought Fringe Care Fest home with a powerhouse performance that had the whole room singing, dancing and celebrating together!

From dancing and conga lines to cocktails, questionable audience participation and a lounge absolutely packed with smiling faces, the atmosphere was incredible.

A huge thank you to the entire Drummond Grange team who helped make the day possible — from setting up, to supporting residents to joining in the fun, keeping everyone refreshed and embracing the wonderful chaos!

Events like this really are a whole-home effort. Thank you as well to all the families and friends who joined us and, of course, to our amazing residents who threw themselves into Fringe Care Fest and made the day what it was.

And finally, a massive thank you to Hoop Babes and Lady Phoenix and the Fringe Care Fest team for bringing a little piece of the Fringe right into our home.

Who says you have to go into Edinburgh to experience the Fringe?