Celebrating life at Barchester

Residents at Lydfords have been discovering all things Antipodean in celebration of Australia Day, which took place on Monday 26 January.

Residents took part in Australian-themed activities throughout the day including a virtual trip down under with a tour of all the popular cities of Australia which everyone really enjoyed.  The favourite activity of the day was however a tasting of some Australian-themed snacks whipped up by head chef, Joe Grey.    

Jackie, a resident at Lydfords commented: “I have always wanted to go to Australia so this was the next best thing, we visited all kinds of wonderful places and I especially enjoyed the snack tasting session.  It’s been a brilliant day!”    

Recently, we invited a local social club, the Travelling Tea Trays, to join us for a buffet-style lunch and refreshments.

Taking place once every month, the Travelling Tea Trays visit the East Hoathly Village Hall for their Social Club for older adults. Lydfords residents have been attending these events for many months now and the residents are consistently enjoying them.

To say thank you to the team who organised the event as well as the other attendees, the Lydfords staff invited everyone back to the home after the social club for a buffet-style lunch put together by our fantastic Head chef, Joe and Second Chef Alina. There was a variety of different homemade foods for everyone to try, from Arancini to Mini Quiches and a fabulous Cake for dessert. 

Our residents had a tree-mendous visit to the Eco Skills Learning Centre for a hands-on bird box making session with their wonderful and knowledgeable volunteer team.
We’re always super mindful about caring for our environment, so learning these eco-friendly skills was really important to us - and lots of fun too! 
We were also delighted to be joined by local MP Clive Jones, who our residents loved meeting and chatting with.
Thank you to everyone for the warm welcome and such a memorable day! 

Despite yesterday being a chilly and overcast day it did not stop us having a wonderful outing as we visited Johnsons of Old Hurst to see the ewes and their baby lambs.

The residents were absolutely transfixed with the lambs and could not believe how well they behaved. We were also given the chance to feed the ewes which Freda and Joyce happily accepted.

A magical morning and an amazing experience once again for our residents.

One of our nurses has received a prestigious 25 Year Service Award in celebration of working at Barchester Healthcare for 25 years.

Hilary, now Unit Manager, started at Barchester in February 2001 and has worked with residents and their relatives to ensure that their needs have been met over the years. 

Congratulations!

We had a truly inspiring day as our residents took part in a wonderful community art project coordinated by Bright Shadow, Whitstable

It was a joy to see everyone getting creative, expressing themselves, and feeling part of something bigger within the local community.

We are also proud to have supported this meaningful initiative by making a donation to Bright Shadow, helping them continue their fantastic work in promoting inclusion, creativity, and wellbeing through art.

A big thank you to Bright Shadow, Whitstable for welcoming us so warmly and creating such a positive and memorable experience for our residents

An Afternoon at home was filled with smiles, music, and beautiful voices as we enjoyed a lovely singing session with Laura. From familiar favourites to joyful sing-alongs, our residents truly shone, sharing laughter, memories, and plenty of toe-tapping moments. A wonderful way to lift spirits and bring everyone together through the power of music.

We had a fantastic session with Inclusive Sports, bringing energy, laughter, and lots of smiles into our home

Residents enjoyed a range of interactive and fun games designed so everyone could take part at their own pace. It was wonderful to see such enthusiasm, teamwork, and pure joy throughout the session.

Thank you to Inclusive Sports for making physical activity so inclusive, enjoyable, and uplifting for all