Celebrating life at Barchester

This morning our residents enjoyed a wonderful trip to the town park, making the most of the fresh air and beautiful surroundings. 

There were plenty of smiles and laughter as everyone got involved in a friendly game of table tennis , a great way to stay active while having fun! 

We spent some time visiting the bird aviary, where everyone enjoyed watching the beautiful birds and taking in the peaceful atmosphere. 

During our visit, we explored a historical spot connected to a donkey from World War One  ‘Jimmy’ we spoke about him (he transported injured soldiers and boosted wartime morale)  After the war, Jimmy was bought by the RSPCA and adopted by the Peterborough branch; he helped to raise thousands of pounds in funds until his death. 

A firm favourite of our residents at Stoneham Grove, is a walk along the river at Thames Promenade in Caversham. Residents were wrapped up warm in winter coats, within the space of a few days they’re enjoying an ice cream by the river with the sun shining!! There’s nothing better than stretching your legs, and breathing in some fresh air and admiring the nature and scenic scenes. 

Staff and residents had a fun filled and memorable day at the annual dementia awareness event hosted by Reading Football Club. The group were greeted warmly and enjoyed delicious complimentary refreshments, had a chat with charities and specialists in dementia and then enjoyed a walk around the stadium to see where the action happens! For many residents the visit helped them reconnect with the thrill of football bringing back fond memories whilst creating new ones with friends and carers. The trip highlighted Stoneham Grove’s commitment to meaningful activities that support wellbeing, social connection and a strong sense of community. 

Peter came to us two months ago, and he is extremely proud of his past and loves to talk to us about his career as a horse trainer, and we get lots of fun tales. Peter loves all things horses and often spends his days currently watching horse racing on TV, but as we are so close to Newmarket, home to horses, we took him for an early morning trip out to watch the horses exercise up the heath. 

Peter loved talking to the jockeys about who their trainers were and offered them all advice on their sitting positions. He was made up at the sight of horses out cantering up the hills. We ended the trip out with a ride around Newmarket looking at some of the training stables and Tattersalls where they hold the large horse sales. Peter was thrilled to come back home and tell everyone about his morning.    

Residents enjoyed an up-lifting show full of glamorous costume and a musical journey performed by Sadie!! Our residents at Stoneham Grove love a good sing song, and a dance - reliving moments and experiences from previous years! This included songs from “A long way from Tipperary”. 

As we all know that all Barchester Homes are helping to raise money for Barchester’s charitable foundation, so we came up with the idea of holding a quiz night for all our friends and families. We were overjoyed joyed with the amount of support that we received from all the relatives, wanting to join the quiz evening. We offered wine and light refreshments, which flowed all evening. I think we even had a few guests that had a few too many vinos, but they were there to have fun.

We had a great evening. They were all very competitive, trying to win the Easter hamper, but unfortunately we could only have one winner, and that winner was our very own Vicky, one of our residents here at Winchester House.

We made £105 for charity in just one evening, which we were overjoyed about.

A fantastic evening was had by all.       

All staff and residents had a fantastic time celebrating Easter here at Winchester House. The best thing that happened over the Easter holidays was, we had an amazing visit from a miniature Shetland pony called Gertie.

Gertie arrived in style with bows and flowers in her hair, looking gorgeous. We had families queuing up to say hello before she even entered the building. We slowly took Gertie around to meet our wonderful residents. Well, what can we say? Their faces lit up when they saw her, as they had never seen a pony visiting our home before. Their faces lit up with smiles and joy as she came round to say hello. She was loving and very gentle with our residents, as this was not her first rodeo.   

This was a first for us, and it definitely won't be the last, as we all had a great morning meeting Gertie and her owners.        

A fantastic atmosphere, great music, and even better company, it was a truly special occasion for everyone involved. We were delighted to welcome the Mayor, who joined our residents, families, and staff for a brilliant live performance from Rick Boxall Entertainer.

Perfectly capturing the spirit of our community, bringing people together, creating memories, and celebrating the joy that music can bring.       

A big thank you to Ricky for the fantastic entertainment, and to everyone who made the day so special. 

We had such a lovely time getting creative over Easter! 

Our residents enjoyed a visit from the Headcorn Guides and Rangers, who came in and crafted bonnets with us for our competition. Their support meant so much to our residents and made the day even more special.

It was a beautiful example of our community coming together, sharing smiles, and making memories that will last well beyond Easter.