Celebrating life at Barchester

Starting the weekend with our weekly game of giant scrabble. We sang along to all our favourite songs in our Karaoke session. Everyone loves a sing-song. 

We have had pre-dinner drinks on Sunday where our residents like a tipple before lunch. We even had a new game granny pants. Which the residents thought was hilarious. Trying to get the balls in the pants. We finished the weekend with our film club. 

Valentine’s Day isn’t just for the young and starry-eyed; it holds a unique charm for people of all ages, including our cherished residents. For many of our residents, February 14th is more than just a date on the calendar; it’s an opportunity to celebrate love in its many forms, reminisce about lifelong partnerships, and connect deeply with family and friends.

This week, Valentine’s Day was discussed at the Poetry Club and residents stated that Valentine’s Day was important to them for the following reasons:

A Testament to Enduring Love – Some residents have had many decades of shared experiences, challenges, and triumphs and Valentine’s Day allows for reflection and gratitude. Valentine’s Day is more about acknowledging a deep, abiding love that has stood the test of time.

A Time for Remembrance – Honouring cherished memories can be a time for celebration and is a beautiful way to keep memories alive.

Strengthening Bonds with Loved Ones – Valentine’s Day is a perfect occasion for seniors to reinforce their bonds with friends and family. Whether it’s through a heartfelt note, a phone call, or a small gesture, expressing love on this day helps residents feel connected and appreciated.

Honouring Traditions – For some residents, Valentine’s Day is a cherished tradition that has been celebrated throughout their lives. Continuing these traditions in their later years can evoke joy and a comforting sense of continuity.

So, remember, love knows no age limit and that celebrating it can bring joy and meaning into our lives, no matter what stage in life.

We enjoyed a fabulous morning out supporting our local community day centre café. We all enjoyed a cream tea and had the opportunity to meet the lady who had baked the scones, so we reminisced about baking techniques and what our favourite cakes to make were. 

For Barbara and Margaret it was a lovely opportunity to drive through the local areas from their home village and Barbara was fortunate enough to meet some friends from the village and chat about the good old days.  

We invited our local primary school children into the home to read with our residents and this was such a huge success, helping the children gain confidence in their reading skills. 

Our residents enjoyed listening to the silly rhyming stories. Judy was particularly moved by the visit as she was a former teacher and used to take pride in helping children learn to be confident readers.    

We have enjoyed a variety of activities to help us celebrate love and Valentine’s Day.

The most fun was the selfie booth for both residents' staff and loved ones, including our builders who are completing our WOW project. We celebrated the day with delicious cakes provided by our local café, Lexis, and a craft morning decoupaging candles and hearts.  

We were very lucky to have another wonderful performance from The Panto Divas, which included a couple of our staff members, Ali and Ann, also joining them, Jenny, Peter, Patrick and Teddy the dog. The residents all had a wonderful time watching Aladdin and the residents laughed and sang along. 

We were all given programmes with lyrics, and we were indulged in music from eras that we knew, interwoven in by the cast members who wrote the script themselves, for their audience. Renditions of songs such as ‘Summer Holiday’ and ‘If I were a Rich man’ were enjoyed by all. Oh, yes, we did!

Aliah from our activities team was happy to bring a bit of culture for the afternoon, serving up a variety of traditional Filipino foods. For tasters, Aliah served vegetable and chicken pancit (a noodle dish), chicken sisig, which is normally served on a hot sizzling plate, and lumpia shanghai, which are spring rolls usually made with pork or beef. For desserts, there were peach and mango float and ube biko, a sticky rice pudding. All these dishes were provided by her family who work within the home, Anna, one of our nurses, and Ron, who is part of the hospitality team.

Several staff members also generously contributed food and desserts. Maja blanca, a coconut dessert topped with cheese, was made by Zarah our nurse. Turon, a banana wrapped in a spring roll wrapper, was made by our night nurse Nissa. Snacks were provided by Reshelle. In the evening, chicken adobo made by Ron was shared so that residents who were unable to attend earlier could still enjoy Filipino food.
Aliah gave a talk about all the different dishes and enjoyed sharing them with the residents as it reminded her of being back in the Philippines. Aliah also wore a traditional dress called a filipiniana which is worn during special occasions. It was wonderful to see the staff and residents all enjoying the food and learning about Filipino culture. 

So many of the staff supported the event and made the food, which made this celebration possible. Their help and enthusiasm made Filipino Day special and memorable for everyone involved. 

Residents enjoyed an afternoon out at Somerset Coalfield Life at Radstock Museum. They appreciated reminiscing about school life in the 'Victorian schoolroom'. The miniature railway set up reminded everybody about how the trains used to come through Radstock. 

The old horse-drawn bakers’ cart had one of our residents reminiscing about how he used to collect the bread for his mum and get told off for nibbling the crust. We even went into the 'Mineshaft' and saw the model of the young lad wearing the Guss and Crook. One gentleman recounted how he'd been down the Kilmersden mineshaft just before it closed. All in all, a very interesting and engaging trip.   

At Fountains Care Home, we are passionate about playing an active role in our local community. Supporting Age UK Solihull is an important part of our commitment to helping older people not only within our home, but across the wider Solihull area.

Age UK Solihull is an independent local charity dedicated to improving the lives of older people. Through advice services, community support, and initiatives that help reduce loneliness and isolation, they provide vital assistance to those who need it most.

As a care home that supports older people every day, we understand how essential these services are. That’s why we are proud to fundraise and raise awareness on their behalf.
Our Christmas Fundraising Efforts

During the festive season, our residents, relatives, and team members came together to raise funds in support of Age UK Solihull.
Activities included:
•    Christmas raffles
•    Festive cake sales
•    Donation collections
•    Themed fundraising days
These events brought our home together, creating a wonderful sense of community while supporting a meaningful cause.

Thanks to the generosity of everyone involved, we were proud to present a donation of £100 to Age UK Solihull. We welcomed a representative from Age UK Solihull to the home to collect the funds. It was a special moment for residents and staff. It gave everyone the opportunity to see first-hand how their contributions help make a difference locally.

Supporting charities like Age UK Solihull reflects our wider values at Fountains Care Home — compassion, kindness, and community spirit. We look forward to continuing our relationship with Age UK Solihull and supporting their vital work throughout the year. By working together, we can help ensure older people in our community feel valued, supported, and connected.