Celebrating life at Barchester

Welcome to our new Bryn Ivor Little Dragons group that will be taking place every week at the home. 

The first session went well and fun an laughter was had by the children as well as the residents. It was nice to see the generations enjoy time together in activities, Resident of the home are looking forwards to many more sessions to come.  

We had a great turn out for our Understanding Dementia Talk today, delivered by Emma & Jacqui from the Alzheimer’s Society.

A big thank you to Emma and Jacqui for their time and for sharing their knowledge with us and our guests.

We look forward to welcoming the Alzheimer’s Society to Iris Court again.  

We celebrated a day full of culture from display, food, traditional clothes worn by staff and a fantastic display from a native tribe with dancing and music, and we were honoured to have our staff sing their national anthem for us all. 

Residents cared for in their rooms didn’t miss out on the fun either, with singing and dancing going around to all the rooms.

International cheese day celebrated with a cheese and wine social for our residents that wished to join in, it was a fabulous social event and got residents talking about favourite drinks and food.

We all tried some cheese that we wouldn’t normally have gone for which added to the fun and some comments like ”yuk that’s stinky” “ oh no that’s not for me” added to the fun of the afternoon. Residents cared for in their rooms were also treated to a glass of wine and some cheese and enjoyed chatting with staff about their preferences         

Our residents enjoyed a wonderful Ascot Day celebration here at Flowerdown. Dressed in their finest outfits and fascinators, everyone got into the spirit of the occasion and enjoyed a fun-filled afternoon together.

We even hosted our very own horse racing event, complete with prizes for the winners! There was plenty of excitement, laughter, and friendly competition as everyone cheered on their chosen horses.

It was a fantastic day enjoyed by all and a great way to bring the excitement of Ascot to Flowerdown.         

Our residents enjoyed celebrating National Cheese Day with a wonderful cheese and wine tasting event.    

Everyone had a fantastic time sampling a variety of cheeses paired with different wines, sharing their favourites, and enjoying a relaxed afternoon together. It was a lovely social occasion filled with great conversation, laughter, and plenty of delicious treats.

This year the London Children's Ballet performed for us Ella's Story: A Jazz Age Cinderella!  Residents and their family members and friends already know how good this group is and have been waiting in anticipation for this year's performance again. The room was packed with an audience, ready to be thrilled by the dancers' charm, expertise and smiling faces. 

The costumes and the music and the narration of the story of Cinderella were great and everyone enjoyed the performance. The dancers enjoyed a meet-and-greet opportunity afterwards and residents and their family members and friends enjoyed meeting the children and their teachers too. Overall, it was an uplifting and joy-filled event, and we are looking forward to their next visit already!     

What a fantastic week we’ve had with our chick hatching experience at Cedars! Residents, staff, families, and friends all got involved in our special competition to name the chicks. To earn the honour of naming a chick, participants had to correctly guess the colour of the egg and the time the chick would hatch — no easy task.

We’re delighted to reveal the winning chick names:
•    Scramble
•    Moose
•    Beaver
•    Ruby
•    Sylvia
•    Hennifer Aniston
•    Polly Pocket

There were some fantastic guesses and lots of excitement as we waited for each chick to hatch. The competition created plenty of conversation throughout the home, with everyone eagerly checking for new arrivals and hoping their predictions would be correct.
The chicks have brought so much joy to residents and staff alike, and it has been wonderful watching them grow while getting to know their unique personalities.

A huge congratulations to all our winners and thank you to everyone who took part.

The residents at Kingswood Care Home made the most of the beautiful weather with a fantastic summer BBQ in the garden, and it truly was a day to remember!      

The team pulled out all the stops, planning a delicious seasonal feast. From juicy burgers and hot dogs to chicken drumsticks, fresh salads, and colourful sides, there was something for everyone to enjoy. And, of course, no BBQ is complete without a sweet treat...black forest cake and strawberry sponge cake went down as an absolute treat! 

The garden was filled with laughter as residents tucked in, shared stories, and soaked up the sunshine. One resident fondly shared how summer BBQ brought back cherished memories of hosting garden parties for her children, a reminder of just how powerful these moments can be. And just when everyone thought it couldn’t get any better… the afternoon ended with a fabulous ABBA tribute performance! Residents were clapping, singing along, and even dancing in their seats a perfect, feel-good finale to a truly wonderful day!