Celebrating life at Barchester

We are so excited to introduce our wonderful new Pets as Therapy dog, Waffle! 

Waffle is a three-year-old long-haired dachshund who visited our home for the very first time yesterday, accompanied by his lovely owner, Claire. From the moment they arrived, they brought smiles, warmth and plenty of excitement to our residents.

It’s safe to say that Waffle was an instant hit! Residents absolutely adored spending time with him, enjoying lots of fuss, cuddles and conversation. The positive impact animals can have on wellbeing is truly remarkable, and we are delighted to be welcoming Waffle into our home on a regular basis.

We can’t wait to add Waffle to our activity schedules, including room visits for those who prefer to stay in their own space, ensuring as many residents as possible can enjoy the comfort, companionship and therapeutic benefits that he brings.

A huge thank you to Claire for sharing Waffle with us. We are looking forward to many happy visits ahead! 

Today we got creative with a wonderful recycling project, transforming old books that had seen better days – with missing pages or no longer suitable for reading – into beautiful flower book vases.

At first, some of our residents were a little unsure of what the finished creation would look like, but with guidance from Gemma in Activities, everyone soon got stuck in. As the project began to take shape, the excitement grew, and the finished results certainly did not disappoint!

The handmade book vases look absolutely fantastic and are now proudly displayed throughout our home, brightening up our reading nooks and creating a lovely feature in reception. Not only have we given new life to books that could no longer be enjoyed in the traditional way, but we have also added colour, creativity and personality to our surroundings.

Most importantly, our residents were incredibly proud of what they achieved. Seeing their finished creations on display around the home has brought lots of smiles and a real sense of accomplishment.

Today we celebrated Ladies’ Day at Ascot in style, with our residents dusting off their finest hats and fascinators for a wonderful afternoon of music, laughter and elegance.

The fantastic Freddy Saxo provided the perfect soundtrack, filling the home with beautiful jazz and soulful melodies while residents relaxed and enjoyed a refreshing glass of Pimms, complete with fresh fruit and all the traditional accompaniments.

Our ladies absolutely loved trying on the different hats and fascinators, feeling every bit as glamorous as if they were attending Ascot itself. The afternoon sparked plenty of smiles, conversations and memories, creating a truly special atmosphere throughout the home.

A huge thank you goes to the families who kindly donated hats and fascinators, and to Gemma’s mum for her generous contribution. Your kindness helped make our ladies feel extra special and added the perfect finishing touch to a wonderful Ladies’ Day celebration. 

We recently celebrated carers week and our fantastic care team here at Hazel Lodge. These guys put their absolute all into creating a home for our residents, a place of familiar, kind and caring faces who are always smiling. Thank you to each and every one of you, it's not an easy job and not many people realise how much dedication it takes to be a carer but you all do it so well and make us so very proud. 

Our home recently marked World Continence Week by welcoming Sarah Welburn from Tena and Essity to host an informative and educational community event from the home.

The session focused on breaking the stigma surrounding continence issues. It provided a safe space for relaxed conversations about the vital support and resources available to older adults.

Local community members joined Sarah, the residents and the care team at the home for an engaging, informal morning. The event combined expert guidance with a welcoming, open atmosphere to encourage honest discussion.

What a day we had hosting our CQC "We're GOOD "  Western Style celebration party for all our friends and families. The home and garden were decorated and we had a line dancing display, DJ Mark on the decs and Mr Joe Phillips performed a set with his guitar and some fantastic country and western songs. 
The hospitality team provided a wonderful BBQ for all and the ice cool drinks were flowing. 
We were also joined by our extended Barchester family, a very special thank you to Kingsland House, Sycamore Grove, Mortain Place and Port Manor and also to our support team members who joined us celebrate. Residents all said it was absolutely fantastic. Thank you all for coming and celebrating with us.

Our residents recently enjoyed a fantastic day out at Cannon Hill Park, spending quality time outdoors and revisiting a much loved local landmark.

Residents explored the park’s beautiful pathways, taking in the colourful flower beds, blooming trees, and the wonderful natural surroundings. Many shared fond memories of previous visits, making the experience even more meaningful and sparking conversations about days gone by.

As they strolled through the park, residents enjoyed spotting local wildlife, listening to the sounds of nature, and appreciating the peaceful atmosphere that Cannon Hill Park has to offer.

No day out would be complete without a well-earned break, so residents stopped for refreshments and treated themselves to some delicious homemade cakes, which were thoroughly enjoyed by everyone.

With so much more to discover, residents are already looking forward to returning to Cannon Hill Park.

We were delighted to have Rachel Elding from the Cambridgeshire Constabulary visit us here in Peterborough for a super important chat about staying safe from scammers. 

Rachel gave useful information on  how to spot scams coming through on the our landlines, mobile phones, apps, and emails. She taught us the ABCD and Take 5 method, which is all about staying calm and not letting anyone pressure you. If you get a unexpected call or message, just take a breath and check it out first. You can always ask a trusted friend, call your bank on a number you know is safe, or pop into your local branch to be sure. 

Rachel shared some stats that absolutely blew us all away. Did you know that only 17% of people actually report scams? Plus, about 45% of all reported crime is cybercrime, but less than 2% of these scammers get caught. It was even more shocking to hear that people in Cambridgeshire lose a massive £2 million to these criminals every single month! 

To help us fight back, Rachel gave us some great tools and even some doorstep stickers to keep cold callers away. She reminded us that if you spot a scam, you can call 159 to get straight through to your bank. You can also forward dodgy texts to 7726 or email scam messages to report@phishing.gov.uk. 
Our residents, staff, and visitors had a lot to say and shared their own annoying experiences with daily scam calls and messages. The best part is that everyone already knows the golden rule, which is to just hang up the phone!

Rachel also told us how important it is to break the silence around scams. There is absolutely no need to feel embarrassed if you get tricked because it really can happen to anyone. Talking to our friends and family and sharing our stories keeps us all aware and much safer.

Customer Relationship Manager, Louise Ramage, gave a huge thank you to Rachel for coming along and sharing such vital tips to keep us and our loved ones safe.