Celebrating life at Barchester

We opened our doors to the community.

We were delighted to welcome back Jeremy, whom for many of the residents at Chater Lodge it was their first time seeing him. 
From toe-tapping classics to sing-along favourites, the room was filled with smiles and laughter, with residents requests and raising the roof with ‘Sweet Caroline’.           

It was truly a fabulous morning that created many beautiful moments together. The residents can't wait for Jeremy's return. 

Sheila spent the morning doing her accounting.

Counting her coins and putting the correct amounts in the money bags. Sheila used to do accounts for many businesses in Stamford, we also found out that she was excellent at spelling! We're interested in residents' history, their life stories, the things they love. Every resident is unique.

From spending time and learning about each one, we can support positive well-being through a wide range of tailored activities.      
 

Today at Chater Lodge we were delighted to host our Parkinson’s Awareness Event and welcome local community members Elizabeth Knowles and Margaret Berrisford from Stamford Parkinson’s group.

It was an opportunity to raise awareness, share specialist knowledge and have meaningful conversations.

Thank you to everyone who attended. We look forward to hosting more community events soon.     

Residents, families, and staff at Waterside Court came together for a wonderful VE Day Street Party to remember and celebrate the day peace was declared in Europe in 1945, marking the end of the Second World War in Europe. 

Residents enjoyed a traditional high tea with scones, jam, and clotted cream while the talented Enigmas Band entertained everyone with wonderful live music and sing-alongs. The band performed a selection of much-loved wartime classics, including We’ll Meet Again, The White Cliffs of Dover, and Pack Up Your Troubles, with residents happily singing and clapping along to the familiar songs. Many residents shared fond memories as the music filled the home, creating a warm and joyful atmosphere.       

The celebration brought back many happy memories for residents and created a lovely sense of community throughout the home.

Our residents enjoyed a wonderful art therapy session.   

There’s something truly special about watching creativity come to life—whether it’s through painting, drawing, or simply exploring colours and textures. The room was filled with smiles, laughter, and a real sense of calm as everyone expressed themselves in their own unique way.

Art therapy isn’t just about making something beautiful; it’s about connection, relaxation, and giving our residents a chance to share their stories without words. 

We’re so proud of the amazing artwork created  and even more grateful for the joy it brought to everyone involved.    

Today our residents had a wonderful time getting creative making homemade bird feeders using seeds and peanut butter. It was such a lovely activity filled with smiles, laughter, and lots of teamwork as everyone enjoyed getting involved. Our residents absolutely loved making these tasty treats for the birds and took great pride in creating something that would help wildlife in our garden.

Activities like this are not only fun and engaging, but also bring back happy memories of gardening, nature, and spending time outdoors. Now we can’t wait to hang them up outside and watch the birds enjoy them over the summer months. We’re sure our little feathered visitors are going to love them just as much as we loved making them! A lovely afternoon enjoyed by all, with plenty of chatter, creativity, and excitement for the warmer days ahead.     

Recently, we welcomed back Martin the music man. Residents always love welcoming Martin the Music Man, who gets everyone moving and enjoys the music.

His visits are always full of energy, laughter, and plenty of singing along! Music is one of our favourite activities here at Rivermead, it brings back memories, sparks conversation, and most importantly, puts a smile on everyone’s face. 

From toe-tapping tunes to full sing-alongs, it’s wonderful to see everyone joining in together. Days like these are what make life at Rivermead so special, filled with joy, connection, and shared moments that matter.       

Recently, we had the absolute pleasure of welcoming the amazing firefighters from Malton Fire Station to our care home, and what a fantastic afternoon it was for everyone involved!    

Our residents thoroughly enjoyed meeting the crew, learning all about the important work they do within the community, and even getting the chance to have a go with some of the firefighting equipment. 

The firefighters were so kind, patient, and informative, taking time to answer questions and explain how the equipment works and how they help keep people safe every single day. It was wonderful for our residents to have such a hands-on and engaging experience, and it certainly made for a memorable day! 

We are incredibly lucky to have such fantastic community support around us and are so grateful to the team for taking time out of their busy day to come and spend time with us. Visits like these mean so much to our residents and truly brighten everyone’s day.
A huge thank you once again to all the crew. We loved welcoming you into our home and hope to see you again soon!        

We have been lucky to welcome singer Kerry Young to entertain the residents with some wartime favourites. We have been hand clapping and feet tapping to some fantastic songs, including Vera Lynn and many more. 

VE Day is always a time of mixed emotions, but being together and remembering and enjoying is everything! Oh, and let’s not forget the scones, jam and cream and a nice cup of tea that we shared at the end to toast Victory!