Celebrating life at Barchester

On the first Wednesday of every month we are lucky enough to hold the Encircled with Care community church service taken by one of the team at Much Wenlock Parish Church.

This month the service was taken by The Reverend Sam Rigby Team Curate as well as the Epiphany church service he delighted our residents as he took Holy Communion as well.  

This week Reverend Sam returned on a more informal basis as one of our guest speakers and joined us for a cuppa and talked about his journey to being ordained. 

The regular horse therapy our residents receive from having Happy Hooves Equine Ltd - Equine Assisted Therapy & Transport's Laura visit with the beautiful pony; Vino helps support their emotional well-being.

Our residents love his snuggles and being able to stroke him, even from their beds brings such enjoyment, it’s truly magical to see.

The joy in our residents faces is clear to see when the children and parents join at Cepen Lodge to attend the Boogie Beat Music & Movement North Wiltshire group. All generations had fun with bubbles, scarves and plenty of music, the session was full of giggles from everyone.

At Cepen Lodge we know that intergenerational activity is hugely beneficial to all involved as it encourages communication and social skills. 

Mix in new technologies such as our large touchscreen table which uses Apps to provide interactive games such as drag and drop jigsaws, wordsearches and musical instruments the activity becomes fun for all ages.

Today's visiting students from Hardenhuish School; Bertie, Dan and Ethan had our Memory Lane residents fully emersed in a 'digital world of discovery'!

Goodbye chocolate, cheese and all those naughty sweet treat goodies we've been eating throughout December and hello to a healthier you!

At Cepen Lodge we decided to make-up several healthy fruit and cleansing tea hampers for delivery to our community colleagues to help them, and their service users enjoy a fresh and tasty start to the new year.

We absolutely loved welcoming Duane AJ back to our care home, the joy and energy that he brings is something truly special and uplifting. Our residents adore him, even residents from Memory Lane light up when he visits. 

The singalongs, smiles and dancing say it all. We're so grateful for each visit and already look forward to the next.  Duane said "Moments like these are exactly why I love what I do. Music brings back memories, lifts spirits and gets everyone moving."

A trip to the Dementia Choir was enjoyed today. Our residents had a great time catching up with some familiar faces and loved seeing the children of Winchester house school take part.

The children requested the Neil Diamond classic 'Sweet Caroline' this was a favourite among the choir 

Our residents love cookery club and although very simple today they had great fun making chocolate Rice Krispie cakes, the smell, sounds and taste brought back happy memories. 

What a fantastic day! Today’s Hearing & Sight Health Workshop delivered by the Specsavers Home Visits team was a great success, demonstrating how working together with community healthcare providers can achieve improved outcomes for our residents.

The event was attended by residents and members of the local community, with everyone offered hearing tests. We’re thrilled to share that 7 people received free NHS hearing aids on the day to immediately improve their lives and several had their current aids reviewed, with adjustments made to solve hearing issues, and others; residents and non-residents booked their free home visit eye tests.

Thank you to everyone who attended and to the Specsavers team whose professionalism, understanding and care made this possible. We look forward to hosting the event again in February.