Celebrating life at Barchester

Station Court have run a toy drive in collaboration with local charity Scarlett’s Helping Hands to ensure vulnerable and underprivileged children aged 0–18 across the North East receive presents this Christmas morning.

Toys and gifts came flooding into the home from staff members, visitors and the local community to donate to the care homes toy appeal which they have organised since 2022.

Staff were delighted to deliver all the gifts to community-driven charity Scarlets Helping Hands. The first festive toy appeal was launched in 2020 by Ashleigh Duke and her daughter, Scarlett. Inspired to help families after COVID-lockdown and to support families in need.

Residents and guests enjoyed an afternoon of entertainment with a live music performance that took place at the home.  Hilderthorpe Primary School pupils performed a selection of Christmas songs, including their beautiful version of “Feliz Navidad”

Residents joined in with the singing, and clapped along as the children performed a lovely variety of Christmas songs. The Activity Team at the home provided a spread of sweets and treats for the children to enjoy after the show.

There’s no better way to spend a long, chilly winter’s day than relaxing in our beautiful cinema room, warmed by the gentle glow of a simulated fire. It has quickly become a favourite spot for residents to unwind, chat, and enjoy a variety of calming activities. Our Men’s Group has been having great fun playing battleships and sharing stories, bringing plenty of smiles and laughter to the room.

Across the home residents have also been enjoying jigsaw puzzles, magic painting, and quiet moments over a comforting cuppa. These simple pleasures create a welcoming atmosphere where everyone can join in at their own pace. The sensory trolley has added an extra touch of joy, offering soothing scents, textures, and experiences that brighten even the greyest of days.

The Cosy Creative Corner continues to be a warm and uplifting space, perfect for spending time together this winter.

Christmas is in full swing in Bryn Ivor Lodge, and the festive spirit has officially taken over! The decorations are up, filling every corner with warm lights, sparkling ornaments, and that magical Christmas glow. We finally had our official Christmas lights switch-on, a moment we look forward to every year. Watching the house come alive with twinkling colours instantly set the tone for the season ahead.

To make things even more festive we took a trip to our local garden centre, which was beautifully transformed into a winter wonderland. We wandered through aisle after aisle of Christmas trees, wreaths, baubles, and enchanting displays that offered endless inspiration. Our residents, especially some of the ladies, were very tempted to get some Christmas decs- after all, there's never too many Christmas decorations! Of course, no festive outing would be complete without a little treat, so we enjoyed mince pies and cups of hot chocolate to top off the experience. With all these traditions underway, the holiday season truly feels magical.

What a wonderful afternoon our residents had today on our trip to Westover Farm Pumpkin Patch! The weather was perfect, and the atmosphere was just magical. The fields looked absolutely gorgeous, with rows of vibrant sunflowers still standing tall and bright against the autumn sky – a beautiful backdrop for our photos! The farm trail was decked out with some truly awesome decorations, making the walk to the patch a fun adventure in itself.  

Our residents loved exploring and choosing their favourites from the fantastic variety of pumpkins on offer. There were big ones, small ones, bumpy ones, and smooth ones! It was lovely to see everyone getting into the spirit of the season.

No autumn outing is complete without a warming treat! We all enjoyed a delicious hot chocolate complete with cream and marshmallows to sweeten the day. A highlight for many of our residents was simply sitting and watching the joy of the younger generations—seeing the children run around and excitedly search for their favourite pumpkin brought so many smiles to their faces.

It was a fantastic day out filled with fresh air, beautiful sights, and great company.  

Today, we had the incredible honour of celebrating our wonderful senior nurse, Ana, who reached a monumental milestone: 20 years of dedicated service at Vecta House Care Home! Ana received a wonderful surprise when she walked into reception this afternoon, where she was greeted by her colleagues and our Senior General Manager, Nichola Shepherd, ready to congratulate her on this amazing achievement.

To recognise her commitment, Ana was presented with a beautiful array of gifts, including flowers, chocolates, a special 20-year Barchester brooch, and vouchers—plus, a well-deserved glass of bubbly to toast the celebrations!  

We simply can't thank Ana enough for her unwavering dedication, her hard work, and the truly amazing care she shows to our residents, their families, and her colleagues every single day. She is a true inspiration!
Join us in sending a massive congratulations and thank you to Ana!  

Our residents told us they wanted to help spread some Christmas cheer this festive season so we got straight to work in making our own gift pouches including a heartfelt poem, candy canes, Santa chocolate coins & more to gift to our local community. 🎅 
Residents found it a bit chilly on the day so sent our trusty HSA Jo out into our local town centre to spread some festive cheer on their behalf. Safe to say it went down a storm! 🥰