Activities at Ashlar House Care Home
Activities are an integral part of life at our care home. We want to ensure that the people we support have as much fun as possible during their time with us, so it’s important that our activities programme is created with the interests of residents in mind. Our skilled Activities Coordinators bring a certain uniqueness to the home that can’t be found anywhere else, and which is reflected in the activities they organise.
Read our brochure 'Life-enriching activities' for more information about life in our care homes.
Read our brochure
Activities and Events Partnerships
As part of our bespoke life-enrichment programmes, we host a number of live virtual events in the home on a regular basis through a number of partnerships with places of interest and world class performance companies
Life at Ashlar House Care Home
Air Cadets Visit
Air Cadets from the 414 Epping Air Cadets visited Ashlar House to deliver poppies to our residents.
Everyone was thrilled to see the young men and women in their uniforms.The residents shared stories of war time experience with the cadets, who in return explained how they earned their various badges and the activities that they take part in.
A Visit From A Ballerina
On the 9th of November, three generations from The Buckhurst Hill and Woodford School of Dance performed specially for residents and staff at Barchester’s Ashlar House Care Home.
Emily Pohl, the youngest of the family, born and bred into the dance industry from the age of 2, has been taught by BHW dance before training with prestigious ballet schools in London, took centre stage in front of the audience at the home, which lighted up the faces of the residents.
The combination of classical music, composed by Ludwig Minkus, the beautiful costumes, made by Sonia Bond – former principal of BHW dance, and the demonstration of various ballet solos from ‘Don Quioxte’, choreographed by Marius Petipa, allowed the audience to be transported into the hypnotic world of ballet.
Residents & staff were fully immersing themselves into the magical performance. They were fixated on the precise footwork within the pointe shoes, the intricate details on the diamond tutu as well as the artistry and passion conveyed within each ballet solo. It was incredibly touching to see the reaction and impact on each individual after the event had taken place. Dancing really is such a powerful tool to keep both the mind and body active, especially as the years fly by! That is partially why this collaboration took place - to inspire, energise and entertain the minds and souls of the residents.
Emily is one of the many pupils to advance into the professional world – including Matthew Bourne, the Royal Ballet, various musicals within the West End (Hairspray, High School Musical, Matilda, and English National Ballet) and Birmingham Royal Ballet. After having trained in London with Central School of Ballet and English National Ballet School, Emily has been selected to perform with English National Ballet Company and Birmingham Royal Ballet too. The endless performances, competitions, festivals and exams prepared her for the professional stage and fully equipped her with the necessary skills required to take her career forward.
BHW dance were extremely honoured to have been invited to perform at Ashlar House, run by Barchester Healthcare, and are looking forward to continue making a difference in the lives of many.
A big thank you to BHW dance, stay tuned for more upcoming events and collaborations.
Music For The Soul
Back by popular demand singer Robert Jerome shook the floor this afternoon with residents smiling, laughing, dancing and showing love, whilst shouting out their next song request.
This powerful music performance brought so much pleasure to both residents and staff. We look forward to welcoming Robert again next month for a special Christmas edition.
Puppy Therapy
A truly fantastic day at Ashlar House because we had puppies visiting!
The incredible team from Performing Pets have been visiting Ashlar House today with a whole pack of puppies! As part of our activities program we have regular animal therapy sessions; today's session with no less than six miniature dachshund puppies was a highlight that residents and staff will remember for a long time.
The adorable little pups have everyone in the home grinning from ear to ear. No one has been able to resist their gorgeous eyes and floppy ears. This is the sort of therapy that works for everyone and brightens up everyone's day.
High Tea With The Mayor
On Friday the Mayor of Epping, Michael Wright, visited one of our newest residents Joan, joining her for a High Tea.
When Joan moved into Ashlar House she mentioned that one of her great wishes was to enjoy a High Tea with a VIP, so our Activities Coordinator Rita sprang into action and arranged just that!
The original plan had been for Joan to meet the Mayor at Ashlyns Cafe which is close to Ashlar House. Unfortunately, Joan was feeling a little too tired and instead the wonderful team from Ashlyns provided the delicious High Tea to takeaway, allowing Joan and the Mayor to make the most of our recently refurbished lounge.
Joan, the Mayor and his wife spoke at length about family matters, the advance of technology and Joan's impressive memorial plaque collection. Joan is honoured to be attending Epping Remembrance services as a guest of the Mayor in a couple of weeks.
Creative Mojo Visit
This week we gave a big warm welcome to Claire Stallan from creativemojo.co.uk, who presented a selection of Halloween inspired crafts to our residents at Ashlar House.
Creative Mojo provide all-inclusive craft experiences for the elderly and also specialise in working with people with dementia. They never run out of interesting ideas for our residents to enjoy. The Ashlar House team were very focused and showed off their creative side in an afternoon full of fun.
