Activities at Cepen Lodge Care Home

'King of Swing' AKA Nick from Mini Concerts has stolen all our hearts with renditions from Louie Armstrong to Les Miserable, Elvis and Nat King Cole he had us singing, reminiscing, even shedding tears of joy and smiling so much our cheeks hurt!

We are all in agreement, we can't wait to have Nick back to perform once again, his show was a perfect way to end the day. 

The methods and mediums may change but the heart of live music - the communal joy, the shared emotions, the collective energy - remains untouched. As we look to the future, one thing is clear: live music will continue to be a cherished experience at Cepen Lodge.

Baking Club on a Tuesday mornings can go through to the afternoon when we're waiting for the spounge to bake!

This week our residents; Shiela and Jane were baking away to their hearts content to create what we consider to be a Michelin-star Strawberry Cake. Their fellow residents who had a slice for afternoon tea commented; 'Ladies' you should be extremely proud of your amazing fluffy sponge cake bake, and premium quality presentation.

During this week’s art therapy session, many residents chose ‘Aqua Art’ whereby using water only with each brush stoke the blank paper begins to turn colour to reveal a small masterpiece. 

For those within our Memory Lane community this process is not only stimulating but provides a sense of achievement. Art of all forms is always so enjoyable, our group chatted merrily together as they created their personal artworks.

Dreams do come true at Cepen Lodge! 

When residents Phil and Richard expressed their wish to visit Hampton Court Palace, we knew we had to make it happen. What followed was a day filled with laughter and unforgettable memories. Our residents were captivated by Henry VIII’s magnificent kitchens and amazed by the enormous wine barrels, and captivated by the stunning Abraham tapestries and Queen’s staircase.

“A wave of laughter followed us all day,” said Activities Coordinator Anita. “It was wonderful seeing Phil and Richard bonding over their shared adventure - navigating cobblestones in wheelchairs felt like riding in a horse-drawn carriage!”

The day was such a success that Richard joked, “We’ve had an amazing day - so much so Phil is already in bed!” 
This is what life enrichment means to us - turning wishes into reality and creating new and special memories. The smiles say it all! 💛

During Saturday’s Open Day our lovely residents gathered together with Anita to showcase their flower arranging talents and create beautiful tea-cup table dispays. 

They had such a lovely time arranging each beautiful bloom. The sense of achievement in making something that puts a smile on everyone’s face is so good for the mind, body and soul. 

Thank you, ladies, you all did a fabulous job, the arrangements have brightened up our home, it's full of colour and floral fragrance!

At Cepen Lodge we support and encourage our residents to continue doing the things they love whilst also making new friends.
This week our little cookery club decided to make savoury cheese scones and, following a wonderful trip to resident Ian's friends garden orchard and returning home with a bumper crop of apples they choose to make several apple crumbles for their fellow residents to enjoy! 

After a lot of peeling, chopping, mixing, rolling and taking time to gently crumble the butter and flour between their fingers to make the crumble. The group agreed the smell of stewed apples combined with cinnamon brought back so many good memories.
Once baked the finished scones, and sweet crumbles were a pleasure to eat for afternoon tea. Thank you, ladies, for all your hard work and super culinary skills!

Say hello to VIno - the award winning miniature pony from Happy hooves who trotted into Cepen Lodge today and stolen everyone's heart. With her soft nose, gentle eyes and superstar charm, she brought smiles, cuddles and pure joy to residents and staff alike!

New memories made and happy days at the beach remembered. Our lovely ladies and Philip enjoyed a beautiful day at Barry Island - Fish & chips, seaside laughs and a stroll through the fun fair. For Philip it was extra special he used to go fishing here, and today brought those wonderful memories rushing back.

A Perfect day of sunshine and smiles and stories we will treasure.

We once again welcomed the talented Jessica Fay with her amazing voice to entertain our residents and staff. We were treated to timeless classics resulting in dancing, singing along and lots of laughter! 

Thank you to Jessica and our staff for creating a lovely day in the garden. Here is to many more sunny days.  

This therapy has become a regular activity for our Memory Lane community.  We have immediately seen the benefits that Tibetan sound therapy brings to our residents within the community. 

The results of these sessions are truly heart-warming. The soothing tones of the singing bowls create a peaceful atmosphere, bringing comfort and stillness. 

We are grateful to be able to offer holistic therapies that nurture the mind, body and soul, alongside our more traditional activities.  

Dancing, laughter and sunshine -our Caribbean Summer Fete had it all!

Deputy Mayor Matthew Bragg opened our summer fete and we had some fantastic live entertainment from Sahara Sisters Belly Dancing Group, Chippenham, Wiltshire.
 
Residents, families, guests from the local community and our great friends from the Royal British Legion all joined us. Flavour of the day was authentic Pina coladas. We ended the day with a fantastic raffle raising funds for the veterans charity Not Forgotten.

Here at Cepen Lodge it’s not just about trips out and entertainers coming into the home. We do extensive in-house activities run by our activities team. Recently, Jenny, one of the activities team, helped residents bake and decorate a cake which they enjoyed with their afternoon drink.

In the afternoon, we followed the baking by potting up plants in the garden. The residents enjoy spending time in our garden, especially in this lovely weather. 

Regular trips to local attractions, areas of natural beauty and other excursions are important parts of our life enrichment program and feature often on our resident-led activity planners.

Today’s trip was very special for two of our ladies who had placed their wish to visit Buckingham Palace!

Getting up bright and early to travel down to London we had a marvellous tour of the palace, a stroll around the grounds and delicious ‘by royal appointment’ Afternoon Tea. Both ladies agreed they had the best day making memories they’ll never forget.
 

Our FREE to attend intergenerational playgroup at Cepen Lodge care home is held every month and all parents, carers, grandparents and little ones are welcome!

The group features interactive music sessions led by Boogie Beat Music & Movement North Wiltshire and refreshments and healthy snacks are provided by the home.

The group meets in the home's spacious lounge to create a comfortable, safe and engaging environment for all. It's a wonderful intergenerational activity that benefits all involved.