Activities at Claremont Parkway Care Home

Residents and colleagues of Activities Assistant; Tricia Campbell wanted to congratulate her on receiving employee of the month for March 2026. Tricia has been instrumental in the implementation of the homes weekly 'Wellness Wednesdays'. She, alongside home manager Joanna together turn Claremont Parkway into a place of tranquillity every Wednesday, with Tricia providing foot spas and Joanna reflexology massages. 

The sessions are enjoyed by both residents and members of the local community looking for a moment of rest and relaxation. Deputy Manager; Chole had the pleasure of presenting Tricia with her certificate and bouquet thanking her for her continued service to the overall wellbeing and life enrichment of our residents.

Hot Cross Buns!

Today we sampled several flavours of hot cross buns, trying to guess the flavour as we did so. Our residents enjoyed the selection on offer and a lot decided that the Strawberry and Clotted Cream was the nicest, whilst others preferred the original hot cross bun and were totally unsure about a cheese hot cross bun which Activities Coordinator Karen assured them was rather nice toasted with a slice of bacon and a fried egg.

Today was a big celebration for William as he shared his birthday with family and friends in our lovely conservatory.
Lots of family joined him for his special day and he was very happy and grateful for the love and attention he received throughout the day.

He was also presented with a lovely cake made by our talented chef Jorge.

Our residents have had the most wonderful surprise this week when they took time to read all the beautiful handwritten cards, paintings and heartfelt letters, lovingly created by the incredible pupils of Greenfields Primary School and Nursery in Kettering. The smiles they brought were simply priceless!

It all began with an Apprenticeship Day at Greenfields, where our Customer Relationship Manager, Samantha, presented to a class of around 30 enthusiastic pupils on the topic of ‘Working Life in a Care Home’  - from receptionist to senior nurse and every vital role in between.

The students listened, asked thoughtful questions, and began to truly understand the dedication, compassion and teamwork that goes into creating a safe, happy and loving home for each and every one of our residents. During the session, the students were challenged to think about how they would get to know a resident using gentle questions and, most importantly, the art of really listening. Skills that, we have to say, they showed in abundance!

Then came the moment none of them will forget… our Home Manager Joanna surprised the class by bringing along one of our wonderful residents, Noelle, to meet them in person. Noelle charmed every single one of them, answering their questions with warmth and wit and the feeling was entirely mutual.

Now, our residents absolutely cannot wait to write back and we have a feeling this is just the beginning of a very special friendship.  We send thanks to every pupil, teacher and member of staff at Greenfields Primary School & Nursery. You have made our residents’ so very happy.

What a wonderful ‘Afternoon Tea’ we had with family, and friends of our residents for this years’ Mothering Sunday. 

Everyone enjoyed a lovely selection of freshly made finger sandwiches and an array of sweet treats. 

Happy moments together make all the difference. Whether you're a mother in care, working mum, or visiting mother taking time to share your love with others. 

Everyone at Claremont Parkway hopes all mothers had a very special day yesterday... just as special as they are.

What a wonderful afternoon here at Claremont Parkway on Friday 10th April we were delighted to host the Kettering branch of Parkinson's UK for a very special Afternoon Tea Party — celebrating an incredible 40 years of support, dedication, and community for those living with Parkinson's. What an achievement! 

Around 30 guests joined us for the occasion, with tickets kindly sold by Parkinson's UK Kettering to raise vital funds for their fantastic work. We were proud to provide the venue and food complimentarily as our small way of giving back to such a worthy cause.

We were also honoured to welcome the Mayor of Kettering, who attended to personally thank Parkinson's UK Kettering for their 40 years of incredible service, and took the time to meet with our residents and guests — a truly special touch to a memorable day.

The atmosphere was absolutely lovely — smiles all round, great conversation, and plenty of tea and treats. A huge congratulations to everyone at Parkinson's UK Kettering, here's to 40 more years!

At Claremont on Thursday we had a visit from Dave with his amazing birds of prey which brought a sense of excitement and curiosity to the home, offering our residents a unique opportunity to connect with nature up close.

During the session, residents were introduced to a variety of magnificent birds, learning about their habitats, diets and natural behaviours Dave shared interesting facts in a clear and engaging way, allowing everyone to gain a better understanding of these amazing creatures.

We enjoyed looking at Crackerjack a white faced owl, plop the Barn owl, Esme a Merlin, Maverick the Peregrine, Boudicea a Gabar Goshawk, Zeus the Golden Eagle and just to confuse us we had the delight of meeting Norma the hedgehog!
 

At Claremont this evening resident got together for a relaxed evening of art using a range of media and explored their creative side whilst enjoying a glass of sherry.

The room was filled with jolly conversations of favourite artists and whether any of us would make a fortune from our creations. The atmosphere felt warm and sociable and helped us to connect, unwind and appreciate the simple pleasure of art in good company.

Today we welcomed back Anne and her pop up shop and our residents had an enjoyable time browsing the rails and treating themselves to some new attire.

Retail therapy can have several benefits to residents as it supports  emotional well being, independence, and social interaction.
Being able to choose personal items like clothes helps our residents maintain their identity and can help self-esteem and confidence.

Everyone who popped along enjoyed the shopping experience and are looking forward to Anne returning in the summer.

Residents quite often enjoy a little quiet reading of their favourite novel or a history book of a once admired regal figure in the corner and discussing how they are enjoying quiet reflection time.
 
Some mindful colouring while chatting to their fellow residents, enjoying refreshments and discussing the beautiful sun shining in the room, a reminder that Spring is just around the corner, which in turn brings smiles and radiance to the residents. 

This morning residents enjoyed the warm sunshine and fresh air as we ventured out in to our beautiful garden and looked at all the changes of the seasons as the new buds and leaves started to appear on the trees and plants.

Residents reminisced about the lovely times we had spent out there last summer doing various activities, not forgetting the choc ices and pimms we enjoyed. Getting outside is an important part of our residents well-being and we aim to do this a lot more especially now the weather is starting to improve.

Residents were transported back in time remembering the sweets of old, thanks to Becki who runs the old fashioned sweet shop Sweet Memories of Hadleigh, who came in to the home to sell a selection of the sweets they have at the shop.
Residents, staff and visitors welcomed the opportunity to purchase a selection of old fashioned sweets that they remembered from childhood.

It was a delight to see the memories being stirred up, discussing everyone's favourites and getting to experience the smells of sweets they had long forgotten, such as the Pontefract Cakes, which gave a glorious liquorice smell, which was divided amongst the residents and family members.

With such a selection to choose from Lemon Sherbets, Pear Drops, Mint Humbugs, Flying Saucers, Bonbons in many different flavours, Rhubarb and Custard, to name but a few, which would our residents choose? 

As residents reminisced, the activity team found information on the oldest sweet shop in the world, which is called the "Oldest Sweet Shop In The World" and after some discussion Phyliss guessed correctly that it was in Yorkshire. Reminiscing activities bring such positivity to the residents and leads on to many different avenues to discuss and compare the life from their childhoods and early adulthood, to how life is nowadays.
 

This week we celebrated the Birthday of Joyce who was presented with a cake made by our wonderfully talented Chef Jorge. Celebrating birthdays at Claremont is a very important occasion for our residents and helps them to feel loved and valued.

Storytelling is at its best, especially when spoken from the heart by the writer; Lorna Marlow author. Today our residents and guests were captivated by author Lorna as she read aloud the first chapter of her debut novel.

Finding Home tells the story of 'Lucy' a woman who wants for nothing, except love, respect and financial independence! Trapped in a gilded cage of violence and loss, it takes a surprise inheritance from a distant relative, to enable Lucy to start again. As we listened to Lorna tell the tale of Lucy, her words took us on an emotional rollercoaster, we imagined each character in detail and were hooked to find out more!

Lorna's debut novel is the first of many we hope to read within the Claremont Book Club. 
If you wish to join us on our regular storytelling journey, please contact our Activities Team on 01536 484494 to find out more. Book recommendations, and suggestions for our next guest authors are welcome.

Come along and read alone, or listen with the group. We'll take time to discuss each chapter, and character together over tea and cake in the comfort of our home.  

We'd like to thank Lorna Marlow author for making today's 'Book Club' launch so enthralling.

Today we transformed our quiet lounge into something truly magical — a tranquillity spa right here in the heart of our home, in celebration of International Women’s Day (IWD).

Our Home Manager Joanna Mosses, a qualified reflexologist, led a beautiful wellness day for our residents and guests - creating a fully immersive experience with sound bath meditation rhythms and a twinkling night sky across the ceiling. The space became a sanctuary of healing and mindfulness, inspired by this year’s IWD theme: ‘Give to Gain’.

Activities Assistant; Trisha from the homes’ Life Enrichment Team was on hand treating guests to relaxing foot spas, while Joanna’s expert reflexology touch did the rest.

The feedback from our guests said it all:

Phyliss said it was the best respite care she has ever had — and that the bubbles and foot spa were just lovely.
Bill had a laugh about being surrounded by women, saying they were all enjoying the posh way of living.
Anne shared wonderful stories from her time working at Champneys, and the famous faces she met there — what a life!

It was so warmly received that Joanna is making this a regular event - open to residents, staff, and members of the local community who could do with a little well-deserved pamper time.