Activities at Cookridge Court Care Home

8 fluffy chicks all hatched at Cookridge Court. We had 4 girls, which are brown coloured and 4 boys, which are yellow-coloured, all healthy and gorgeous, waiting for lots of cuddles from our residents and staff. 

The living egg programme is a wonderful activity that is enjoyed by everyone, from residents to staff and even family and friends coming in to see them.           

Staff have welcomed a new General Manager to head up the team. Prior to starting in this position Sandra was Manager of another of Barchester’s care home in Croydon and has recently relocated to Leeds to be nearer to her family who live in Barwick in Elmet.

New General Manager, Sandra said: “I am delighted to join the team here at Cookridge Court and am enjoying meeting and getting to know our residents. Whilst not a native of Yorkshire I am very familiar with the Leeds area going back to 1991 when my Dad became Chief Executive at Yorkshire Cricket Club.”

Spending time outdoors offers substantial physical, emotional, and cognitive benefits for people living with dementia. It can help improve mood and sleep, reduce anxiety, enhance physical fitness, and offer opportunities for social interaction and sensory stimulation. 

So, with the sun beaming and clear blue skies, we took a trip to one of our local parks nearby to us, Yeadon Tarn. Picnic in tow and a flask of tea, we sat by the lake eating our lunch and watching all the surrounding wildlife. 

Finally, we finished off with a lovely walk round and feeding the ducks, swans and geese – it was a truly wholesome afternoon.   

Ello, ello, ello what do we have ere then...

We were delighted to welcome back David, who is a retired police officer who runs the Mobile Police Museum, for an afternoon of a historical journey of over two centuries in policing. This session was about the police mounted department from over the years. 

Mr. David Hardcastle provided a captivating presentation, showcasing numerous artifacts and objects acquired throughout his extensive career. He talked us through the evolution of police horsing equipment, including truncheons and handcuffs, and demonstrated their operational use, along with some interesting stories within the mounted police force, were particularly engaging. The afternoon proved to be highly informative and enjoyable for residents, families, and staff – we had so much.    

Yesterday, some of our gents took a lunchtime trip to the pub, for a pint and a bite to eat. The gents took a trip to the Brownlee Arms, which was a local pub that some of them used to be a regular in there. 

It was a lovely couple of hours out, with a delicious bite to eat and some great conversation between us all.    

A little update from our Knit & natter club, that takes place every Friday morning 10.30-12.30. We are still well underway with another batch of hats, blankets and cardigans for the maternity unit at Leeds Children’s Hospital. 

We are always welcoming donations of wool. If anyone would like to donate some to our group, we would be truly grateful. The invite is also open to anyone wanting to come along and knit, or even just to join the group for a matter with a cup of tea – the more the merrier.             

We gifted every lady within the home a bunch of fresh daffodils, in honour of Mothering Sunday. As some never became mothers themselves, they have all had an inspirational mother that we have reminisced about.

There were so many smiles on their faces as they received this beautiful gift, which took them straight to flower arranging, placing them in their bedrooms.

Everyone at Cookridge court wishes you all had a happy Mothering Sunday, as we remembered and celebrated all Mothers on this day.   

This month saw the fabulous return of the very famous Emma James, returning with yet another show-stopper performance, which everyone danced the morning away with. 

Residents gathered together to enjoy the morning, singing along to some well-known classical songs. The activities team got everyone up and dancing along, creating many wonderful memories for friends and family. Emma is back next month for another brilliant performance.   

We stepped back in time as residents explored the Boots UK Memory Box. We looked and reminisced at various items ranging from the 1930s right through to the 1980s that were included in the box. The Memory Boxes are multisensory kits designed to support people living in care homes and/or living with dementia by sparking conversation and recalling memories. 

A number of familiar, nostalgic items such as vintage toiletries, old photos, and sensory objects like powder compacts were all explored. We are so grateful to Boots UK for granting Cookridge Court  a lovely memorable box for our residents to use. It was a lovely morning enjoyed by all.    

In celebration of Valentine’s Day, our married couple who live at Cookridge Court enjoyed a restaurant-style romantic meal, which was held in our beautiful bar. 

Chef Yarik, served a delicious 2-course meal paired with a lovely bottle of wine. The room was filled with love, creating some beautiful memories. 

We hope everyone has a lovely day, filled with love.

Easter celebrations at Cookridge Court! We had a fabulous time with lots of Easter activities taking place, followed by a delicious roasted lamb lunch with all the trimmings, with everyone receiving an Easter egg from the home in celebration of Easter. 

It was a lovely day enjoyed by all.                 

We had a lovely intergenerational session with our neighbouring school, Holy Name Catholic School! 

Pupils visited us, with workbooks in tow, to showcase their amazing work they have been doing in class. They took to going around each resident, telling them what they had been learning, reading pieces of work to them – it was amazing. 

Celebrating St Patrick’s Day, the children were dressed in green, giving it a lovely Irish feel. It was truly a wonderful afternoon watching two generations come together, seeing beautiful engagement and beaming smiles from our residents.       

Our residents and staff are one in a million! What started as a simple knitting activity has grown into something so much more — and you’re invited to be a part of it! Staff at Cookridge Court are getting ready to take another set of our creations down to the Premature Baby Unit at Leeds General Infirmary… We have been donating to LGI for around a year now, and they are always so grateful for the support.

Haven’t they done an amazing job?!! So… If you’re crafty, curious, or just fancy getting out of the house for a natter, then this is the place for you. No pressure. No expectations. Just people, creativity, conversation and connection.

Come on down, bring what you enjoy and feel the vibe. You don’t have to be an expert — just yourself.
Join us every Friday from 10am – 12:30pm Alternatively… If anyone has any wool they would like to donate, we have an army of knitters and natterer’s, armed with their knitting needles, ready to take it off your hands and create something beautiful with it!       

After an unannounced inspection by the Food Standards Agency, Cookridge Court are pleased to announce we achieved a 5* food hygiene rating. 

Well done Team Cookridge, especially to our amazing kitchen team, who work incredibly hard, setting high standards in our kitchen, making this happen!   

Residents at Cookridge Court care home enjoyed a truly wonderful evening of entertainment with a fabulous ABBA tribute performance. The room was transformed into a mini disco, complete with colourful disco lights and glowing sticks that added to the fun and excitement. Familiar hits such as Dancing Queen, Mamma Mia, and Thank You for the Music filled the room, bringing back cherished memories and putting smiles on everyone’s faces. 

Residents sang along, waved their glow sticks, tapped their feet, and even enjoyed a little dance, while staff joined in to create a joyful atmosphere of laughter and togetherness. It was a fantastic night that lifted spirits and left everyone feeling happy and nostalgic long after the music ended.