Activities at Cubbington Mill Care Home

Residents got creative celebrating the birthday of one of the greatest post-impressionist artists of all time, Vincent Van Gogh, on 30 March. Van Gogh was born in 1853 Groot-Zundert in the Netherlands and he created some of the most famous paintings in the world.

A prolific artist, Van Gogh’s work was notable for its beauty, emotion and colour. His paintings have been hugely influential since his death, however during his lifetime Van Gogh struggled with poor mental health, he was virtually unknown and remained poor. He completed more than 2,100 works consisting of 860 oil paintings and more than 1,300 watercolours, drawings and sketches.

Staff and residents spent the afternoon with Max from Creative Mojo learning about Van Gogh’s distinct style of painting, then the real fun began as the residents and staff tried their hand at recreating some his artworks whilst adding their own creative flair into the mix. They created a 3D style version of his ‘Sunflowers’ paintings from the 1800’s.

General Manager, Laura Russell, said: “We have had a fascinating day finding out all about Van Gogh, he was such a talent and created some absolutely beautiful paintings. Many of our residents love to paint and they really enjoyed discussing their favourites amongst his works and trying to recreate his techniques.”

Betty, a resident, said: “We have had such a lovely day looking at Van Gogh’s stunning paintings and visiting his yellow house. I’ve always loved his Café Terrace at Night so I really enjoyed having a go at painting it myself.”

Residents at Cubbington Mill celebrated Mother’s Day recently with visits and video calls from family members near and far. The home was beautifully decorated with fresh flowers and bunting for the occasion.

Staff at Cubbington Mill arranged live entertainment from local pianist, Trudy who played beautiful classical pieces for the residents in the dining room. Alex from Morrisons Leamington Community provided a bouquet of daffodils for every lady in the home. Head chef, Oliver prepared a fantastic dishes such as Mushrooms a la Greque, Roast Turkey with all the trimmings and Homemade Apple Crumble to mark the day. They finished the afternoon by enjoying ice lollies in the sunshine reminiscing about life with children, the feeling of becoming a mum and their own mothers who raised them.

General Manager, Laura Russell said: “We’ve all had a really lovely day. It has been so good to see family members who were able to visit in person and to have video calls with those who are further away. Our residents enjoyed a fantastic lunch and then a delicious afternoon tea prepared by our brilliant chefs. Days like these are so special.”

We'd like to say a big 'congratulations' to a key member of the care team here at Cubbington Mill; Jolly Matthews who, this week received a prestigious Long Year Service Award in celebration of working at Barchester Healthcare for 10 years. 

Jolly started at Barchester in March 2012 and has worked with residents and their relatives to ensure that their needs have been met over the years. He always has a smile on his face and brightens the home with his continued good nature. His colleagues love working with him saying "he's such a good man".

Jane McFarlane, Employee Services Director at Barchester said: “I’m always pleased to hear stories about the long service of Barchester staff and am delighted Jolly has achieved this milestone. It is dedication like this that ensures our residents are provided with a happy place to live.”

Laura Russell General Manager of Cubbington Mill said: “We’re delighted to be celebrating 10 years of loyal service with Jolly. He has demonstrated his dedication and loyalty to this home and its residents year after year. I speak for all of us here at Cubbington Mill when I say that I’m looking forward to many more years of working with Jolly!”

You too have the opportunity to join the fantastic team here at Cubbington Mill. Please follow the link to find out more and apply today https://jobs.barchester.com/job-search/?JobTitle=&City=Leamington+Spa

Our residents and staff were delighted to meet the winner of the Cubbington Mill - World Book Day 2022 Competition; 'Sophie Walters'. Her 500 word masterpiece ‘The Winter's Fairytale’ enthralled our residents.

Congratulations Sophie, we hope you enjoy your prize and have lots of fun writing more amazing tales!

Residents at Cubbington Mill celebrated World Poetry Day yesterday with an Oomph Wellness poetry workshop led by Activities Coordinator, Hannah.

UNESCO says: Poetry reaffirms our common humanity by revealing to us that individuals, everywhere in the world, share the same questions and feelings. Poetry is the mainstay of oral tradition and, over centuries, can communicate the innermost values of diverse cultures.

They began the workshop by looking at the history of local poet, William Shakespeare and each read lines from his famous Sonnet 18. They learnt how a sonnet must have three quatrains, be written in iambic pentameter and finish with a couplet. After brainstorming, residents decided on the theme of a river, taking memories of time spent on The River Avon. They followed the rules of sonnet writing and rhyming to create a beautiful poem which follows the journey of a river and plays on themes of love and age.

Laura Russell, General Manager at the home, said: “Our residents have had a great day reading and writing their own poetry. It has been such a treat to immerse ourselves in the rich, evocative language of poetry – we have all found it so rewarding.”

To celebrate Nutrition and Hydration Week (14th – 20th March) our staff and residents enjoyed a week of yummy, wholesome food, thirst quenching beverages and some interesting activities along the way.

Nutrition and Hydration Week aims to highlight, promote and celebrate improvements in the provision of nutrition and hydration locally, nationally and globally.

At Barchester, each resident’s specific dietary requirements, likes and dislikes are individually catered for at all our homes. Meals are prepared to each resident’s tastes and all staff understand the importance of good nutrition and hydration for all our residents and patients’ wellbeing.

The team at Cubbington Mill devised an exciting, challenging and fun week of activities and competitions, with everything from blind tasting vegetable and exotic fruits with a variety of dips, to attending an afternoon Tea Party courtesy of Head Chef; Oliver Hopkins, and the homes hospitality team, whereby residents were treated to their favourite finger sandwiches, scrummy scones and savoury pastries.

Laura Russell, General Manager at the home, said “Our chefs are trained to prepare dishes our residents’ specific dietary requirements as well as all their likes and dislikes. In addition to being trained in how to cook delicious and well prepared food, the chefs are trained in nutritional balance and special diets. They put a lot of time and effort into menu planning and so we all wanted to say thank you to them during Nutrition and Hydration Week.

Jack, a resident at Cubbington Mill commented: “The food here is amazing, it is like living in a five star hotel. We’ve had fun this week trying different menus, and eating dishes we know are good for us. I really enjoyed the Tea Party with one of my favourites; homemade scones with plenty of cream and strawberry jam!”