Activities at Kingfisher Lodge Care Home

We have been doing lots of exercise activities from sports in the garden, to a live exercise class that was broadcast to all Barchester homes, movement to music, walking laps in the garden and activities that encourage arm movements using the Digital table.

Physical activity is part of our weekly regime here at Kingfisher Lodge. We encourage physical activity in many forms. We understand the individual needs of each resident and what people are able to achieve may vary. Most of all it’s about having fun while keeping our bodies as mobile as possible.  

we sent out a Facebook post to the community to help us with our classic car show and our amazing community did just that.
The beautiful cars that arrived by the dozen ranged from a 1934 American REO to a bright red Ferrari and every other car in between including an MG, Ford Popular, a Chevy Bel Air, a Morris Minor and many more.

For two hours we managed to bring so many residents out to see the cars and meet the owners, many of them recognised cars they learned to drive in!

Our resident Tony admired the spitfire as he owned them throughout his life, “it just makes me want to take it out for a spin in the country like I used to”, he said.  

Another Resident, Harry, cheered with Glee saying “it’s so beautiful” when he saw the bright red Triumph, then shed a happy tear when he noticed a classic mini, “that’s my old car” he said. Two of our Ladies Sheila and Diane enjoyed the more modern and very shiny Ferrari and luxury Bentley that came along “Very classy like us” Sheila said with a huge Grin. 

Our residents enjoyed a wonderful trip to Oakham Treasures, a little gem of a museum which we all found so interesting. The museum is full of vintage memorabilia, including old classic cars and tractors, a grocery store, hardware store and haberdashery. They have newspaper articles relating to the moon landing and lots of local history too, including Fry’s chocolate, a company close to our heart as it employed many of our residents back in the day. 

We all had to chuckle though when our resident Fred was in the hardware shop, and we were all reminded of the famous Two Ronnies' skit when he asked for “four candles.”  

We were feeling young again with our toddler group, the Mini Fishers. We had some perfect interactions with balloons, the shop and our target game, allowing everyone the opportunity to join the fun. And it was lovely to hear that our toddlers are going home now and talking about our residents and remembering their names and what they were doing with them in the session.

We finished off with some healthy snacks all around and a hand-puppet version of old MacDonald had a farm. We had a room full of residents and toddlers mooing and baaing alike and, as usual, lots of giggles.

We were very lucky to have Rosemary, Millie’s lovely owner, walk into Kingfisher Lodge and ask if we would like a weekly visit from her little K9 friend. Yes was our immediate reaction!

Millie is a fully qualified PAT (pets as therapy) dog and every week she volunteers to come along to have cuddles, treats and make friends with our residents and staff members all over our home.

Millie is so wonderfully behaved; residents light up when they see her, and she brings joy to every room she visits. Some of our family and friends plan their visits around our “Millie days” as they want to see her too! 

We had a mesmerising visit from the classically trained opera singer Miranda Keys. She sang some wonderful songs for us that included some well-known songs from Phantom of the opera and the residents and staff shed tears of pure emotion as she sang.

Her rendition of You’ll Never Walk Along had everyone singing, making the atmosphere electric.

She also very kindly visited one of our residents in her bedroom, who was sadly not able to make the event but who used to also sing opera herself and the moment was magical, staff said that she was so overwhelmingly happy for the rest of her day. 

We had a wonderful time celebrating VE Day at Saltford Hall with the local community and what a fantastic community it is to be a part of.

Saltford Community Association hosted a fabulous afternoon tea with entertainment including live music, wartime-style dancers, there was even a fly-by from an old biplane.

We had sandwiches, cakes, scones and lots of tea, all served by the wonderful volunteers. Families of our residents were also invited to come along, which made memories so much more special.

When we asked one resident their thoughts on the day, they said “Who doesn’t like a good old-fashioned street party? I didn’t live in Saltford until I moved to Kingfisher Lodge, but they have made me feel so at home here and a real part of the community.” 

We had the most brilliant day celebrating firefighters here at Kingfisher Lodge and what a treat to have the Kingswood Fire Brigade from Avon Fire and Rescue service visit us with one of their fantastic engines.
Children from the community were allowed to have a look inside and residents had a tour of some of the equipment it carries.

For one of our residents, it was an extra-special visit as her late father was an Assistant Fire Chief himself. She took out a photo to show the fire crew of him in his uniform. “It was great to see the engine, it brings back memories of my childhood seeing it all again. I’m very proud of my father. His job was a big part of our lives.” 

We finished the afternoon with a BBQ in our garden joined by the firefighters and sent them off with a basket of treats for the station to enjoy. All the children had a little gift of a fire vest and hat from all of us a Kingfisher Lodge as a memento of this special day. 

We couldn’t be prouder of our amazing residents, Fred and Doug, who took part in the Macmillan Cancer Support Darts Marathon at Somerdale Pavilion!

Both gents gave it their all, showing off some seriously impressive dart skills — and raising an incredible £245 (and counting!) for a cause that’s very close to their hearts. It was a brilliant day full of laughter, a little friendly competition, and a whole lot of community spirit.

Fred and Doug’s passion for supporting Macmillan is truly inspiring. Cancer has touched the lives of so many, and their efforts to help others speak volumes about their character. We are honoured to have them representing us with such enthusiasm and determination.

A massive thank you goes out to everyone who supported them by donating — every penny makes a real difference!

Well done, Fred and Doug — you didn’t just hit the dartboard, you hit the bullseye in every way! We are so proud of you both and can’t wait to cheer you on at your next event.