Activities at Marple Dale Care Home
Activities are the cornerstone of a wholesome home experience and our Activities Coordinators are always putting their creative minds to the test by organising new and exciting social events for residents to partake in. Of course, we take into account the likes and dislikes of those we support, so if someone doesn’t feel like trying something new, there will always be something on offer to reflect their personal interests. For the people who may just prefer some peace and quiet instead, we also offer one-to-one time that can be enjoyed with a nice cup of coffee or just a simple chat – whatever they desire.
Lewis Timperley
Hi, my name is Lewis. I joined the team in September 2021 as a general assistant and then moved to the activities team in January 2022. Most recently I became Activities Team Leader in December 2023, it has been a great journey here at Marple Dale and can’t wait to continue. I love my role as one of the homes Activity Coordinators, and love finding out new and exciting ways to engage residents with activities and each other.
Here at Marple Dale we try to do as many different activities as we can, to keep our residents as active as possible, as it is so important to keep active. I love what I do and love knowing that our residents have so much enjoyment from such a wide variety of activities.
Read our brochure 'Life-enriching activities' for more information about life in our care homes.
Read our brochure
Activities and Events Partnerships
As part of our bespoke life-enrichment programmes, we host a number of live virtual events in the home on a regular basis through a number of partnerships with places of interest and world class performance companies
Life at Marple Dale Care Home
World Photography Day
To mark World Photography Day, staff and residents were treated to a live streaming photography masterclass courtesy of top professional photographer, Damian Bailey.
A professional photographer since 2003, Damian has won Wedding Photographer of the Year and is listed as one of London’s top wedding photographers, having photographed over 700 weddings. Damian travels all over the country shooting weddings, events and families and loves to help people create memories by capturing wonderful images that will be passed on from generation to generation.
Damian’s talk explained how he goes about capturing special moments and what makes a great photo in terms of technique and composition. From landscapes to portrait photos, Damian shared his hints and tips for getting the best shots whatever the subject matter.
English National Ballet dance workshop
We celebrated International Youth Day virtually with English National Ballet’s youth dance company, ENBYouthCo and their Creative Director, Richard Bermange.
We had the opportunity to watch A Comedy in Long-shot, participate in a chair-based creative dance workshop and observe an open rehearsal where Richard and the young dancers created a performance inspired by our childhood memories.
It was a wonderful experience, enjoyed by all.
International Youth Day pearls of wisdom
Staff and residents at Barchester’s Marple Dale care home in Marple were treated to a unique performance from English National Ballet to celebrate International Youth Day on August 12. Residents also shared their words of wisdom to the youth of today.
Prior to the day itself, members of English National Ballet’s youth dance company, ENBYouthCo, and their Creative Director, Richard Bermange, asked residents to submit their memories of going to see films over the years. The cast then used these evocative descriptions, along with Arielle Smith’s digital production of Jolly Folly, as inspiration for their performance.
Celebrating the night scene with V&A
We had a lovely time joining V&A Dundee curator, Kirsty Hassard, as she introduced us virtually to the history and design of night clubs and the club culture from the 1960s to present day.
We explored the evolution and development of night clubs around the world, from Italy to America, and closer to home, looked at their importance as cultural venues and designed spaces.
This current exhibition celebrates night clubs at a very important moment, as we all look to a brighter future where everyone can come back together, to dance and to enjoy nights out once again.
We all enjoyed the virtual talk.
World Chocolate Day
Today we revelled in all things sweet for World Chocolate Day with a range of chocolatey activities.
Our residents enjoyed an exciting baking class, where they made chocolate cakes, truffles and decorated boxes of chocolates with the assistance of the team.
In the afternoon, we watched a themed film, tasted our delicious treats and had a discussion about all things chocolate.
A wonderful day was had by all.
Residents enjoy canal trip
Staff and residents at Marple dale care home in Marple were celebrating being able to go on the new horizon again as lockdown restrictions ease across the country. Residents are now able to go on trips to outdoor spaces without having to isolate on their return.
Residents from Marple dale enjoyed a long-awaited trip to Poyton on the new horizon boat where they were able to enjoy the beautiful scenery, have an ice cream and have a picnic on the boat.
Alison and Clare, activities co-ordinators at Marple dale care home commented: “It is absolutely wonderful to be able to take our residents out for trips again. We have all been waiting for this day and we are so thankful it is finally here. Our residents have enjoyed all sorts of different entertainment during lockdown but nothing beats some fresh air and a change of scenery to blow away the cobwebs.”
