Activities at Moreton Hill Care Home

Residents and relatives recently enjoyed the opportunity to meet Operations Manager Teresa Chinn, who has joined Moreton Hill while General Manager Portia Kanati enjoys her maternity leave.

The informal “Meet the Manager” session provided a chance for everyone to get to know Teresa, ask questions and share their thoughts about life at Moreton Hill over refreshments.

Teresa said: “It was wonderful to formally meet so many of our residents and relatives. Everyone has made me feel incredibly welcome, and I am delighted to be joining the wonderful team at Moreton Hill. I look forward to getting to know everyone over the coming months and continuing to ensure our residents receive the highest standards of person-centred care in a warm, friendly and welcoming home.”

The meeting was well attended and generated lots of positive conversation, ideas and feedback.
 

We were delighted to welcome our Pets As Therapy dog, Viima, here for the first visit to our home. The atmosphere quickly filled with excitement as residents gathered to meet the gentle, friendly boy. There were plenty of smiles as Viima made his way around accepting strokes and attention. 

Many residents enjoyed spending quiet moments with Viima, chatting and sharing stories of pets they had owned over the years. The calming presence of Viima brought comfort and joy. We look forward to many more moments of companionship and happiness with our new four-legged friend.     

It’s all to play for trying to win the President’s Dominoes Cup.

Our residents love to keep their minds occupied and love games, including dominoes, which are a firm favourite.

This is a lovely social event, and we have a lot of laughter along the way. Dominoes is a great game to play for all and a regular fixture.

Congratulations to our last two winners, Hilary and Derek. Well done!    

In the lead up to Valentine's Day, residents came together to share in the joy of preparing something special.  They decorated a beautiful basket with hearts and filled it with a selection of sweets and chocolates for everyone to enjoy. There was plenty of laughter and warm conversation along the way.

A group of ladies also spent time carefully arranging some beautiful fresh roses as centrepieces for the dining tables.  They took great pride in their creations and their faces lit up as they admired their finished displays. 

We were delighted to welcome a team of volunteers from Stonehouse in Bloom to help us with a gardening project we have planned for the year of clearing and planting a bank which is outside some of our residents' bedrooms and is overlooked by our dining room.  With advice from head gardener, Pam Swain, we intend to plant bulbs and shrubs to give us colour all year round. 

The team worked hard all morning and afterwards were able to spend time over coffee chatting to our residents.  It turns out the one of the volunteers had been a nurse at Moreton Hill when it first opened – many years ago!!  What a small world!

For many years we have taken part in the Stonehouse in Bloom’s contribution to Britain in Bloom.  We love to get involved in the local community and our residents get a lot of satisfaction from seeing their work on display in the town.  We are not sure what the theme for the town’s entry for 2026 will be, but we are ready and waiting and looking forward to getting our forks and spades into another horticultural project.   

Moreton Hill was excited to welcome the children from Cashes Green School to Moreton Hill for a picnic this month.  Residents and children chatted throughout the afternoon, sharing stories, laughter and conversation.

Residents spoke warmly about the children long after they had left and many reminisced about their own children and grandchildren. The visit created genuine connections between generations.

Following the visit, our Resident Ambassador, Lynn, was so touched by the experience that she wrote a heartfelt thank you letter to the children on behalf of the residents. In her letter she thanked them for visiting Moreton Hill, told them how much everyone had enjoyed meeting them and wished them well for the school holidays.

Lynn’s handwritten thank you letter provided a lasting reminder of the impact the visit had on residents and demonstrated how valued the children made them feel.
 

Thanks to a wonderful volunteer, we can run an art class every week. Our recent art class was a calm and enjoyable session where residents had the opportunity to use a variety of materials, including paints and pencils. 

The room was filled with gentle conversation and quiet focus as they worked on their pieces with the theme “Bringing Nature Home." The session provided not only a creative outlet but also a chance to socialise and enjoy a peaceful and rewarding activity together.     

We had a full house for the arrival of our feathered friends Biggles, Buzz and Mowgli from Walk With Hawkes.

Everyone that was brave enough got to wear the glove and have the owl land on their hand.  It was fascinating and a great opportunity to handle these beautiful birds of prey.

Residents always look forward to seeing who will come the next time.     

Music is an essential part of life at our home, and we have many fabulous musicians and entertainers who visit on a regular basis. Last year we were fortunate enough to get an offer from the charity MindSong to sing with our residents and a group of volunteers now visits Moreton Hill twice a month for an afternoon of song.  

All the members of MindSong sing in local choirs and have beautiful voices.  Our residents love joining in with the variety of songs and can request any favourites.  Amazing Grace, You are my Sunshine, Doing the Lambeth Walk and many, many more tunes always fill up our afternoons and bring joy and laughter to everyone.

Christmas at Moreton Hill was truly magical as residents, friends, and staff came together to celebrate the festive season in style. The highlight of the day was a special visit from Father Christmas, who delighted everyone with thoughtful gifts, warm smiles, and plenty of festive cheer.

Residents enjoyed delicious Christmas drinks followed by a wonderful Christmas lunch, shared in a joyful and cosy atmosphere filled with laughter and conversation. The home was alive with the sounds of celebration, creating moments that will be fondly remembered.

It was a heart-warming day that captured the true spirit of Christmas — togetherness, kindness, and happiness. We would like to thank everyone who helped make the day so special and ensured our residents felt cherished and celebrated throughout the festivities.

A truly memorable Christmas at Moreton Hill. 

During the exceptionally warm weather in June, the team at Moreton Hill Care Centre looked for ways to help residents stay cool while making the most of the sunshine. We invited Winstones Ices to visit Moreton Hill with their traditional ice cream van during the hot weather.

The arrival of the ice cream van created great excitement, with many residents reminiscing about seaside holidays, family outings and childhood memories of hearing the familiar sound of the ice cream van.

The afternoon was filled with smiles, laughter and conversation, creating a wonderful sense of community throughout the home.

Resident Joyce said:
“The ice cream was lovely, can we do this more often?”

Resident Terry commented:
“There was a great choice of flavours.”

It was great to see residents chatting together, sharing memories and enjoying the opportunity to spend time with family and friends.
 

The visit from the lambs brought a lovely buzz to the home. Residents gathered in the courtyard, some just watching on, while others leaned over eagerly as the small, fluffy visitors were gently carried through. The staff supported those who wished to stroke them, or even feed them.

There was plenty of laughter as the lambs skipped about, occasionally bleating and nuzzling into open hands. Conversations flowed easily, with many residents sharing memories of farms, springtime, and animals from years gone by. The atmosphere felt warm and relaxed, giving everyone a chance to connect, reminisce, and enjoy something a little different together.                 

Doreen recently celebrated her 94th Birthday and our chef prepared a cake for Doreen to enjoy. She enjoyed family time with her son.

We are very  happy to have families come in to celebrate birthdays and occasions and also come in for a family meal together. Maintaining connections is important to our residents and we are happy to accommodate as much as possible. We love to get to know families and want everyone to feel welcome to visit at any time.

Thank you to Doreen and Nigel for allowing us to share photos of their special day with you.        

On a cold and dreary Wednesday afternoon, our day was brightened by a visit from Sandra Charnworth and her wonderful miniature mannequins. Sandra is a dressmaker, and she specialises in making vintage costumes. On this occasion, she brought us along to show us a selection of beautiful dresses and accessories from the 1940s. As well as talking about the background to making the costumes, Sandra also gave the historical perspective of the 1940s, which was very much a ‘make-do and mend’ decade for the majority of people. This resonated with many of our residents, who could recall the fabrics and fashions of the 1940s. There were some great stories to hear and memories to share.

Next time, Sandra will be bringing along her clothes from the Swinging Sixties.  We can’t wait to see those miniskirts!        

We were delighted to welcome pupils from St Joseph’s School, Nympsfield to our home for a truly heart-warming festive visit. The children filled our home with the joyful sounds of Christmas as they sang a wonderful selection of carols and seasonal songs creating a magical atmosphere for everyone to enjoy.

Several of the pupils performed solo pieces and their confidence and beautiful voices impressed residents and staff alike. It was a special moment to see our residents smiling, clapping along, and reminiscing as the familiar melodies brought back cherished memories of Christmases past. The warmth and enthusiasm of the children brightened what was otherwise a cold December day, spreading happiness throughout the home.

We are extremely grateful to St Joseph’s School for bringing such joy into our home. Events like these perfectly reflect the sense of community, togetherness, and festive spirit that we value so highly at Moreton Hill Care Home.