Activities at Moreton Hill Care Home

Moreton Hill has now been open for more than 30 years. It was the first of the many Barchester Homes.  We decided to celebrate this at our summer bbq and party.  Unfortunately, the weather was not kind to us on the day, but nevertheless we went ahead with our party and had a fabulous time celebrating with friends and families.

We were delighted to have a visit from Gloucestershire Fire & Rescue team.  The residents and staff were able to take a look at the fire engine and learn all about the firefighting techniques the team uses.  It was also an opportunity for the Fire Service to look around our home and get to know the layout at Moreton Hill as well as answering any questions about fire safety.  Everyone felt reassured by the end of the visit that the Service that is based only a couple of miles away in Stroud would be on hand if ever it should be needed!

Mike is a resident at Moreton Hill.  For much of his working life he was a Supreme Master Blacksmith recognised throughout the country as one of his best. One of his most famous pieces is called the ‘Angel Gate’ and this can be seen at Birtsmorton Court near Tewkesbury.

Mike often mentions his career and the places he has worked and so we decided to see if we could find any pieces of work within striking distance of Moreton Hill.  Our investigations led us to Birtsmorton and when we contacted the owners – The Dawes family, they were thrilled to hear that Mike was still alive and in fact told us that they had lost touch with him and had been trying to find his whereabouts for a number of years.  We were invited to visit and so took Mike over to be reunited with Mr and Mrs Dawes and to see the wonderful Angel Gate.

Birtsmorton is a beautiful property that is now used for weddings and special events and Mike’s gate often features in couples photographs as it open out from the garden to fields and a view of the Malvern Hill.

It really was a magical day and as Activity Co-Ordinators we were delighted to make this happen for Mike.

We're so happy to announce that Roger Peters and Moira Hall have been crowned Resident Ambassadors of the Year for the Central Division in the Barchester Care Awards 2023 and is through to the national round of judging.

The Barchester Care Awards celebrate the staff who go the extra mile for the benefit of the 13,000 residents living in Barchester’s 252 care homes and private hospitals across the country. Categories range from ‘Registered Nurse of the Year’ and ‘Carer of the Year’ to ‘Dementia Care Champion’ and ‘Activities Coordinator of the Year’.

We have our own choir – The Melody Makers and we often have people in to entertain us with singing, piano recitals, guitar, accordion and the bagpipes! We have even had an opera singer perform!  Here is Hector who helps out at Moreton on a Saturday playing the piano in our Dining Room and Mel who comes regularly to sing and play for us.

We have been busy planting and gardening this month.  With the help of Eddie our wonderful gardener we made chickens and butterflies in our art and craft session to decorate the hanging baskets that are outside the Reception area.  With the hot weather our residents help out with the watering and upkeep so that everyone can continue to enjoy the display for the rest of the summer months.