Activities at Newington Court Care Home

Braving the rain this morning, residents from Newington Court Care Home enjoyed a wonderful minibus excursion to our local Dobbies Garden Centre. The weather didn't dampen our spirits as we spent a delightful morning browsing the vibrant displays of Spring flowers and gathering fresh inspiration for our own Gardening Club while exploring the seeds and plants. After a relaxing stroll through the book section, we gathered at the popular café to warm up with delicious pastries and hot drinks. These weekly minibus trips are a highlight of life at Newington Court, providing our residents with a sense of independence and the simple joy of exploring our local community together, whatever the weather! 

Newington Court Care Home had the absolute pleasure of welcoming the talented choir from Newington Primary School for a heartwarming Christmas Carol Concert. It was a wonderful intergenerational afternoon as our residents and their families joined voices with the children to sing a beautiful selection of festive favourites. Seeing the smiles and shared joy between the different generations was truly moving, perfectly capturing the spirit of the season. We would like to extend a huge thank you to the children and their teachers for visiting us again, and we are already looking forward to arranging our next get-together in the new year!
 

Thank you to friends, family, staff and members of the local community who joined our residents at Newington Court for our annual Summer Fair! The afternoon began with some fantastic live entertainment from PJ & Rose – A “New-Vintage” Sound, to get us all clapping and singing along to some well-known tunes, followed by seaside themed music with Pimms, traditional lemonade, homemade cakes, and of course ice-cream. Our homemade fudge and coconut ice went down a treat! Many of our residents and visitors also enjoyed some fresh air and glorious sunshine in the garden. There were many happy winners on the tombola, which was by far the busiest stall of the afternoon!

Our most recent Community Craft Club saw residents and members of the local community come together for a relaxing painting session. The wonderful and vibrant artwork included butterflies, flowers and home-sweet-home wooden plaques. 

Everyone enjoyed socialising together and admiring each other's colourful and creative creations, which are now proudly displayed in some of our residents’ rooms or gifted to their families.  

Over Father’s Day weekend we celebrated Fathers, Father figures, Step Fathers and all the wonderful men in our lives. The activities team treated our gentlemen to a selection of gifts including sweet treats, cold beverages and plants. 

We welcomed families and friends to join their loved ones for afternoon tea and celebrated throughout the home.

To mark International Creativity Month this January, Newington Court Care Home hosted an inspiring afternoon for our Community Craft Club. Our residents spent an enjoyable session designing personal Vision Boards for their 2026 plans, alongside Memory Boards designed for meaningful reminiscence. The activity encouraged everyone to reflect on what truly matters to them—from cherished hobbies and travel dreams to the importance of family, friends, and music. It was a wonderful opportunity for self-reflection and a beautiful way for residents to share their life stories and future aspirations with friends both old and new.

On a crisp and sunny morning, our residents at Newington Court Care Home set off on our minibus for a wonderful seasonal outing to one of our local Costa Coffee shops. It was the perfect opportunity to soak up the Christmas atmosphere while enjoying a variety of delicious, festive-flavoured hot chocolates and treats. While there were plenty of seasonal specials to choose from, the chocolate orange hot chocolate was the undisputed firm favourite among our group! It was a heart-warming start to our holiday celebrations, bringing everyone together for warm drinks and great company as we look forward to more festive fun in the village of Newington. 

A warm welcome to Elizabeth, who took our monthly Church Service with Holy Communion in the lounge for our residents, supported by Sharon. 

St Mary's Church in Newington is part of The Six Benefice, also including St Michael's at Hartlip, All Saints at Iwade, St Margaret's at Lower Halstow, St Mary's at Stockbury and St Mary's at Upchurch. We are incredibly luckily to have some wonderful volunteers who visit us from these local communities. Being able to attend a church service is so important to some of our residents and we are so pleased to be able to hold monthly church services in our home.

One of our residents has enjoyed going fishing since he was young. With the help of a local organisation, we were able to arrange for him to go fishing again this year at some local fishing lakes, giving him both the independence and enjoyment of continuing with a hobby that has great importance to him. 

We will continue to support him by attending a number of other fishing sessions throughout the summer.

It was our first boat trip of the season, and we were taken for a leisurely cruise up the river by the Kingfisher Medway Trust at Wateringbury. 

Residents took in the scenic views of the beautiful Kent countryside while enjoying afternoon tea including homemade cake on board the boat. Our residents enjoyed reminiscing and feeding the swans and ducks on the river. A memorable time was had by all and we are looking forward to our next trip.

We were delighted to welcome back the fantastic Carousel Theatre Company to Newington Court Care Home for a truly magical afternoon. This year, they brought their own enchanting version of the classic Cinderella to our lounge, much to the delight of our residents, families, and guests. From the moment the curtain went up, the room was filled with laughter and applause; and in true panto style, the classic shouts of “Oh no they didn’t!” and “Oh yes they did!” could be heard echoing throughout the home. It was a wonderful opportunity for everyone to come together and share in the festive fun, and we would like to say a huge thank you to the performers and everyone who joined us for such a memorable performance.
 

Residents, staff, families, and members of the local community recently gathered for a poignant Remembrance Day service to pay tribute to the courage and sacrifice of those who secured our freedom. Led by Elizabeth Shorthouse and supported by Sharon Mepstead, the service transformed our lounge into a space of shared reflection and reverence. Together, we raised our voices to timeless hymns, including 'The Lord’s My Shepherd' and 'Thine Be the Glory', before observing a minute of silence with deep respect. The atmosphere was one of immense pride and gratitude as we honoured both the heroes of history and those who serve today. Following the service, the afternoon continued with tea, cake, and the sharing of cherished wartime stories, ensuring that the legacies of those no longer with us are held close and never forgotten.

Family, friends and their children, joined our residents and staff at Newington Court, for an Intergenerational Sports Day event. The lounge was filled with fun, laughter and a little bit of competition! With individual games including darts and hoopla, team balloon games and some faster paced children's races, everyone got involved in exercising while having fun and cheering each other on. Intergenerational activities are an important part of our activities programme and it is so rewarding to see different generations forming and building on their relationships. We are looking forward to our next intergenerational event, which is a creative craft afternoon.

To make the most of the glorious sunshine we've been having this summer, we took the minibus to the seaside at Minster, to enjoy the scenic coastal views, some wonderful sea air, and, of course, some delicious ice cream! 

The view of the local beaches brought back meaningful memories of holidays, spending time with family and happy childhood memories. Sunshine and smiles all round! 

We celebrated National Volunteers Week by saying a big thank you to all of our volunteers, especially Lis, our Anna Chaplain from Newington Church who has supported Newington Court for number of years. We thank Lis for her commitment, hard work, and dedication in supporting our residents to continue to follow their faith, by holding Church Services, and offering Holy Communion for residents within our home. Lis is a great listener and brings a sense of calm, peace and kindness to residents, their families and staff alike.

We would also like to recognise Sharon and Caroline, who have also become valued weekly visitors for our residents. These wonderful ladies not only support Lis and offer companionship and prayers with our residents, but also more recently have been volunteering at our monthly Community Craft Club! Our volunteers are much loved by our residents.