Activities at Plas-Y-Dderwen Care Home
At Plas-Y-Dderwen Care Home, our Lifestyle/Activities staff endeavour to provide a wide range of activities that suit all residents' physical and mental needs. There are regular minibus trips to nearby places of interest, including visits to local beaches and shows. We also have a film club, gentlemen's club, arts and crafts club, with musical entertainment once a week. Activities are very important to the staff of Plas-Y-Dderwen, making the home a fun and active place for all the residents who live here.
Lisa Peart
Hello, I'm Lisa, and I joined the team here at Plas Y Dderwen, in November 2022. With over a decade of experience in the care sector since 2009, I'm deeply passionate about working with people and making a positive impact on their lives.
I've always had a love for creativity and find joy in bringing smiles to others. My focus is on designing person-centered activities that are not only meaningful but also enrich the lives of our residents, creating moments of fun and fulfillment.
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 Plas-Y-Dderwen Care Home
Pancake Day!
This month, we celebrated Pancake Day, also known as Shrove Tuesday, with a fun-filled event! Residents had a blast preparing their own pancake batter, reminiscing over the pancakes they used to make and discussing the various toppings for pancakes. Activities Co-ordinator, Lisa, and Head of Housekeeping, Sandra, entertained everyone with their impressive pancake-flipping skills.
The highlight of the day, of course, was enjoying the delicious pancakes, topped with a generous sprinkle of sugar and a squeeze of fresh lemon. A truly delightful experience for all!
St David's Day!
St. David’s Day is a truly special occasion for us here at Plas y Dderwen, as we celebrate all things Welsh.
Embracing the rich Welsh language, we enjoyed songs sung in Welsh, as well as music from iconic Welsh artists like Tom Jones and Bronwen Lewis. Our Welsh flags flew proudly, and we enjoyed traditional Welsh dishes such as Cawl, Bara Brith, and Welsh cakes.
The ladies had fun trying on traditional Welsh lady hats, adding an extra touch of Welsh charm to the day. It was a wonderful celebration of our heritage!
World Book Day!
We had a fantastic time this month, celebrating World Book Day! We kicked off the day by discussing some of our favourite books, with the Activities team bringing beloved characters to life by dressing up as their top picks. It was Julie Andrews-themed as we had Ann dressed as Maria Von Trapp from the 1949 memoir ‘The Story of the Trapp Family Singers’ and Lisa dressed as Mary Poppins from the eight-book series of the same name by Pamela Lyndon Travers. The residents had a great time sharing their favourite books in celebration of World Book Day, and we hosted a book-themed quiz that sparked some friendly competition around them.
Later, we were joined by Carl Bryant for a Musical Workshop for an exciting musical workshop, followed by an afternoon of karaoke, where we sang along to all our favourite tunes. Watching Mary Poppins belt out songs by Tom Jones and Elvis was quite amusing, though she did an incredible job with it! The highlight was definitely our residents taking over the mic and dazzling everyone with their performance!
An excellent day for everyone!
Celebrating ten years with Barchester!
Our Senior General Manager, Sharon, was recently presented with her 10-Year Service Award. Here is what Sharon had to say about her Barchester journey: "I am very pleased to have completed my 10-year service for Barchester Healthcare and will have some fun spending my award. It is great that Barchester recognise Long Service Awards as this demonstrates that staff are valued. My journey with Barchester started as Head of Unit of the General Community at Plas Y Dderwen in January 2015. In January 2016, I took over as the General Manager and remained in this post until November 2018, whereby I relocated to undertake some contract recovery work as a Senior General Manager for a Barchester home in Mid-Wales. Following this, my role developed further into a Regional Support Manager, supporting various homes within the Central Division, and prior to returning to Plas Y Dderwen in July 2022 I was the Regional Director for Barchester Healthcare, covering the Northampton and Oxfordshire areas. Unfortunately, my husband’s health deteriorated, and we relocated to West Wales. The vacancy for Home Manager at Plas Y Dderwen became available, and I returned to be part of the amazing team that we are. Resident focus is my main priority and passion, as well as ensuring that all staff members are valued and treated respectfully. I thoroughly enjoy my role and look forward to many years of leading the team here."
Congratulations on an amazing achievement Sharon! Thank you for everything you do for our team and all of our residents!
Old Skool
We have started a new initiative with our ‘Old Skool’ sessions, which are all about having fun while learning something new—because let’s be honest, every day is a school day!
Recently, our residents have been getting stuck in to the world of dinosaurs after a few tricky quiz questions sparked some curiosity. With a mix of videos, presentations, and quizzes, we’ve been exploring fascinating facts about these prehistoric giants—like the towering Brachiosaurus and its plant-munching ways. The quiz at the end was a huge hit, and everyone did brilliantly!
But it’s not just about learning—it’s about coming together, sharing stories, and having a good time. With more sessions planned and a Jurassic Park movie afternoon on the horizon, we’re all looking forward to seeing where Old Skool takes us next!
Love is in the air!
Love was certainly in the air as we celebrated Valentine’s Day with a delightful afternoon filled with creativity, delicious treats, and plenty of smiles!
Our residents enjoyed a wonderful flower arranging session, creating beautiful bouquets to brighten up their spaces. It was lovely to see everyone getting involved, sharing memories, and admiring each other’s floral designs.
In the afternoon, we gathered for a special Valentine’s tea, complete with an array of sweet and savoury delights lovingly prepared by our talented team. The star of the show? Our manager’s homemade raspberry and chocolate cheesecake—an absolute hit with everyone!
The atmosphere was filled with warmth as we socialised over tea, listening to music with a romantic twist. It was a truly special day, bringing joy, connection, and a little extra love to all. Here’s to many more heart-warming moments together!
