Activities at South Grange Care Home

We had a lovely time joining Becca Clark and James Wylie – members of V&A Dundee’s exhibitions team – as they took us on a virtual tour of the museum’s incredible Scottish Design Galleries.

We were introduced to the wide range of unique objects at the galleries from architecture and engineering, jewellery and textiles to theatre and their fascinating stories.

And we were able to learn more about the importance of all objects in telling the rich and varied history of Scottish design.

It was a lovely talk, enjoyed by all.

We took a wonderful virtual trip to Iceland and visited the SEA LIFE Trust Beluga Whale Sanctuary to have an inside look into the daily care of their two resident beluga whales: Little White and Little Grey.

Our residents were introduced to the history of the Beluga Whale Sanctuary and learnt more about its mission to provide a more natural home for belugas in human care with a first-hand look at how the dedicated team are not only caring for the whales, but preparing for their future in the sea sanctuary!

It was an enjoyable event for everyone, learning more about the amazing beluga whales and how they are cared for at the sanctuary.

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.

Residents at South Grange recently enjoyed a pizza making session as part of the home popular baking class, they enjoyed creating their own wonderful pizza creations and experimenting with different toppings.

Conversations flowed whilst the pizzas were cooking as residents shared stories from travels to Italy to their favourite local Italian restaurants they had visited and once they were cooked, a competition was held to see who had made the best pizza.

One resident remarked “I had never tried my pizza topping before but it was really nice, I enjoyed making it.”

Residents from South Grange enjoyed an afternoon of crispy cake making as part of their baking masterclass which took them back to their younger years.  Baking sessions are a popular activity for the home and the activity had taste buds tingling.

Fiona Torrie, General Manager said: “The residents enjoyed getting creative with their baking as it not only brings back memories of their childhood, but also times when they’ve baked with their own children and grandchildren. Once all the crispy cakes were set, we all enjoyed sitting down with a cup of tea to enjoy!”

Staff and residents at Barchester’s South Grange care home in Monifeith were treated to a unique performance from English National Ballet to celebrate International Youth Day on August 12.

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.