Activities at Thistle Hill Care Home
Our activities team are great at building the activities programme around the likes and interests of the people we care for. Ensuring that our social events offer fun and adventure is part of the ethos of our home; it’s important that those we support can enjoy an active and social lifestyle. Of course, there will always be those who prefer peace and quiet, and in these instances, a cup of tea and a chat are always welcomed.
Read our brochure 'Life-enriching activities' for more information about life in our care homes.
Read our brochure
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 Thistle Hill Care Home
Keep on running!
Residents from the Thistle Hill got creative during lockdown and took part in a national virtual race by drawing and writing signs of support to give local runners encouragement and a smile.
The Endure24 event which under normal circumstances would have taken place at Wasing Park in Reading and Bramham Park in Leeds would see thousands of runners take part in a 24 hour relay, that had to be cancelled this year due to the coronavirus pandemic. However race organisers decided to take the race virtual and raise money for charities helping to battle the pandemic.
Currently the just giving page has raised over eighteen thousands pounds for charity. This saw thousands of runners in their home towns run for 24 hours solo, or in teams of two, four, six and eight as part of the virtual relay.
Mandy Scott, General Manager, said: “The residents wanted to take part in the event to do their bit in showing support for local runners including our activities coordinator Mark who was taking part. Our residents enjoyed themselves and did an amazing job and did us all proud”
Fun-filled day for Father’s Day
Residents at Thistle Hill enjoyed a pub themed afternoon in celebration of Father’s Day. This year, due to the current situation, family and friends joined in the celebrations by being able to visit their loved ones in the gardens of Thistle Hill, adhering to social distancing.
Staff and residents enjoyed an afternoon of music and drink in a pub themed setting. A special traditional homemade lunch of roast beef, Yorkshire puddings and all the trimmings was prepared by the home’s chef.
Icing on the cake for cupcake day!
National Cupcake Day has been a real treat at Thistle Hill where sweet-toothed staff and residents got out their aprons and mixing bowls to raise money for the Alzheimer’s Society. The day, organised by the Alzheimer’s Society, encourages groups and individuals to host a cupcake day to raise money for the charity, where funds will be put towards finding the cure for dementia. Dedicated Cupcakers have raised £2.7 million since 2016, and this year the charity hopes to raise even more to continue to support those affected by dementia.
Working up an Apetite
Residents and staff at Thistle Hill ate their fill and then some at The Big Lunch – an initiative that aims to get as many neighbours together for lunch as possible. With lock-down in place and unable to invite visitors to the home, they created their very own virtual lunch party and welcomed relatives to join them via Skype during the course of the day.
Residents and staff got together in the home for an all day party with food, music and decorations. Everyone joined the organised lunch in the welcoming environment that is the home's Memory Lane balcony lounge. This is a hub of the home and was integral to engaging everyone in this simple act of friendship, fun and food.
World’s Greatest Flower Show
An international pandemic was not going to let organisers of the Royal Chelsea Flower Show, or residents at Thistle Hill, stop celebrating the event, as it was moved to a digital format. Taking place between 18th – 24th May, the world’s greatest flower show went digital, and brought an exciting line-up of world-leading designers, plant experts, and practical gardening advice – all enjoyed from the comfort of your own home.
In celebration, the RHS and BBC1’s The One Show, joined forces to launch a competition to celebrate ‘Virtual Chelsea’, asking green fingered fans to share images of green spaces and gardens – and hear how plants are helping them through these challenging times. Of course, residents at thistle hill were keen to get involved.
Residents thoroughly enjoyed watching the virtual flower show on our big screen via YouTube, taking part in a flower show themed quiz and taking advantage of our wonderful gardens and woodland walk to go flower and leaf spotting.
VE Day Festivities
The beginning of May saw a trying time for the nation and our residents and guests, but this would not diminish the great British spirit, as our residents rallied to celebrate the 75th anniversary of VE Day
Our residents and guests had a wonderful day singing along with the old time songs from that era! They had a wonderful time dancing the day away and telling stories of times gone by. They only stopped to take a moment of reflection during the two minute silence and to listen to Winston Churchill’s speech at 3pm, before they joined the nation in raising their glasses.
