Activities at Westergate House 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.
Lee Austin
My name is Lee and I am the Head of Lifestyle here at Westergate House.
I support our residents daily to do the things they enjoy and it is extremely important to me that we are offering a premium and person centred service to each resident. I support our residents on a daily basis by providing meaningful and quality activities either in groups or on a 1:1 basis, to help encourage and build confidence while creating an enjoyable environment for everyone. Westergate House is the home of our residents, we as staff are working in it, so it is extremely important to me that we are respectful of that, while offering a premium and person centred service to each and every resident.
I am a trained actor and professional vocalist and not shy in making a fool of myself. If I do that every day to put a smile on our residents faces then I’m happy I have played my part, along with the rest of the amazing team, to brightening their day. If you hear someone singing along the corridor or see them dancing in the lounges, it will probably be me.
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 Westergate House Care Home
75th Anniversary VE Day
To commemorate this poignant and important anniversary at Westergate House, the communities were decked out with Union Jack bunting, 1940’s music played and afternoon Pimms was served. The day was completed with a High Tea served on our fine bone china in our dining rooms. Food included traditional British fayre including delicate sandwiches, sausage rolls, cheese straws, cakes and scones galore.
Resident veteran Winifred Vaughn, who served in the Auxiliary Territorial Service during World War II commented ‘It is important that we remember those who served during the war – times were hard and everyone had to work together. As we know many sacrificed their lives during this time and on VE Day we get the chance to pay tribute to them. I remember that we were all so relieved and overjoyed when it all ended’.
Supporting the Sea Cadets
Westergate House continues to support the Bognor Regis & District Sea Cadets, and has gladly sent a contribution towards their costs, which will help support them through the current challenges.
LT Gary Edgington MBE, the Officer in charge of the Cadet Unit, said: ‘It is acts of kindness like this that make our life a lot more cheerful. We miss our visits to the residents and look forward to once again being able to support you with cadets’ and ceremonies. Thank you!’
Mother's Day
Mothering Sunday was a quieter affair this year; there were plenty of flowers and cards, a delicious three course Sunday roast with all the trimmings, and a few glasses of sherry, as usual.
With the use of modern technology at our fingertips, relatives were able to Skype or FaceTime their loved ones throughout the day, ensuring our residents were able to celebrate Mothering Sunday with their families.
Postcards of Kindness
Our residents are currently participating in 'Postcards of Kindness', an initiative inviting people from the community to send postcards to care home residents. The resulting deliveries have brought a great deal of joy and sparked lively conversations among the residents at Westergate House.
During these times, residents have also received letters from some of our neighbours, resulting in pen-pal relationships being created. These new friends look forward to visiting the home when they can.
Captain Toms 100th Birthday
Residents were keen to get involved in Captain Tom's NHS fundraising initiative, and got busy making him a personalised card to celebrate his 100th birthday for 30th April. Westergate House have also donated £100 towards this fantastic cause, with thanks to Captain Tom for all his efforts!
Alzheimer’s ‘Glow’ Memory Walk
Our wonderful care team went the extra mile by volunteering to do the Alzheimer’s Society's Memory Walk Glow Event. Well done, guys! It was a super fun evening that is sure to be repeated. We at the home are here to support you every step of the way!
