Activities at Marnel Lodge Care Home

After days of wonderful preparation, our residents, together with the Maintenance Team, Activities Team, and staff from across the home, transformed Marnel Lodge into a festive winter haven. From decorating the lounges to lighting up the gardens, everyone worked with so much heart to make the season truly magical.

On 1st December, our home came alive as our much-loved Resident Ambassador, Ian, proudly lit up the Christmas lights. The moment the home sparkled, smiles filled the room — a memory we will treasure throughout the season. Residents, families, and staff enjoyed warm mulled wine and freshly baked mince pies, creating the perfect cosy atmosphere to welcome December.

Home Manager Anju extended her heartfelt thanks to every resident and team member who contributed to the preparations, saying how proud she is of the shared effort, creativity, and festive spirit shining through Marnel Lodge. Here’s to a joyful December ahead, filled with celebration, community, and Christmas cheer!           

At Marnel Lodge, we are proud to celebrate the incredible achievements of three of our long-serving colleagues, each reaching a remarkable milestone — 10 years of dedicated service to our home.

This special moment recognises:

 Daniella – Team Leader
 Julie – Senior Carer
 Helen – Senior Kitchen Assistant

For the past decade, each of these wonderful team members has demonstrated unwavering commitment, compassion, and professionalism. Their contribution has made a lasting positive impact on our residents, families, and colleagues, and their dedication continues to shine through in everything they do.

We are sincerely grateful for their hard work, loyalty, and the passion they bring to their roles every single day. Marnel Lodge is a better place because of them, and we are honoured to celebrate this well-deserved achievement.

A big thank you to Jeanne, our wonderful volunteer, for her generous donation of plants to our gardening club! She kindly provided tomatoes, peas, red and white onions, and a lovely selection of herbs. Jeanne mentioned she would have brought even more, but space is currently limited — so the veggies are sharing their raised bed with the fruit for now, until the rest of the beds are ready.

We have also sown some carrot seeds, and several residents got stuck in helping to build a frame to support the fruit netting. The netting is doing a vital job protecting our fruit bushes from hungry insects and birds.

It’s been wonderful to see everyone getting involved — here’s to a bountiful and colourful season ahead!

The afternoon was absolutely amazing as a group of residents from Marnel Lodge enjoyed a special visit to Basingstoke College of Technology. We received a warm welcome from Fi, the staff, and the students, who all went out of their way to make the experience memorable.

The ladies particularly loved their time in the college hair salon, where they were pampered and had their hair done beautifully. We were then treated to a delightful afternoon tea, joined by none other than Anthony Bravo, the Principal of the college. He spoke warmly about the value of students connecting with and giving back to the community.

The sandwiches were lovely, and the cakes were simply divine. Following tea, we joined the Health and Social Care students for a fun session of games, which had everyone smiling and laughing. Fi thanked us for attending and shared how valuable the afternoon had been for the students as a learning experience. She called it a great learning curve and appreciated our patience as the event was a first for them. We felt the whole afternoon was a brilliant success.  

Staff, residents, relatives and the local community came together to enjoy a community BBQ that was held in the home’s beautiful garden. The hospitality team served a selection of BBQ favourites and delicious refreshments, which were enjoyed by everyone who came to the event. We all enjoyed singing and dancing along to local singer Amanda Parsons who sang a variety of classic hits. Thank you to all those that attended, we raised an amazing £595.45 for our Resident's fund which they will decide in their next meeting how they want to spend the money and to donate some of the proceeds to a local charity.

Residents at Marnel Lodge Care Home in Basingstoke have taken part in the Veterans Hub In Hampshire Clinic as a part of Men’s Health Awareness.

During the visit, Consultant Urological Surgeon Dr Richard Hindley delivered an informative presentation on prostate cancer, outlining the key signs and symptoms, the impact of prostatitis, available treatment pathways, and the emerging role of AI technology in early diagnosis and research. The session aimed to raise essential awareness of health issues affecting men, particularly within the veteran community.

Marnel Lodge residents John Boucher and Raymond Gardner, both veterans, enjoyed reconnecting with fellow servicemen and engaging with the wider community.

Raymond’s daughter Sue, who accompanied Dad, expressed her appreciation, noting how valuable such visits are for maintaining her father’s interests and sense of identity.

Home Manager Anju Abraham commented:
“Maintaining meaningful community links is vital for our residents. Supporting them to take part in activities they have enjoyed throughout their lives is central to enhancing wellbeing and delivering truly person-centred care.”

Marnel Lodge expressed gratitude to The Hampshire Clinic and Dr Hindley for hosting the session and for their ongoing commitment to promoting men’s health awareness.

Our varied life enrichment programme keeps residents active, and provides a daily choice of engaging physical, mental and spiritual activities tailored to residents’ interests and abilities.        

There was a wonderfully relaxed atmosphere in the Marnel Lodge café this morning as our residents gathered to enjoy a calm and sociable start to the day. The coffee shop has always been a favourite spot within our home — a place where friendships grow, conversations flow, and everyone feels part of a warm community.

Residents spent time together chatting, sharing stories, reading the morning newspapers, and playing a friendly game of dominoes while enjoying freshly made tea and coffee. Moments like these reflect the heart of Marnel Lodge: simple pleasures, meaningful connections, and a homely environment where everyone feels comfortable and valued.

Our café space overlooks the garden, offering soft natural light and a peaceful setting that many residents love. Whether it’s a quiet moment with a book or a lively conversation with neighbours, this is a place where residents can truly unwind.

At Marnel Lodge, we believe daily life should be enjoyable, purposeful, and filled with opportunities to socialise and stay connected. Our team takes pride in creating these moments and ensuring each day offers something special.

If you would like to learn more about life at Marnel Lodge Care Home, our friendly team would be delighted to help. 

Phil—one of our wonderful volunteers at Marnel Lodge Care Home—accompanied resident Ian to An Evening with Simon Reeve: To the Ends of the Earth at The Anvil Theatre.

Ian had spotted the event on a previous visit and expressed a keen interest in attending. Thanks to our dedicated Activities Team, tickets and transport were arranged for both gentlemen to enjoy the show.
Ian shared that it was a thoroughly enjoyable evening—and we hear there may have been a favourite tipple involved during the interval too!

At Marnel Lodge, we love creating opportunities that are personal and meaningful. If your loved one has a special wish or interest, please let our Activities Team know—we’ll always do our best to make it happen.

On Thursday mornings, residents from Marnel Lodge Care Home enjoyed a heart-warming visit to Lenny’s Dementia Café, where they were joined by Mark, the vicar of St Leonard’s Church.

This wonderful initiative, run entirely by trained volunteers, offers a welcoming and supportive environment for people living with dementia and their carers. It's a place to relax, share experiences, and connect with others in similar circumstances – and it’s completely free of charge.

Our residents always come away feeling uplifted and valued. During the morning, they enjoyed reminiscing, playing dominoes, decorating cakes, and even taking a gentle stroll around the beautiful grounds with support. As always, we were treated to lovely refreshments and made to feel truly welcome.

This Week's Trip Out Was To The Seaside at Bournemouth. The weather was perfect, dry but not too hot. There was a ride up the cliffs via a cable car. The Residents said they had a lovely day.

The Christmas spirit is truly alive and glowing here at Marnel Lodge as our residents have once again come together to prepare this year’s traditional Christmas cake. What began as a simple baking activity has grown into a cherished annual ritual that brings friendship, purpose, and joy to our home.

From soaking the fruits weeks in advance, to carefully mixing the batter, to the excitement of baking day itself, every step has been filled with laughter and wonderful conversations. Our residents now take great pride in the daily “feeding” of the cake — a much-loved tradition that adds richness and depth to the final creation. The process is not just about baking; it is about shared experiences, memories of Christmases past, and the warmth of doing something meaningful together.

Our lovely resident Pam summed it up beautifully when she said, “I always love baking and enjoy doing it.” Her enthusiasm reflects the feelings of many who have taken part.

These moments perfectly highlight why person-centred celebrations matter. By keeping familiar traditions alive, we support our residents’ identity, independence, and emotional wellbeing. Activities like this provide structure, comfort, sensory stimulation, and — most importantly — a sense of home.

Now, as the cake matures beautifully, excitement is building across the home. Our residents cannot wait to unveil and share their delicious creation with everyone on Christmas Day.

At Marnel Lodge, traditions like this are not just events; they are heart-warming reminders of the joy, connection, and togetherness that make our home so special at this time of year.   

We marked International Nurses Day with a heartfelt celebration of the incredible nursing team here at Marnel Lodge Care Home.

Residents created beautiful handmade cards filled with personal messages, and our kitchen team cooked up a special treat to say thank you. Each nurse also received a small gift, but it was the love and gratitude behind it all that truly made the day special.

One resident, Joan, summed it up perfectly: “The nurses here feel like family—they look after us so well.”

Our latest canal boat outing was a great success – this time it was the gentlemen's turn to enjoy a relaxing cruise from Odiham towards Winchfield.

With calm waters and beautiful scenery, the trip offered the perfect setting for a leisurely afternoon. Chef treated everyone to warm Cornish pasties, which were happily washed down with cold beers and refreshing juices. Barry, our knowledgeable volunteer skipper, shared fascinating facts about the boat and the history of the canal. The residents were full of curiosity, asking plenty of questions and keeping the conversation flowing throughout the journey.

The gents returned with big smiles and said how much they had enjoyed the day – a truly uplifting experience for all involved. 

Perfectly timed in the middle of a heatwave, staff and residents had a fantastic time celebrating National Ice Cream Day on July 21st, a brilliant excuse to sample lots of cooling treats. Residents experimented with many different types of toppings and flavour combinations, from the exotic to the traditional – sorbets, frozen yoghurt and good old dairy-based ice cream, they tasted and savoured them all.

Marek Is doing his 25km in one day on a treadmill at Marnel Lodge. He will be carrying a back pack which Anju and Myself can’t even lift!!

Support from Residents and Staff for Marek and his challenge. We had a family support and local GP. After almost 7 hours Marek has completed the challenge with total money raise £376 This is for the Alzheimer’s Society

Thank you for your support!