Celebrating life at Barchester

Yesterday was an amazing day at Ochil Care Home as we welcomed the Tour de Barchester cyclists to the uplifting sound of the Perth & District Pipe Band. Residents, relatives, friends and staff gathered to cheer them in, creating a truly unforgettable welcome.

We were delighted to be joined by Councillor Carol Mair and Andrew from All Strong, a beneficiary of Barchester’s Charitable Foundation. A delicious barbecue and a table full of cakes added to the celebration.

Our heartfelt thanks go to:

Tesco South Street — for donating water, energy drinks and sweets
Leigh Davie — for fabulous balloon art
Lalaland — for delicious cakes and tray bakes
Darek, Danny and Linda — for food prep, barbecuing and beautiful decorations.
And to all our staff whose teamwork made the day shine.

It was a wonderful celebration of community, kindness and togetherness.

We are sharing a very special, bittersweet announcement. After many wonderful years of bringing our gardens to life, our beloved Head Gardener, Steven Tatton, affectionately known to us as Tatty, is officially retiring. 

Your hard work, kindness, and green thumb have left an unforgettable mark on our hearts and our grounds. You will be missed immensely, but we wish you the absolute happiest, most relaxing retirement.

You have truly earned it. Thank you so much for your hard work (in all weathers) Tatty.      

We took advantage of the fine weather by going for a little walk to our local café in the morning with a few of our residents and then in the same afternoon we went along to the local monthly coffee afternoon at Saltford hall.

There’s nothing better than enjoying a delicious cup of coffee and a piece of cake in good company, especially when the sun is shining!

We enjoy going out on day trips in a minibus, but we also know how lucky we are situated here at Saltford and how we can access our community so easily. It’s important to feel a sense of belonging where you live and being able to use our local facilities and join community groups helps our residents feel this too.    

At the start of May, we took part in Dementia UK – Time for a cuppa campaign raising money for charity. We hosted a brunch and afternoon tea session which residents thoroughly enjoyed. 

We also made our own cakes for the special event and our talented chef made cakes to sell on the day from our reception.

Together we raised a total of £68 for Dementia UK.   

A buzzing day here at the home as we celebrated World Bee Day! 

Residents enjoyed learning about bees and the important role they play. To make things even more exciting, we took part in decorating bee hotels and placing them around our home, as well as creating bee water stations and bee spotting.     

We had a fantastic time celebrating it with a fun cocktail and mocktail making and tasting session!

Residents enjoyed getting involved, mixing their own drinks and sampling a variety of cocktails and mocktails and creating our very own menu to showcase using all kinds of liquors, spirits, juices and drinks to create their own signature blend of flavour.    

We marked World Whisky Day with a delightful afternoon of whisky-themed activities. 

Residents enjoyed learning interesting facts about whisky, taking part in a tasting masterclass and even enjoyed a virtual visit to a distillery. 

For those who fancy it, our talented team prepared a variety of cocktails and mocktails with whisky, from ‘Old Fashioned’ to ‘Mint Julep’.    

Our residents, relatives and staff came together recently to celebrate VE Day with a truly lovely afternoon. We were delighted to welcome the Perth & District Pipe Band whose music filled our garden with a special atmosphere. It was wonderful to watch everyone enjoying the moment together.

There was plenty of tea, cakes and treats and lots of smiles as we marked this special day with music, conversation and companionship.   

Our residents were treated to an extra special surprise this week when Earl Grey the lamb trotted into the home for a heart-warming visit. Earl Grey quickly became the star of the day, charming everyone with his gentle nature and soft, woolly cuddles. Residents loved the chance to stroke him, cuddle him, and enjoy the simple joy that only a baby lamb can bring. 

The room was filled with smiles, laughter, and plenty of “awws” as Earl Grey made his way from person to person, happily soaking up all the attention. Animal visits like this are always a highlight for our residents. They spark conversation, bring back fond memories, and create a wonderful sense of calm and connection. Earl Grey certainly did all of that — and more.