Celebrating life at Barchester

We celebrate life through everything we do, from our thoughtful experiences and activities to our delicious food. We offer the latest technology as well as sensory engagement to nurture the wellbeing of our residents. With a wide variety of tailored activities and events we make sure our residents have the best physical, mental, spiritual and social stimulation, all bespoke to them. Take a look at what we’ve been up to…

Tennyson Wharf Care Home

Double the fun as therapy ponies visit!

Tennyson Wharf regularly welcomes Darwen the Falabella therapy pony to the home. This last visit was made even more special as Darwen accompanied his younger brother, Faberge, for his very first therapy visits to a care home.

Both ponies are owned and rigorously trained by Brenda Depear who is a licensed substance abuse and rehabilitation counsellor who also specializes in traumatic brain injuries and Dementia care. The ponies provide comfort and support to all of her clients and love visiting care homes.

Shawford Springs Care Home

Days out together

February may have brought non stop rain, but that didn’t stop us from enjoying two lovely outings on our minibus.

On a recent Tuesday morning we visited the Gosport Museum & Gallery, where we enjoyed their fascinating new exhibition which explores colour in the world around us.

Then on Wednesday we took a nostalgic trip back in time to the 1940’s with a visit to the 19fourteas tea room in Havant. The quirky cafe is themed entirely around the 40’s with ration book style menus, vintage tableware & furnishings from the wartime era. It made the perfect setting for sharing childhood memories over a delicious cuppa and slice of cake!

Herne Place Care Home

Singing session

An Afternoon at home was filled with smiles, music, and beautiful voices as we enjoyed a lovely singing session with Laura.

From familiar favourites to joyful sing-a-longs, our residents truly shone, sharing laughter, memories, and plenty of toe-tapping moments. A wonderful way to lift spirits and bring everyone together through the power of music.

Art community project

We had a truly inspiring day as our residents took part in a wonderful community art project coordinated by Bright Shadow, Whitstable.

It was a joy to see everyone getting creative, expressing themselves, and feeling part of something bigger within the local community.

We are also proud to have supported this meaningful initiative by making a donation to Bright Shadow, helping them continue their fantastic work in promoting inclusion, creativity, and wellbeing through art.

A big thank you to Bright Shadow, Whitstable for welcoming us so warmly and creating such a positive and memorable experience for our residents.

Warm and engaging

We had a fantastic session with Inclusive Sports, bringing energy, laughter, and lots of smiles into our home. Residents enjoyed a range of interactive and fun games designed so everyone could take part at their own pace. It was wonderful to see such enthusiasm, teamwork, and pure joy throughout the session. Thank you to Inclusive Sports for making physical activity so inclusive, enjoyable, and uplifting for all.

Pizza Perfection!

Our residents had a wonderful time making their own pizzas recently! From rolling the dough to choosing their favourite toppings, everyone created some delicious masterpieces. There were plenty of colourful toppings to choose from including meats and veg! You also can't go wrong with a little extra cheese for good measure.

Food-based activities are a fantastic way to engage the senses, encourage creativity, and support hand–eye coordination, all while having lots of fun together.

We’re already looking forward to our next cooking session!

The Spires Care Home

Special Visitor

To make our day even more special, we were joined by a lovely therapy dog, who brought plenty of smiles, cuddles, and calm moments for everyone.

Animal Therapy

Residents were visited by Bex from Pet Pals Therapy and her amazing animals.

Bex brought along 2 gorgeous lambs named Berry and Bramble as well as some chicks and the amazing Nala who is a 5 month old Border Collie.

The residents all got the chance to hold the chicks, feed the lambs and have a cuddle with Nala. Everyone always enjoys visits from pets pals and they love to have the chance to spend some time with the animals!

Musical Entertainment From Bedes School

Residents were joined by the boys from Bedes School.

Will, Ralph and Albert all spent the afternoon providing some fantastic trumpet and Saxophone playing for the residents followed by a sit down and chat with tea and cake.

The residents thoroughly enjoyed the visit from these students, they love to have the chance to talk to them and get to know a bit about them and their instruments that they play.