Celebrating life at Barchester

Staff and residents were given the opportunity to attend the 80 year VE Day service of remembrance parade in Rayleigh. 
We were very privileged and honoured to have been invited to this poinyant event. 
We were treated to entertainment in the form of music from Libby, a beautiful songstress and a traditional parade of army cadets and the local ATC. 
Prayers were said, hymns were sung, the last post played its tune across Rayleigh and we watched the lighting of the beacon which was performed in unison across the country at 9.30pm this evening. 
Our residents were touched to have been part of such a special occasion and enjoyed meeting local people and dignitaries.   

Lily Pad Day Nursery offered us an afternoon with them. After lunch, we took the mini-bus and made our way to Lily Pad. Greeted by a lovely gentleman who had biscuits waiting for us. We headed to the main hall where the children were waiting. The residents all sat at a table, then the children picked a table for which activity they wanted to do. The interaction was amazing between the children and residents. Making shapes out of playdough, making beautiful colourings and the children reading stories to us. 

One little boy brought a handful of drawings in for us and said we could take them back to put up on our wall. Carroll enjoyed listening to one little boy read her a story. Cherry said "Naomi, I want to take these two home with us and laugh."

Reg said seeing children is good for your heart. This was a wonderful connection we had with the local nursery and brought so much joy and happiness to everyone that came along. 

All three residents said what a lovely afternoon they had. We are now looking forward to July to invite Lily Pad to Juniper House for a teddy bear picnic.

This is Michael. He lives here at Winchester House. When Michael first came to Winchester House, he didn’t want to join in with any activities. He remained in his room on a daily basis. Over time, the activity staff, with help from the care staff, began to earn his trust and slowly brought him out of himself. 

Michael now, with confidence, walks around the home to see his friends that he’s made here. He also comes along to activities and goes out on trips. He had just come on our boat trip with his daughter, which he thoroughly enjoyed.

Excitement is running high at Glebefields care home, where the talented residents have been named the winners of the annual Barchester Easter Cake competition for the Central Division. Each year, residents from Barchester’s care homes and hospitals up and down the country compete for the coveted Easter Cake of the Year title. The competition is run by the central hospitality team and the bar is set very high. Many of Barchester’s residents are very skilled bakers and the Easter cake designs can be very elaborate. Competition is fierce and only the very best recipes and designs will prevail.

The residents at Glebefields care home worked together and put on their aprons to make an amazing Easter cake, decorated beautifully. Their special cake was a lemon sponge, topped with daffodil decorations. It was made with tasty ingredients like fresh lemons, butter, eggs, and a touch of vanilla. The cake had a light lemon curd filling and was covered with smooth cream cheese icing. The daffodils were made from sugar. 

Glebefields care home celebrated Nutrition and Hydration Week (17th – 23rd March) with lots of yummy, wholesome food, thirst-quenching beverages and some interesting activities along the way. The week-long celebration, which is recognised nationally and globally, highlights the crucial role that nutrition and hydration play in maintaining overall health and wellbeing - especially for older adults. Glebefields Care Homemade this year’s event was extra special, earning recognition as the Central Division Winner amongst all Barchester care homes.

Throughout Nutrition and Hydration Week, Glebefields Care Home treated residents to a delicious and diverse line-up of themed days celebrating good food and hydration. Monday began with a hearty breakfast of fresh fruits, porridge, wholegrain toast, and the highlight—flaky, buttery homemade croissants. On Tuesday, residents tucked into comforting supper snacks, including sausage rolls, cheese twists, sandwiches, and traditional scones served with jam and clotted cream. Wednesday’s Global Tea Party brought a variety of teas from around the world alongside sweet treats and classic cucumber sandwiches. 

Thursday focused on hydration with colourful options such as fruit-infused water, juices, mocktails, and refreshing homemade iced tea with lemon and mint. Friday featured a tropical fruit feast, while Saturday saw residents blending their own banana and berry smoothies in a fun, interactive session. The week wrapped up with Sunday’s Lazy Sundae Afternoon, where everyone enjoyed building their own ice-cream sundaes topped with sprinkles, chocolate sauce, and fresh strawberries—a perfect, joyful end to a flavour-filled week.

Our residents celebrations were in full swing, enjoying a wonderful VE Day party. They delighted in listening to the lovely sounds of wartime songs. As they reminisced about stories from their childhoods.

The residents enjoyed dancing the day away, and one resident mentioned she did not want the party to end. A big thank you to our home team for making this momentous anniversary so special for our home and those who live there.

We had a lovely Easter celebration here at Glebefields, with joy, laughter, and plenty of chocolate, of course. We started with a fun Easter Egg Hunt around the home. Our residents had so much fun searching for eggs, sharing smiles and enjoying the little surprises tucked away. Everyone who joined in received a lovely gift. 

We enjoyed some brilliant entertainment from the wonderful singing duo Sparkier & Sprite. The music brought so much happiness, lots of clapping along and even a few happy dances from our lovely residents and staff. 

We also had a lovely Easter Bonnet decorating competition where our residents got creative with colourful ribbons, flowers, and sparkle. Every bonnet was beautiful, and of course, everyone was a winner, with a sweet chocolate treat to celebrate their creations.

It really was such a special day, full of smiles and wonderful memories. A huge thank you to everyone who helped make it so special. From our Glebefields family to yours, we extend our lovely wishes for a blessed Easter. Happy Easter!

We celebrated VE Day at Pinetree today in style. 
We began with an official service lead by reverends Jackie and Steve and the kings address read by Chair of Rochford District Council Sarah-Jayne Page. 
The Last Post was played followed by a 2 minute silence. 
The official cake was made by our lovely Andrea and cut by Barbara in her capacity of first Pinetree resident. 
We boogied the afternoon away at a street party after the most beautiful buffet.
Chatting about old memories shared both happy and emotional with friends and families was priceless. 
We were thrilled to be able celebrate Victory in Europe and the freedom we enjoy today with all of our lovely residents snd their families. 
Thank you to everyone who supported and joined us today.

The residents of Rose Lodge were in full swing, enjoying a wonderful VE Day party. They delighted in listening to the lovely sounds of wartime songs. Marie reminisced, "My mum always used to say, 'Don’t forget your gas mask.'"

The residents enjoyed dancing the evening away, and Vera mentioned she did not want the party to end. A big thank you to our activities coordinator, Jane, and our volunteers Cheryl, Adrian, Amelia, and Laura for coming in to help.

We also extend our gratitude to our hospitality team for the lovely buffet.

WOW WOW WOW 
What a fantastic day we shared with residents, their families and friends, future residents, staff and the community. 
From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for coming today, for donating cakes, raffle prizes and being part of this special day. 
We raised a whopping £475 for our charities, dementia UK and Alzheimer's Society
Special thanks go to:
S. Stibbards & Sons for their incredible donation to our raffle. Jenny and Amelia were thrilled. You are always so generous.. Thank you. 
Cllr Sarah-Jane Page and Cllr Richard Linden for coming and spending your valuable time with our residents. And again happy birthday Richard, we were happy you chose to spend your special day with us.
Cllr Elizabeth Brewer for joining us as a support to us and our event in your capacity as Cllr and everything you do for people living with dementia. 
To the Pinetree staff who worked hard to make today the success it was and to all who supported us. 
We are overwhelmed by the kindness and generosity of you all and we are very proud of what we have achieved. This money will mean so much to so many. 

We spent a lovely afternoon out in the courtyard soaking up the sunshine and celebrating International Beer Day together.

There was plenty of fun, laughter, and a good bit of reminiscing too, chatting about the history of beer, how it’s made, and enjoying a little quiz to keep minds buzzing. Of course, there were some tasty nibbles to soak up the beer, and we made sure there was something for everyone, including non-alcoholic beer and a refreshing shandy to enjoy.

A perfect way to spend the afternoon with great company, stories, and sunshine. Cheers to good times.

Today was a hive of activity at Pinetree and it was amazing!!
We are really big on community here at Pinetree and todays activities gave a little something to so many.
We were thrilled to be able to host the lovely Marie from Age Concern Southend on Sea and Tabetha Miles, Independent PT working under Age Concern Southend, who came to spend time with staff and residents this morning to give us a taste of their 'Falls Prevention Workshop'. This was a very informative session that we were all able to be involved with, ask questions at make future working plans together.  watch this space for some exciting new plans.
We were so pleased to be able to offer a space to Carers First Essex arts group for their usual monthly meeting to be able to get together and craft the morning away.
Kinder Essex came together with our residents for their weekly Hug in a shrug group and have planned some incredible community projects.  Something for us all to 'give back', which is so important to us.

Lucerne House has gone all out for the May Day Bank Holiday

Our home has been buzzing with energy, music and lots of fun and good cheer as we enjoyed an amazing afternoon in our Memory Lane community lounge and garden.

Our life enrichment team kicked off our music festival season with a brilliant performance of favourite tunes, that had us all dancing, singing along, tapping our feet and clapping our hands.

We then enjoyed a delicious BBQ, expertly prepared by our head chef, Darren. We had burgers, hot dogs, vegetable options, including kebabs and even had homemade coleslaw and salad that was prepared by our residents.

It's been a brilliant day, soaking up the sun and making lots of wonderful memories with great company. 

A big fear for many residents when moving into a Tyspane Care Home is that they will lose their independence. Maintaining autonomy over their own lives is essential for residents’ wellbeing. Tyspane Care Home recognises this, and the Care Quality Commission (CQC) even checks that residents are being supported to maintain their independence when they carry out inspections.

Only this morning, it was wonderful to see Lee getting ready to leave Tyspane Care Home to go shopping in Braunton on his motorised scooter. His scooter is not only stunning to look at (shocking metallic red) but also life-changing.  Having his scooter allowed Lee to retain his independence, enhanced his mobility, improved his health and mental wellbeing.

Lee (Resident) said, “It’s a cool piece of kit.”

Caroline (Visitor) replied, “Absolutely love my dear friend Lee. I am so pleased and proud of how well he is doing . I can't thank the staff enough for all they do for him and continue to do so.”  

As Lee is a heavy metal music fan, the sight of him leaving Tyspane Care Home grounds reminded me of the song “Motorcycle Man,” released by Saxon in 1980, which pays tribute to the thrill and power of motorcycle riding. 

Today, we made the most of the stunning weather and sunshine with a wonderful trip to the Waterfront Café! 

The outing was extra special as many of our residents have a personal connection and rich history with this area. As we sat by the water, stories and memories flowed just as naturally as the river.

Some residents fondly reminisced about the early days, recalling when this place was just a quiet, hidden gem, and others shared heart-warming tales of their first visits and the changes they've witnessed over the years. 

We also had the pleasure of being accompanied by a few relatives. Thank you so much for making this day special. It was truly an enjoyable special day!!

Our residents at Waterside Court had a wonderful afternoon during a live virtual tea tasting with Clipper. 
They explored a variety of unique blends and truly savoured every sip. 

It was a relaxing and flavourful experience enjoyed by all! 

Pet therapy is so good for everyone, improving physical, emotional and social wellbeing; releasing oxytocin which makes you feel so much better. 
When animals visit the home, everyone want to come to meet them. Today our friends Macey and Oscar from Donna’s Diddy Darlings came to visit; we overdosed on oxytocin, what a lovely morning we had. 

What a lovely afternoon we had celebrating the Easter weekend with a special Afternoon Tea. 
Residents, families, and staff came together to enjoy a delicious spread of homemade treats, beautifully decorated cakes, and plenty of tea (and laughter!). The lounge was filled with spring cheer, colourful Easter decorations, and the sweet sounds of classic tunes.

A big thank you to our incredible team for making it so special and to all the families who joined us — your presence truly made the day extra memorable. Our residents were also treated to some thoughtful Easter gifts lovingly handmade by our amazing Activities Assistant.

They’ve been busy in the lead up to Easter, getting creative recently with some beautiful Easter crafts — especially painting wooden ornaments kindly made by our talented gardener. "It’s been a joyful and colourful week full of smiles, creativity, and community spirit!” 

Edingley Lodge Care Home marked VE Day in a meaningful and memorable way with a special visit to the Newark Air Museum, honouring the courage and sacrifice of those who served during the Second World War.

The outing was part of the care home's commitment to enriching the lives of its residents through community engagement and historical reflection. Several residents, some of whom are veterans or grew up during wartime Britain, enjoyed guided tours of the museum’s wartime exhibits and shared personal stories.

What a wonderful way to spend the afternoon! Our residents enjoyed a live performance from the talented Marcus, soaking up both the sunshine and the sounds. Surrounded by flowers and fresh air, staff and residents came together to enjoy singing and dancing along to their favourite songs, creating a joyful and heart-warming atmosphere. 

Thank you, Marcus, for filling our garden with music, laughter, and happy memories!

What do you do when the sun comes out? 
You get out in the garden and have a boogie 
At Pinetree we react to the latest requests and seize the day to have a social, get some exercise and generally have some fun.

The home was filled with joy, laughter, and a touch of magic as we welcomed a very special guest — the Easter Bunny! Residents were delighted to see the Easter Bunny hopping down the halls, spreading smiles and plenty of cheer.

Everyone got involved in the fun — The home was filled with laughter as the Bunny made their rounds, handing out goodies and posing for some egg-cellent photos.

The festive decorations, cheerful Karaoke, over a glass of bubbly, and lovely spring atmosphere brought a wonderful sense of togetherness and celebration.

A few of our residents are keen golfers so our pink ladies, Lorraine and Carol, planned a trip to Salisbury Driving Range.

It was such an enjoyable day for our residents and brought back many happy memories.

This week, we paid a cheerful visit to the garden centre to pick up some new bedding plants for the garden. Our residents love getting involved in outdoor activities, and the fresh blooms are a beautiful addition to our space.

Arts and crafts have also been in full swing, with residents creating colourful flower plates that now brighten up our communities. As always, we’ve kept moving with our regular music and movement sessions, exercise classes, and, of course, karaoke!

We also celebrated St George’s Day with a fun and engaging quiz, and yesterday we tuned into a relaxing live-stream tea tasting session by clipped tea.

National Jelly Bean Day brought some sweet fun with cupcake decorating, which turned out to be a wonderful sensory activity.

Today, residents enjoyed a delightful minibus outing to the Wetland Centre, where they had the chance to see a wide variety of birds and ducks — with the flamingos being a particular favourite!

Back at the home, some of our residents soaked up the glorious sunshine while enjoying music in the garden, creating a relaxing and joyful atmosphere.

Merlys said “It was such a beautiful day, spent in the sunshine with a lovely group of people.”

Meanwhile, some families and residents took part in a special keepsake experience, designing beautiful silver jewellery capturing the imprints of their loved ones — a truly meaningful and memorable day.

Some of our ladies had a delightful time playing carpet boules, enjoying friendly competition and plenty of laughter. 

Residents marked VE Day with joy, joining the local Barkston Ash Catholic primary school for songs, smiles, and a shared sense of remembrance.