Celebrating life at Barchester

The gentlemen in Sherwood Lodge kicked off the long weekend with a takeaway on Friday night.

This was a lovely opportunity to get our like-minded men together to enjoy a good chat and each other’s company over beer, wine and Chinese food. 

There was plenty of smiles and laughter throughout the evening as the men formed deeper friendships within the home.          

Wow! What a turn-out, and such an incredible day for our residents, family, friends and community. We are so thankful to everyone who showed up, it was such an amazing turnout! And we really hope you all had a great day, enjoying the sunshine, delicious food, good company, games, prizes and stalls.

Thank you to the entire Sherwood Lodge team, and all those who volunteered their help throughout the day for helping the day run so smoothly! We couldn't have done it so well without all hands on deck.

Thank you to everyone for the generous rattle and tombola prizes! Your generosity went far in helping us host a great event and raising money for our Residents' Fund.

Finally, and most of all, THANK YOU to everyone who showed up, donated, and supported our home and our residents! With all the kindness and generosity from each of you, we were able to raise a whopping £568.19.

This money goes directly to our residents' fund, which we will then use for special and meaningful experiences for our residents, chosen by our residents.    

A great afternoon was had at Sherwood Lodge, thanks to a wonderful visit from Carey Baptist Church Youth Group. This amazing group of young people visit the home to spend time with our residents, joining them in activities such as colouring and dominoes, and reminiscing with them on their pasts. It’s so inspiring to see these generations unite and find common interests and share stories.   

Thank you to everyone who attended and took part today. It was an incredible afternoon!      

The residents of Sherwood Lodge have had glorious afternoon celebrating National Prosecco Day!   

The afternoon was full of joy, laughter and a delicious array of drinks and refreshments as the residents escaped the heat in our wonderfully cool café.

What a great way to spend the afternoon.   

Today our residents enjoyed a wonderful and interactive talk by Charlotte from Lancashire County Council. The session focused on the importance of good nutrition and hydration and tips for how to stay healthy! This can impact their health and improve their wellbeing.

The residents were well engaged with questions and discussions throughout and Charlotte did amazing at packing so much fun and information into one afternoon.

It’s wonderful to have the support of our local council in the care we provide for our residents.

An amazing morning at The Dales Crufts! Beautiful, well-behaved dogs came along to see everyone, show their talents and spread lots of love! 

Thank you so much to Ribble the black lab, Boogie the working cocker spaniel, Marley the spaniel, Honey the cockapoo, Charlie the working cocker spaniel, Flash the black lab, Blue the border collie, Jazz the cockapoo and Harris the cockapoo! They all gave so much love to everyone here and everyone won an award from the best behaved to the waggiest tail! 

We would like to say a huge thank you to CSJ Dog food North Walsham – CSJ specialist canine feeds, Ribble Valley Animal Feeds and Four Paws One Rhythm for donated vouchers and prizes for our four-legged winners! And a huge thank you to Kelly from Four Paws One Rhythm for joining us and being our judge. We hope to see you again soon!  

Today, Waterside Court was delighted to welcome the fantastic H-Cafe Berinsfield bringing a spectacular collection of classic cars, motorbikes and wonderful people together for a very special community event.

Participants set off on a treasure-hunt-style journey around Oxford, following the route and completing their challenges before making their way to Waterside Court for the final stop. Here, they were able to collect their well-earned commemorative Rainbow Rideout patch – their reward for completing the journey.

Our residents were at the heart of the celebrations, enjoying the opportunity to admire the incredible classic vehicles, meet the riders and drivers, and even experience some of the cars and motorbikes for themselves. There was plenty of conversation, reminiscing, laughter and excitement throughout the afternoon. And, of course, with a Rainbow Rideout, a little colour was essential! 

Our residents and visitors embraced the theme with some fantastic rainbow-inspired outfits, and we had the difficult but enjoyable task of choosing our best-dressed winners. Congratulations to all of our winners and to everyone who joined in the fun!
The event was also raising funds towards our Digital Rainbow Table, helping us create even more opportunities for our residents to connect, explore their interests and enjoy meaningful experiences.

A huge thank you to the incredible H Café team, all the riders and participants, and everyone who helped make today so memorable.
From roaring engines to rainbow smiles, today was a wonderful reminder of what can happen when our residents, families and local community come together.  

Sometimes, it is the simplest acts of kindness that can bring the greatest joy. A wonderful family member kindly donated a beautiful selection of flowers to our home. This thoughtful gesture brought an instant touch of colour, warmth and happiness to our residents and staff.

Our residents were delighted to get involved, carefully arranging the flowers and deciding where they should be displayed. Together, they created some lovely arrangements which have now been placed throughout the home, brightening our rooms and shared spaces for everyone to enjoy. 

As the flowers found their new homes, there were plenty of smiles and conversations along the way. For our residents, being involved in arranging the flowers was not only enjoyable but also provided a lovely opportunity to spend time together, share memories and appreciate the surrounding beauty.

It is thoughtful gestures like this that make such a difference. A simple gift of flowers has brought colour to our surroundings and, more importantly, brought happiness to the people who call our home their home. We are truly grateful for this generous donation and for the kindness behind it. 

A little kindness can go a very long way and these beautiful flowers are a wonderful reminder of that.  

Recently, our residents were transported back in time through the magic of music as we enjoyed a wonderful live performance from the talented Sadie.

Her show, Once Upon a Memory, was a beautiful journey through the 1950s and 1960s, bringing back familiar songs, treasured memories and plenty of smiles. As the music filled the room, our residents happily sang along to some much-loved favourites, sharing memories and reminiscing about times gone by.

Adding even more sparkle to the morning, Sadie delighted everyone with a fabulous selection of costume changes. Each new outfit helped bring the songs and characters to life, making the performance feel like a wonderful trip down memory lane. There was something truly special about seeing our residents singing together, tapping their feet, smiling and remembering happy moments from their younger years. Music has such a wonderful way of connecting us to people, places and memories, and this morning was a lovely reminder of just how powerful those memories can be.

It was a morning filled with music, laughter, nostalgia and togetherness, a truly memorable experience that our residents thoroughly enjoyed. Thank you, Sadie, for taking us Once Upon a Memory and creating such a joyful morning for everyone!