Celebrating life at Barchester

Every Wednesday, our Farnham dining room transforms into a hub of friendly rivalry for our weekly Dominoes Club. This session has become a non-negotiable highlight of the week, with residents always double-checking the schedule to ensure their midweek match is ready to go.

The atmosphere is always brilliant—filled with non-stop laughter, lively catching up, and the occasional tongue-in-cheek joke about "cheating" that keeps everyone smiling.

We recently had a spectacular performance from Hazel, who may have set a new house record! She managed to win a staggering 8 out of 11 games in a single morning. Whether it’s a tactical masterclass or just a chance for a good natter, the passion our residents show for the game is wonderful to see.      

One of our dining rooms in Thistle Hill was recently transformed into a vibrant art studio for our very first Paint Your Way session. This week, our talented residents gathered for a "very fun and colourful hour" of creative expression.

The session provides a relaxed space for residents to explore their artistic talents. The results were truly heart-warming: Heather, who hadn't painted in years, shared that the experience "made a girl very happy," while Hazel produced some lovely portraits. Sheila also joined the fun, experimenting with bold colours and textures to create a unique masterpiece.

Everyone involved left feeling incredibly proud of their creations. We believe these social activities are vital for fostering a sense of community and purpose. We are already looking forward to our next session.       

On 12th February, our Ripley Lounge was filled with the beautiful sounds of the harp and plenty of laughter for our Harp and Happiness session. Residents, families, and friends gathered together to enjoy a wonderful live-streamed performance by the talented Marian O’Toole.

The music truly brought the room to life, sparking a massive sing-along that had everyone involved. From the classic "Sweet Caroline" to fantastic Beatles and Celtic medleys, the energy was infectious. Malcolm blew us all away by showcasing his impressive vocal skills, and we discovered that Hazel is a secret music expert—she knew every single word to every song!

It was a heart-warming afternoon that reminded us all how much joy a simple melody can bring to our home.      

At Hilton Park our Residents enjoy an array of daily activities planned by our dedicated Lifestyle enrichment team. The Activities team take regular feedback for the Residents and ensure that the monthly calendar of events and activities is aligned to their wishes and interests.

Spring is upon us and the Residents at Hilton Park decided they would like to brighten the home with some fantastic flower arranging. Some of the displays they made were amazing and colourful. This type of activity is beneficial duw to the social and cognative benefits.

By taking regular feedback and requests from our residents we can enhance our life enrichment program to suit the interests of the residents.

National celebrations and family-friendly events are just some of the ways that we ensure the residents at Hilton Park remain connected with their loved ones and the wider community.

Our Residents enjoyed celebrating London Fashion Week by having a London style fashion show. The whole team at Hilton Park got involved and what an event. Our Residents donned some super frocks and hats and enjoyed a stroll down the cat walk.

At Hilton Park we support and encourage our residents to continue doing the things they love whilst also making new friends and exploring new adventures.

On 12th February, our Ripley Lounge was filled with the beautiful sounds of the harp and plenty of laughter for our Harp and Happiness session. Residents, families, and friends gathered together to enjoy a wonderful live-streamed performance by the talented Marian O’Toole.

The music truly brought the room to life, sparking a massive sing-along that had everyone involved. From the classic "Sweet Caroline" to fantastic Beatles and Celtic medleys, the energy was infectious. Malcolm blew us all away by showcasing his impressive vocal skills, and we discovered that Hazel is a secret music expert—she knew every single word to every song!

It was a heart-warming afternoon that reminded us all how much joy a simple melody can bring to our home.          

We had a good Scottish club at the home called “The lads”. Sandy, Iain, Doug, Lewis and Jim really enjoyed this club.

We were chatting about lads' stuff, from darts, footie, good times in the pubs and good old Aberdeen Dorich chat.

We enjoyed tins of Irn bru and Tunnoch Tea cakes. Amanda was delighted to see the connection between these residents and the laughs were flowing as much as the conversations.

The Lads Club was named by Doug. We used to call this the Gentleman’s club, but the residents branded this the Lads Club. We look forward to our next club where the gents plan on chatting about what a good Saturday night on the toon looked like.