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…

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Discovering the Magic of Butterflies

One of our very cherished residents recently enjoyed one of Barchester’s wonderful live virtual events, an inspiring “Discover the Magic of Butterflies” talk with Rob McGee from Gwent Wildlife Trust. 🦋

As a keen gardener with a real love of nature and animals, she thoroughly enjoyed the fun, interactive presentation, learning fascinating facts about the incredible world of butterflies. To make the occasion even more special, she wore one of her beautiful butterfly brooches, which she treasures.

Butterflies hold a particularly special place in her heart. A few years ago, thanks to the generosity of Amersham in Bloom, beautiful butterfly decorations were installed in our garden just outside her window. Ever since, she has been able to look out each day and see them, bringing a smile to her face and reminding her of her love for the natural world.

The butterfly display has become a much-loved feature of our gardens at Chalfont Lodge over the years, bringing joy not only to her but to many of our residents, families and visitors alike.

It’s these thoughtful touches, together with meaningful experiences like Barchester’s live virtual events, that make life at Chalfont Lodge so special. Thank you to Rob McGee and Gwent Wildlife Trust for such an engaging and memorable session that sparked curiosity, conversation and smiles all around. 💚🦋

Organ Recital at Tewkesbury Abbey

Residents, families and staff attended the lunchtime organ recital at the magnificent Tewkesbury Abbey.
Ed Jones played recitals from, Johann Sebastian Bach, Jesus Guridi, John Bertalot and Neil Cox. The residents found it astounding and look forward to the next lunchtime recital.

Jumping Out Duo

We had a fun time with the wonderfully quirky Jumping Out Duo - a talented father and son team who certainly know how to entertain!

From acoustic and electric guitars to banjos and saxophones and plenty more besides, they brought a brilliant mix of music and energy that had our residents captivated.

Summer BBQ

We recently enjoyed a wonderful Summer BBQ in the warm afternoon sunshine . With gentle music playing in the background, our chefs in their element behind the BBQ serving plenty of delicious food, and refreshing cool drinks. Our residents and team members came together to relax and share memories.

  • Residents engaging with the talk
  • Dylan from Specsavers
  • May our activities lady

Specsavers visit Paternoster for Eye Health Awareness Talk

We had the pleasure of welcoming Dylan Desai from Specsavers part of the at home team for our local area this week at Paternoster House.
Dylan explained all about the importance of eye healthcare and having regular eye tests, which can't just tell you that your prescription has changed, but spot early signs of Glaucoma and molecular degeneration.
He bought in glasses that when worn showed us the effect on our vision when diagnosed.


So many of these eye health conditions if treated early enough can be helped.
Home visits for all those eligible are free of charge, and if you are lucky enough to book Dylan you will have a very efficient eye test and a very friendly chat.

Thank you Dylan and Specsavers!
 

Pet Therapy

We are always so delighted to have Bailey come to visit our home.
He brings a calm and beautiful relaxed presence to our residents and we absolutely adore him....
Pet therapy brings a soothing, relaxing and positive effect on our residents, thank you Bailey.

Mini bus adventures!

We have a mini bus, residents who love trips out and a team who are in the 'having fun' business!

This combination enables 'mini adventures' to pubs, coffee stops, a wide rang of retail stops, trips on the water and near the sea. Here was a quick half in a lovely Hayling pub - blue skies and warm smiles, what more could life be about!

A Visit From Guide Dogs For The Blind

Thank you to Pacer the guide dog and her handler Gillian, for visiting us and explaining the training these wonderful dogs do to help them prepare for their new owners.  We look forward to seeing you both again!

St Ives Dementia Cafe

We’ve had another absolutely lovely morning with our friends at St Ives Dementia Cafe.
 
We were warmly welcomed with hot drinks and delicious homemade cakes before settling down to enjoy some fantastic live entertainment. The songs from yesteryear had everyone singing along — and even had us all up dancing!
 
These special mornings are always something we look forward to, filled with laughter, music, friendship and wonderful memories.
 
We already can't wait to see everyone again next month!