Celebrating life at Barchester

WOKING, SURREY — A heart-warming digital friendship has taken flight in Woking following the launch of a brand-new, virtual ‘Adopt a Grandparent’ initiative at Weystone Manor Care Home.

The community scheme, run by the Adopt a Grandparent charity, brings people together through the power of remote technology. Weystone Manor is proud to support the project by matching its residents with the charity's volunteers.

The care home has celebrated its very first match through the program. Graham, the newly appointed Resident Ambassador at the luxury Barchester Healthcare home, has completed his first digital session with volunteer Louise. Connecting for an "e-meet" on a laptop using a secure virtual platform, the pair hit it off instantly, setting the stage for a wonderful relationship to grow.

The initiative bridges the gap by pairing care home residents with volunteers who might not be able to visit in person. By utilising safe, digital video-calling system technology, the program aims to tackle isolation, transforming simple laptop screen time into deep, lasting real-world friendships.

Graham, who was recently voted by his fellow residents to represent them as the home's official Resident Ambassador, was eager to be the first to try the technology. Following their successful first session, he and Louise are looking forward to opening up their laptops regularly for a face-to-face virtual chat, enjoying a cup of tea from their respective locations while sharing life experiences and chatting about local history.

Speaking about his first e-meet session, Resident Ambassador Graham said:

"Being the Resident Ambassador means I get to help open our doors—and our laptop screens—to the community, and this initiative has been a true joy. Louise and I hit it off straight away during our very first call. We shared some lovely stories and I am very much looking forward to our next chat. It’s wonderful to open the laptop and see a friendly face just waiting to sit, listen, and share a laugh. I really hope this friendship continues to grow over the coming weeks."

The digital initiative forms a core part of Weystone Manor’s Life Enrichment programme, which focuses on incorporating modern technology to keep residents active, socially connected, and deeply integrated with the wider community.

Abdul Rifai, General Manager at Weystone Manor Care Home, commented:

"We are absolutely thrilled to see the 'Adopt a Grandparent' e-meet initiative come to life. True companionship transcends physical walls, and seeing how well Graham and Louise connected during their very first session is incredibly moving. Technology is a beautiful tool when used to build a bridge between generations. Graham is the perfect digital champion for this project, and we hope this successful first start inspires more people to connect across generations."

What a truly lovely day we had taking our wonderful residents to Walcott Beach! 

We enjoyed the fresh sea air, delicious chips, sandwiches and, of course, a lovely ice cream! There was plenty of laughter, smiles and special moments shared together.

Margaret beautifully said, “I don’t think people realise how much moments like this mean to us oldies.” And she is so right. It’s these simple, precious outings that create memories and bring so much joy.

Denis was so emotional when we arrived home, telling us what a wonderful day it had been. Jean and Jenny also said that being at the beach brought back so many happy memories for them.   

We had such a lovely day with our residents. We all had a nice walk around the park looking at the crocodiles, otters, monkeys, leopards and many more so much joy was brought to our residents' faces today. 

We sat down for a yummy picnic at lunchtime, enjoying some yummy sandwiches. We shared some crisps, pork pies and a variety of cakes, teas and coffees. 

Our favourite part of the day arrived. We got to see the beautiful Tigers. Cilla’s wish came true today. Cilla wrote that seeing Tigers was one of her wishes, yay it happened. She was really over the moon and had the biggest smile on her face for the rest of the day. Before going home, we sat down together and enjoyed some tasty ice creams and had a look around the gift shop.         

Our mini-bus trip to Abbey Fields Park. What a beautiful way to spend a sunny day. Our residents loved looking at and listening to the ducks and taking in the beautiful views! 

Have you ever been to Abbey Fields?

What better way to christen our new flooring in our concert room, playing a spot of curling, I think you’ll agree that the space we have now for curling is absolutely brilliant. Well done blues for winning this game residents love the competitiveness and telling families if their team has won that day, lovely memories to share.       

We had the pleasure of enjoying a lovely sound bath with Julia, and it was such a beautiful and calming experience for our residents.   

Everyone was encouraged to relax, listen to the soothing sounds and simply enjoy the peaceful atmosphere. It was wonderful to see our residents engaging with the session, taking time to unwind and fully embrace the experience. There were plenty of smiles and moments of tranquillity, and it was clear how much everyone enjoyed the opportunity to slow down, relax and enjoy the calming sounds.

A big thank you to Julia for creating such a peaceful and special experience for us all.     

In August, Kathleen's wish was granted by our 'Post a Wish' initiative. Kathleen used to pick the lavender and has such fond memories of doing this that she loved sharing with others. So, our team suggested a meaningful trip to Norfolk Lavender where she could learn more about the fragrant plant and share even more memories with us.

We spent the day exploring the acres of lavender fields, smelling all the fragrant flowers and meeting the various visitors and staff. 
Kathleen said, "The trip has brought a lot back to me. I have vivid memories of being in the lavender bushes and all the things we did. They're such happy memories. Thank you!". 

We had a wonderful time hosting a Cake & Coffee Fundraiser with the Emneth Over 60s Club, all in support of a community defibrillator. 

It was fantastic to welcome so many people into our home, there was such a lovely buzz throughout the day, with plenty of delicious homemade cakes, fresh coffee and great conversation. Our residents absolutely loved chatting with local visitors and showing off Hickathrift House.  

Wow! What a fabulous afternoon we had celebrating summer with our residents, families, friends, staff and volunteers! We brought the seaside spirit to Hickathrift with a wonderful BBQ, delicious food prepared by our Head Chef Nicci, and plenty of sunshine, laughter and great company.

Residents and guests enjoyed relaxing together, chatting over refreshing drinks and tucking into all the BBQ favourites. And of course, no seaside day would be complete without a paddling pool. We then danced, sang and enjoyed fantastic live entertainment from the wonderful KJ & The Catt, with residents, loved ones and staff embracing the summer atmosphere.

It was a truly special day filled with sunshine, music, food and friendship.