Celebrating life at Barchester

Resident Ambassador Mike at Chater Lodge care home, in Ketton recently enjoyed visiting the local Cubs to impart his career knowledge.

On the 14th of January, the Cub House in Ketton was buzzing with excitement as our very Resident Ambassador Mike paid a visit. The aim was to give the Cubs a fascinating insight into his career in the British Army and Mike delivered in style. Drawing on an incredible 40-year military career, Mike shared his journey from joining as a Private to rising through the ranks to become a Major, leading and mentoring over 200 soldiers.

Residents and colleagues enjoyed an interactive workshop with Red Kite, a Bridlington base theatre, dance and drama group.

Residents, visitors and staff at Mallard Court were given the opportunity to get curious and creative, with a thoughtfully curated selection of drama games. This put imaginations and improvisation skills to the test, along with a few memory games, that got the group reminiscing on times gone by.

We had a truly wonderful time at Glenroyd when the children from the Woodhouse Academy of Theatre Arts came to visit our residents for a festive Christmas Carol service.

They treated us to a fantastic selection of Christmas favourites and classic Carols, and it was lovely to hear our residents joining in with the well-known tunes. Music brings so much joy, and it also stirs up precious memories of carolling with family and friends at this special time of year.

Neil, one of our residents, said, “It was such a special day. The children made so many of us happy, including me. It brought back wonderful memories of my work with schools.”

A massive thank you to Daniele and all the children from the Woodhouse Academy of Theatre Arts for such a wonderful performance.

We’re looking forward to creating even more special moments like this throughout the festive season.

The residents hopped on the minibus for a festive trip to the beautiful Barton Grange Garden Centre.

With Christmas classics playing along the way, we set off to visit one of Lancashire’s most popular destinations at this time of year. Barton Grange has been named Garden Centre of the Year, and it’s become a much-loved Glenroyd tradition to visit during the festive season.

Our residents enjoyed a leisurely stroll through the centre, admiring the stunning displays and soaking up the Christmas atmosphere. Afterwards, it was time for some well-deserved refreshments. Everyone indulged in tea or coffee, accompanied by freshly baked scones or delicious cheesecake. Every sip and bite were thoroughly enjoyed.

We then headed outside to take in the outdoor displays, sharing songs, smiles and stories as we made even more special memories together.

The residents embarked on a wonderful adventure as we brought Lapland, the home of Santa Claus, to Glenroyd as the grand finale of our ‘Around the World’ project.

We began the day with a Finland-inspired winter lunch, which everyone thoroughly enjoyed, followed by mince pies and a glass of wine while listening to traditional Finnish music. The cosy, festive atmosphere really set the scene for our journey to the snowy north.

Then it was time for a very special guest. Santa Claus himself arrived to welcome our residents and personally check their Lapland tickets, giving everyone a true VIP experience. Santa hosted an engaging and informative talk about the history of Lapland and its most popular landmarks, while residents enjoyed watching the magical Northern Lights projected onto the ceiling.

Our team, together with Santa, then led a cheerful singalong of Christmas songs, filling the room with festive spirit and plenty of smiles.

To complete the experience, we watched virtual videos of sleigh rides, the Northern Lights and the most iconic sights in Santa’s village, allowing everyone to feel as though they had travelled to Lapland for the day.

It was a day enjoyed by all involved and a perfect way to end this year’s ‘Around the World’ adventure.

Our residents popped on their elf hats and, together with the General Manager Yvonne, set off in the minibus to give back to the community and support children this festive season.

Over the festive season, we have been collecting sweets and essential toiletries to support Streetlife with their Christmas Wishlist for young people in need. On arrival, we were warmly welcomed by the wonderful team, Paris and Emily, who joined Yvonne and our residents in reminiscing about Christmas traditions and sharing more about the vital work they do for young people in the local area.

We celebrated the start of the festive season with our wonderful Christmas Fair. It was a truly special day where our residents, families, friends and the wider community all came together to share in the festivities.

We began the day with delicious hot chocolates while everyone browsed the fantastic selection of items on offer from the local stalls. Our residents thoroughly enjoyed taking part in the tombola and raffle, eagerly buying tickets and hoping to take home a prize. Everyone then tucked into a festive lunch, lovingly prepared by our amazing catering team, who always go above and beyond to delight our taste buds.

In the afternoon, we were treated to live music entertainment from Marianne, who did a brilliant job of keeping spirits high. The excitement grew as it came time for the raffle draw, with a queue forming at reception as everyone waited with their tickets in hand to find out if they were a winner. Congratulations to all those who won a prize.

We were delighted to welcome so many families and friends who support our community so kindly. It was a pleasure to see familiar faces returning to Glenroyd especially for this occasion, and their presence helped make the day such a success. Together, we raised an incredible total of £526, which will go directly into our residents’ fund to support future life enrichment activities and events in our home.

The festive season has well and truly begun at Glenroyd. 

Our residents and staff joined in with the Children in Need initiative and spent a wonderful day in the company of Pudsey.

They enjoyed an engaging and informative talk from Pudsey himself, learning more about the incredible work the charity does to support children across the UK. Throughout the day, our residents created their own colourful masterpieces and tucked into delicious homemade refreshments, all while singing along to some of the greatest Children in Need tunes.

We also organised a bake sale to help raise funds in support of children in need within our local community. Thanks to the generosity of everyone involved, we raised £41.20, which will go towards festive gifts that our team will be delivering soon to children in our area. 

Our residents marked Remembrance Sunday with a meaningful trip to the wreath-laying service at the Blackpool Cenotaph. The weather wasn’t on our side, but spirits were high as we paid our respects to those who served.

It was an especially important day for James, one of our residents, who completed his National Service with the Black Watch in the 1950s. In Kenya, he was once chased by a rhinoceros and escaped up a tree- though he got into trouble for leaving his rifle behind.

James later served in Berlin, took part in the guard of honour at Balmoral, and even danced with Princess Margaret at a Ceilidh. He loved the camaraderie and the chance to see the world. He signed on beyond National Service and became a corporal, and might have made a career of it, but his mum wasn’t keen- something his family is grateful for, as James’s return led to a long and happy marriage to his wife.

After the ceremony, we headed back to warm up and enjoy a delicious lunch together in our cosy Conservatory while watching the national service on television. Our residents shared memories of Remembrance Sundays past, reflecting on the meaning behind their experiences and those they will never forget.