Celebrating life at Barchester

Sam absolutely loved the big, giant rabbit! The cuddles and affection he gave showed just how much he enjoyed the experience. Jackie was incredibly brave, confidently having a snake wrapped around her neck and sharing how much she absolutely loved it. Simon enjoyed touching the lizards, exploring their unique textures, feeling their little spikes and experiencing the different sensory sensations. Jenny enjoyed this sensory experience too.

It was heart-warming. Sam absolutely loved the big, giant rabbit! The cuddles and affection he gave showed just how much he enjoyed the experience. Jackie was incredibly brave, confidently having a snake wrapped around her neck and sharing how much she absolutely loved it. Simon enjoyed touching the lizards, exploring their unique textures, feeling their little spikes and experiencing the different sensory sensations. Jenny enjoyed this sensory experience too. It was heart-warming to watch our residents engage with the animals, showing curiosity, courage, joy and affection throughout the session.

Why this was meaningful:
Animal encounters provide valuable opportunities for sensory stimulation, emotional wellbeing and social interaction. They encourage residents to explore different textures, build confidence, express their preferences and experience moments of happiness and connection. Most importantly, each resident was able to participate in a way that suited their individual interests and abilities.

It was a beautiful day filled with smiles, cuddles, new experiences and meaningful moments that made it truly special for everyone. Why this was meaningful: Animal encounters provide valuable opportunities for sensory stimulation, emotional wellbeing and social interaction. They encourage residents to explore different textures, build confidence, express their preferences and experience moments of happiness and connection. Most importantly, each resident was able to participate in a way that suited their individual interests and abilities. It was a beautiful day filled with smiles, cuddles, new experiences and meaningful moments that made it truly special for everyone.

What a fabulous time we had at our monthly memory lane disco last week! We’d like to say a big thanks to Marcus for providing the tunes with plenty of fun & laughter along the way too! 

Our residents enjoyed a lovely outing to B&M, where they had the opportunity to do their own shopping and choose items they wanted to purchase. Each resident was given a shopping basket and supported to make their own choices, select their items and pay for their shopping independently.

Sheena particularly enjoyed the experience of paying for her own shopping at the till, completing the transaction entirely on her own. It was lovely to see her confidence and independence shine through, and her smile said it all. Sheena clearly enjoyed having the opportunity to do something for herself.

After shopping, we visited Café G, where Jasmine treated herself to a delicious, big waffle with all the toppings, whipped cream and extras! Everyone enjoyed relaxing together, having something nice to eat and making lovely memories.
The residents shared how much they enjoyed the outing, saying that these were the kinds of things they used to do back home. It was heart-warming to see them enjoying familiar activities that brought back a sense of normality, comfort and happiness.

Activities like these are so much more than just a trip out. They promote independence, confidence, choice and control, while supporting everyday living skills and encouraging social interaction. Most importantly, they give our residents the opportunity to continue doing the things they have always enjoyed, maintain their identity and feel valued as individuals. Both residents thoroughly enjoyed themselves, and it was wonderful to see the happiness, smiles and sense of independence that such a simple but meaningful outing brought them.     

Today, we enjoyed a fantastic group outing to the bowling alley, bringing together our residents and their families for a fun-filled day of laughter, friendly competition and making memories together. It was lovely to see everyone's competitive side come out in the best possible way! There were plenty of smiles, encouragement and laughter as everyone got involved and enjoyed spending quality time together.      

Sam particularly enjoyed exploring the arcade games, with the bowling arcade game being a firm favourite. It was wonderful to see him having such a great time and enjoying an activity he clearly loves. Duncan also had a brilliant time alongside his mam as they took on the hammer game, trying their best to reach the top! Although they didn't quite make it, they certainly made up for it with laughter and enjoyment. It was lovely to see them sharing that experience together and creating special memories.

Gary enjoyed one of his favourite treats, a pint of Guinness. You could see just how happy it made him when he received it. Sometimes, it's the little things that mean the most, and seeing Gary's enjoyment was a lovely reminder of the importance of knowing our residents as individuals and understanding what brings them happiness. After all the excitement, we finished the outing with some food together, giving everyone more time to chat, relax and enjoy one another's company.

Activities like this are about so much more than bowling. They provide opportunities for residents to maintain relationships with their families, strengthen social connections, enjoy familiar interests and take part in experiences that bring a sense of normality and belonging. Spending time outside the home also offers a change of scenery, encourages engagement and creates opportunities for laughter, choice and independence.

Most importantly, it was wonderful to see residents, families and staff all coming together, interacting so naturally and enjoying themselves as one big group. Days like these create meaningful memories, support emotional well-being and remind us how important it is to continue providing opportunities for our residents to live life to the fullest. A truly lovely day enjoyed by everyone, with plenty of smiles, laughter and memories to take home.

Today, our residents enjoyed a wonderful group activity making their very own donuts! It was lovely to see so many residents getting involved, sharing the experience and enjoying the process from start to finish.

Kevin took great pride in adding all the ingredients together. His concentration was fantastic to observe as he carefully worked through each step. Laura enjoyed getting involved with the mixing, and it was lovely to see her using skills that may have brought back memories of her time as a baker. Activities like this can help residents reconnect with experiences, familiar routines and skills that have been an important part of their lives. Amanda got creative with decorating the tops of the donuts, adding her own finishing touches and making them look extra special. Everyone had their own part to play, and it was wonderful to see residents working together, chatting and enjoying each other's company.

Of course, when it came to the best part, everyone agreed that tasting their homemade creations was the highlight! There were lots of smiles and positive comments, with everyone saying how amazing the donuts tasted. Why was this activity meaningful? Donut making provided an opportunity for residents to practise everyday living skills, stimulate their senses through touching, mixing and smelling ingredients, and express their creativity through decorating. It also encouraged concentration, coordination, choice-making and social interaction.

For some residents, baking may bring back fond memories of cooking at home, baking with family or working in a kitchen. Revisiting these familiar experiences can help maintain a sense of identity, purpose and connection to the past. Most importantly, this was a lovely opportunity for residents to work together, contribute at their own pace and feel a sense of achievement by creating something they could enjoy themselves. Seeing the pride on their faces and hearing how much they enjoyed their donuts made the activity a real success. A wonderful afternoon filled with teamwork, creativity, delicious treats and lots of smiles!

Ashford House celebrated 20 amazing years of our home and the wonderful community that makes it so special. We were delighted to welcome our Managing Director Michelle, Regional Director Mark, managers from across Barchester homes, and many other honoured guests who joined our Manager, Daisy Mingle, to mark this wonderful milestone.

Our residents were at the heart of the celebrations, joining in the festivities and enjoying delicious food and drinks lovingly prepared by our Head Chef. 

The day was filled with laughter, delicious food, wonderful company and fantastic live music. It was truly lovely to see everyone coming together, enjoying themselves and celebrating the history and memories of Ashford House. A huge thank you to everyone who joined us and helped make the day so memorable. Here’s to many more wonderful years at Ashford House!   

Our residents headed out on a wonderful day trip in Warminster to hunt for miniature treasures.

We launched an exciting dollhouse project at Henford earlier this year. To make our little house a proper home, we needed to source some perfect, tiny furniture. We packed up our shopping bags and set off to explore a true local gem: Margaret's Miniatures. The moment we stepped inside the shop, it felt like we had been transported into another world. The shelves are absolutely packed from floor to ceiling with thousands of incredibly detailed miniatures. Our residents' eyes lit up as we began browsing through the tiny displays.    

The trip was about so much more than just shopping. Holding the tiny pieces and exploring the store brought back beautiful memories for our residents, sparking hours of conversation about the homes they have lived in, the way they used to decorate and the furniture they cherished.

We are back at the home now, fuelled by inspiration and ready to start the next phase of assembly! We cannot wait to roll up our sleeves, get crafting and arrange all of our beautiful new purchases.

We enjoyed a truly wonderful afternoon as our Gardening Club gathered for some classic autumn planting. We were incredibly lucky with the weather, catching a beautiful window of bright, warm sunshine that allowed us to get right out into the fresh air. Residents and staff gathered around the raised beds and patio tables, soaking up the seasonal rays while getting their hands stuck into the soil. Autumn is a busy time for any gardener and our green-fingered residents wasted no time getting our grounds ready for the colder months ahead. The main goal of the afternoon was setting up a spectacular display for next year.

There is nothing quite like the smell of fresh earth and the afternoon sparked some wonderful conversations. Many residents shared fond memories of tending to their own allotments and gardens over the years, passing on excellent tips and tricks to the staff.

A big thank you to everyone who rolled up their sleeves and helped out. Our garden is looking beautiful, and we already can't wait to see the first shoots of our hard work appear in the spring! 

The local community and some talented four-legged friends helped us celebrate our highly anticipated dog show. We couldn’t have asked for better weather, as the garden was absolutely bathed in glorious sunshine. Residents, families, and staff lined up their chairs outside on the lawn to soak up the rays and take on the most important job of the day: official show judges! The competition was fierce, and our resident judging panel took their roles very seriously, scoring contestants on everything from obedience to general lovability.

Beyond the competition, the afternoon was filled with laughter and plenty of well-deserved doggy cuddles. Residents thoroughly enjoyed greeting the dogs up close, giving out endless treats and reminiscing about the beloved pets they have owned throughout their lives. A massive thank you to all the relatives, staff and neighbours who brought their wonderful pets along to make the afternoon so special. It was a perfect day of community, sunshine and wagging tails that has left us all with wonderful memories.

Until next year, keep those tails wagging!