Celebrating life at Barchester

Our home recently marked World Continence Week by welcoming Sarah Welburn from Tena and Essity to host an informative and educational community event from the home.

The session focused on breaking the stigma surrounding continence issues. It provided a safe space for relaxed conversations about the vital support and resources available to older adults.

Local community members joined Sarah, the residents and the care team at the home for an engaging, informal morning. The event combined expert guidance with a welcoming, open atmosphere to encourage honest discussion.

What a day we had hosting our CQC "We're GOOD "  Western Style celebration party for all our friends and families. The home and garden were decorated and we had a line dancing display, DJ Mark on the decs and Mr Joe Phillips performed a set with his guitar and some fantastic country and western songs. 
The hospitality team provided a wonderful BBQ for all and the ice cool drinks were flowing. 
We were also joined by our extended Barchester family, a very special thank you to Kingsland House, Sycamore Grove, Mortain Place and Port Manor and also to our support team members who joined us celebrate. Residents all said it was absolutely fantastic. Thank you all for coming and celebrating with us.

Our residents recently enjoyed a fantastic day out at Cannon Hill Park, spending quality time outdoors and revisiting a much loved local landmark.

Residents explored the park’s beautiful pathways, taking in the colourful flower beds, blooming trees, and the wonderful natural surroundings. Many shared fond memories of previous visits, making the experience even more meaningful and sparking conversations about days gone by.

As they strolled through the park, residents enjoyed spotting local wildlife, listening to the sounds of nature, and appreciating the peaceful atmosphere that Cannon Hill Park has to offer.

No day out would be complete without a well-earned break, so residents stopped for refreshments and treated themselves to some delicious homemade cakes, which were thoroughly enjoyed by everyone.

With so much more to discover, residents are already looking forward to returning to Cannon Hill Park.

We were delighted to have Rachel Elding from the Cambridgeshire Constabulary visit us here in Peterborough for a super important chat about staying safe from scammers. 

Rachel gave useful information on  how to spot scams coming through on the our landlines, mobile phones, apps, and emails. She taught us the ABCD and Take 5 method, which is all about staying calm and not letting anyone pressure you. If you get a unexpected call or message, just take a breath and check it out first. You can always ask a trusted friend, call your bank on a number you know is safe, or pop into your local branch to be sure. 

Rachel shared some stats that absolutely blew us all away. Did you know that only 17% of people actually report scams? Plus, about 45% of all reported crime is cybercrime, but less than 2% of these scammers get caught. It was even more shocking to hear that people in Cambridgeshire lose a massive £2 million to these criminals every single month! 

To help us fight back, Rachel gave us some great tools and even some doorstep stickers to keep cold callers away. She reminded us that if you spot a scam, you can call 159 to get straight through to your bank. You can also forward dodgy texts to 7726 or email scam messages to report@phishing.gov.uk. 
Our residents, staff, and visitors had a lot to say and shared their own annoying experiences with daily scam calls and messages. The best part is that everyone already knows the golden rule, which is to just hang up the phone!

Rachel also told us how important it is to break the silence around scams. There is absolutely no need to feel embarrassed if you get tricked because it really can happen to anyone. Talking to our friends and family and sharing our stories keeps us all aware and much safer.

Customer Relationship Manager, Louise Ramage, gave a huge thank you to Rachel for coming along and sharing such vital tips to keep us and our loved ones safe.

Royal Ascot provides five days of world class horse racing, style and pageantry. We wanted the ladies of Mortain Place, to put their best foot forward and display their wonderful hats and enjoy the atmosphere too. We an added twist, we arranged for everyone to have a fun experience of pulling their own model horse in our conservatory area. What a glamorous day the ladies of Mortain Place had... 

British Flowers Week is with us. This is a National initiative to support local flower growers. It typically takes place in mid-June and features immersive floral installations, farm tours, and workshops. With the support of one of our lovely carers, Athira worked closely with one of our wonderful residents, Lillian, by engaging with art and craft materials to create her own personal flower. Her creative artistic talents blossomed during this fun, bright and engaging activity. So lovely to see our residents having fun and being creative with each other and creating some unique craft for all to enjoy.