Celebrating life at Barchester

Residents and staff were in for a treat with a visit to the Jay Millers Circus which came to Uckfield recently.

Residents from the home were accompanied by relatives and staff as they enjoyed the timeless evening full of spectacular performances, fun, laughter and adventures.

They watched the Circus performers do some amazing tricks like juggling bowling pins, swinging from a piece of ribbon tried to the ceiling and fire performances all whilst enjoying a lovely bucket of fresh Popcorn. 

One resident commented; “it was the best Circus production I have seen in years, the people amazed me with their talent!”

Today started with a lovely morning out with John. We headed out early as he had a few things he wanted to pick up in Tesco. John suggested stopping for a coffee, and on such a hot day, I was more than happy with a nice cold one! Thank you, John, for an enjoyable morning and great company.

This afternoon, we made the most of the beautiful weather by spending time outside together. We didn’t take many photos because we were too busy enjoying the moment!

With a fantastic 70’s summer playlist playing, plenty of ice cream, lots of ice cold drinks, and wonderful conversations, everyone had a brilliant afternoon.

It was lovely to see residents, staff, and families all coming together, relaxing in the sunshine, sharing laughs, and enjoying each other’s company. Days like these create such special memories.

Residents enjoyed singing along to the Ukulele Orchestra, whilst donations were made to Man Down, a charity that supports men facing mental health challenges.

Music can help lift mood, encourage social connection and support wellbeing, making it a valuable part of life in our home. We were pleased to support such an important cause while enjoying a fantastic performance.

To celebrate National Carer's Week, we said a huge thank you to our wonderful carers for the kindness, compassion, and dedication they show every day. to all our residents. 

From offering support and reassurance to sharing a smile and a listening ear, our carers make a real difference to the lives of our residents. Their hard work helps create the warm, welcoming atmosphere that makes Bere Grove feel like home.

We are incredibly proud of our team and grateful for everything they do. Thank you for your commitment, patience, and outstanding care, you truly are the heart of our home.

Our ladies enjoyed a wonderful morning of strawberries and fizz, while looking fabulous in their beautiful fascinators and hats. There was so much laughter, conversation and joy throughout the day.

A huge thank you to Rebecca, a talented bridal makeup artist, and her lovely mother-in-law Avril, who spent the morning pampering our residents with beautiful hair styling, makeup and relaxing hand massages. You made everyone feel so special.

We’d also like to say a big thank you to Megan, an incredibly talented photographer, for capturing so many precious smiles and memories that we’ll treasure.

The salon was absolutely buzzing with chatter, laughter and happiness all afternoon. Hearing everyone enjoying themselves and sharing such special moments together was simply wonderful.

A truly memorable Ladies’ Day full of glamour, friendship and smiles.

Once again, Westlake had the great pleasure of hosting a community event with the ladies from the butterfly project!

This time the students ran a bingo session for our residents to take part in, they set everything up, ran the session and even brought wonderful prizes for everyone to win!

We all had a great time calling numbers and making up sayings like "44 monkeys jumping on the bed" and laughing when the balls feel on the floor. 

We look forward to our next event with the team from the butterfly project

This morning, Westlake house welcomed some very special guests, the Children of Hartbeeps West Sussex toddler group! 

The residents had a wonderful time watching the Children go on an adventure to Dolly's hair salon, they took part in having their nails painted and putting rollers in their hair, as well as singing along to all their songs 

We would like to thank Kelly, the children & their family's for making our Monday super special and we look forward to their next visit!

Today we went on a new adventure to Nymans, a National Trust garden!

Upon entering, our residents looked at the flowers and followed the path leading to the cafe, where they enjoyed a bacon sandwich and coffee.

Afterwards they went on a hike along the walkway to find wonderfully decorated flower beds, beautiful grassy fields and stunning views. 

Residents at Ritson Lodge love the animal therapy sessions that our dedicated Activities Team organises *weekly/monthly*. As one of the foundations of our Life Enrichment program, we know that animal therapy can help reduce blood pressure and improve overall cardiovascular health. 

There is nothing quite like the magic of animal therapy to brighten the day. Seeing the massive smiles on our residents' faces as they cuddled these sweet babies absolutely melted our hearts.
A huge thank you to Evie’s Owls who made this special visit happen. 

Animal therapy is one of the cornerstones of our life enrichment program and features regularly on our resident-led weekly activity planner.