Celebrating life at Barchester

The residents, relatives and staff at Challoner House had a lovely Easter Bank Holiday weekend, celebrating with a lovely Easter Lunch followed by Hot Cross Buns. We had staff dressed in Easter clothing and accessories which were shared amongst the residents, and we had a surprise visit from the Easter Bunny, who kindly gave each resident an Easter treat. 

Throughout the bank holiday weekend, we were able to enjoy some Easter-themed activities, including our homemade Easter selfie station where which the residents helped to plant springtime flowers around the base. We also held an Easter competition to win an eggcellent Easter Hamper. Residents and relatives have said how much they enjoyed all the celebrations that we had arranged throughout the home.          

At Highview, we are keen for residents to take a leading role in designing their own activities calendar.  Our regular residents’ forum meetings are a chance for residents to express their voice in the running of the home.  Residents get the chance to select minibus trips from a range of options, choose future entertainers, and establish clubs and societies.  In consultation with the activities team, our residents are encouraged to become involved in their activities programme – just another example of the resident-centred care that you can expect at Highview House.    

When residents on Memory Lane expressed an interest in assisting with the afternoon tea rounds, we called our Baking Club into action and, in conjunction with the kitchen team, decided to prepare a selection of sweet treats that would supplement the afternoon trolley.  With more resident-led programmes due to start in the very near future, Highview residents are able to enjoy an activity calendar specifically tailored to their own interests and ambitions.        

Feet tapping without thinking, voices rising and falling in easy harmony, eyes closed as the music takes over. There’s a gentle sway in every body in the room — that quiet rhythm you don’t choose, it just finds you.

It’s the kind of afternoon where time softens, where every note feels like sunlight, and the only thing that matters is the groove.

Pure soul. Pure jazz.   

Ashford House residents were delighted to receive a generous gift of Easter eggs from County Councillor Robert Evans, along with our local councillors Sean Beatty and Rebecca Geach. 

The Easter eggs were lovingly handed out by our very own special Easter Bunny, bringing smiles and joy to everyone.   

A big thank you to all for your kindness and generosity. Our residents truly enjoyed this thoughtful gesture!

Over the past week, Waterside Court has been buzzing with excitement as we welcomed nine fluffy chicks as part of our Living Eggs experience. Residents, visitors, and staff had the chance to witness the miracle of hatching first-hand, sharing moments of anticipation and delight that perfectly capture the spirit of Easter—renewal, growth, and new beginnings.

Our creative residents also embraced the season through arts and crafts, decorating charming birdhouses now proudly displayed in the gardens, while Good Friday provided a peaceful moment for reflection.

Together, these experiences created a truly meaningful and uplifting Easter celebration, combining fun, connection, and the true essence of the season.      

We are so fortunate to have Claverham Community college right next door to the home. The students visit our residents regularly and join in with a variation of activities , from book club to reminiscing and sharing stories. 
Our most recent visit students and residents decorated bird houses for our wildlife garden and chatted about all the different birds that may come and nest in them.

We are absolutely delighted to share some fantastic news… a huge congratulations to Amanda and Samantha on their incredible success at the Lincolnshire Care Awards!

Amanda won the Registered Health Professional category - an amazing achievement and so well deserved. 
Samantha was awarded Highly Recommended in the Residential Care category - a wonderful recognition of her dedication and compassion.  

We are so unbelievably proud of our two amazing ladies and all the hard work, care, and commitment they show every single day. You truly make a difference, and we are lucky to have you both as part of the Wood Grange family.   

A lovely outing to the Ashmolean Museum and a private guided tour!

In a recent resident’s meeting, a few residents expressed that they would like to visit the Ashmolean. So that’s what we did!

We were very fortunate to have a fantastic and knowledgeable tour guide to show us around and answer any questions we had. Unfortunately, one day was not enough to get round the whole museum, so we look forward to another visit in the near future! 

To top off our trip, we enjoyed sitting out in the spring sunshine whilst having lunch and watching the busy streets of Oxford.

Residents and staff joined together to celebrate Eid-al-Fitr. 

Some of the team at Oxford Beaumont recently celebrated the festival themselves with their loved ones, and they wanted to share their festivities and culture with those in our community.

Thank you to all of those who joined the celebrations and prepared the delicious food for us to try.