Celebrating life at Barchester

Our dear colleague, Roshan was voted unanimously as our "Employee of the Month" for January 2026 . Very well done Roshan, much deserved. 
Roshan is Chestnut Garden's Head Chef and works tirelessly with his team to provide exceptional food not just for the residents but also any visiting guests. 
Roshan and his team provide day in day out 5 star food and all freshly cooked to order. 

We had a truly fantastic time celebrating Burns Night with the residents, filled with Scottish traditions, laughter and wonderful memories. Our Head Chef Nikki prepared a scrumptious Scottish feast that went down a treat, including cock-a-leekie soup, haggis, neeps and tatties, followed by a delicious cranachan for dessert.

The day sparked many fond memories, with residents sharing stories of holidays to Scotland, family members who were Scottish, and for some, memories of living in Scotland themselves. It was lovely to see everyone reminiscing and connecting through shared experiences.

It's well documented that engaging in the creative arts can be positive for wellbeing and self-expression. In the context of working with elderly residents living with dementia, a small workshop environment can also bring an opportunity for residents to socialise. 
Some of the challenges that older people can face, such as loneliness and dementia, can be relieved through the arts.

In a dementia context, creativity engages the brain and gives people a chance for an identity separate from their diagnosis. Regarding loneliness, an arts workshop is a social event that unites people under a shared interest.

Thank you to everyone who made this happen.   

We welcomed Alex Southgate back into the home to start the new year as well. Here at Oaklands, it’s so important to us that we are offering our residents cared for in bed, the same opportunity to engage in meaningful activities and enjoy live music the same as our residents, who are able to congregate in communal areas.

Alex spent his time visiting our residents cared for in their rooms and as he made his way from one community to the other, he was entertaining the crowds with his guitar singing and tambourine attached to his foot. He didn’t disappoint anyone and brought so much joy to all.           

Elvis joined us to help celebrate Elvis' birthday and, in true Elvis spirit, he brought the show to us. We had lots of hip thrusting and lots of kissing the ladies' hands, which the residents didn’t shy away from. He was heckled by one lady for his costume, which made us all laugh! Some staff members embraced his flirtatious performance, which made the residents chuckle, whilst some staff members ran away bringing more laughter, an all-round loud, fun, exhausting afternoon as we wished him a Happy Birthday.     

Richard, the son-in-law of our lovely resident Kath, came and delighted us with a swing concert. 

The music set feet tapping, with residents and staff taking to the floor, and Kath singing a song with Richard. We never knew she is so talented, and asked for more.       

The Old Year ended with a blast in our care home! During the New Year’s Eve party, we decided to spoil our residents with champagne, wine and cheese tasting, and wonderful music that lifted our moods. 

Our staff joined in and mingled with our residents, wishing them a Happy New Year and bringing good cheer!     

Tanya, one of our visiting entertainers, lit up the room, sending residents and staff on the floor dancing together. Even the most tired residents decided it was time to put on their dancing shoes and joined us. 

They couldn’t resist our moves and the rhythm!