Celebrating life at Barchester

We celebrate life through everything we do, from our thoughtful experiences and activities to our delicious food. We offer the latest technology as well as sensory engagement to nurture the wellbeing of our residents. With a wide variety of tailored activities and events we make sure our residents have the best physical, mental, spiritual and social stimulation, all bespoke to them. Take a look at what we’ve been up to…

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Mobile Tattoo Artist Fulfils Anna's Creative Wish

Resident Anna has been living with us since January for nursing care support. Recently, she decided she wanted some new ink, including some cover-up work and brand-new art! However, she found accessible tattoo parlour can be incredibly challenging for wheelchair users, as many shops have limited space or are located up flights of stairs.

Determined not to let mobility hold her back, Anna did some research and discovered TatsatHome, a fantastic local mobile tattoo business! After a great initial meeting, the talented artist safely and professionally set up a studio right in the comfort of Anna's own bedroom. #Anna was absolutely delighted with the experience, sharing: "I love him and I'm so glad he came to the home! I had looked for a while for someone to provide this service because I can’t get out on my own due to my mobility."

The artist from Tats AtHome said "I was apprehensive at first coming into a care home to give tattoos, but as soon as I met the team and Anna, I knew it would be fine. Anna is funny and lovely, and it was a pleasure being able to come and give her the artwork she wanted."

At Claremont Parkway, we believe that moving into a care home shouldn't mean giving up the things you love or stopping the lifestyle choices that make you you. While a bedside tattoo might be a unique request, we love enabling our residents to live life to the full and who knows, this trend might just catch on!

Autumn- Crafty Corner

Crafty Corner 

The activity took place in our Memory Lane activties room, where residents sat together over a cup of tea, chatting and sharing ideas as they chose their colours and positioned each piece. We also took the craft to residents who prefer to stay in their rooms, so that everyone had the chance to join in.
Creative activities like this offer real benefits. Selecting colours and placing small pieces of tissue paper encourages creativity, keeps hands and fingers active, and gives a lovely sense of achievement. Just as importantly, it brings people together and creates moments of conversation and fun.
Seeing the pride on residents' faces as they held up their finished pumpkins and leaves was a joy.

Simple but effective crafts.

 

Getting Green-Fingered at Garden Club

There’s always plenty to keep our green-fingered residents busy at Bayleaf Care Home, and our latest Garden Club was no exception!
 
Our residents have been busy potting plants and adding some lovely colour to our raised flower beds.
 
It’s wonderful to see everyone getting involved, sharing ideas and taking pride in making our outdoor spaces even more beautiful.
 
Gardening is such a lovely way to spend time together, enjoy some fresh air and watch something grow. We can’t wait to see how our flowers develop over the coming weeks!
 
Well done to all our budding gardeners – you’re doing a blooming brilliant job.

Art Therapy at Lydfords

Recently we rediscovered the joy of creativity by trading traditional paint brushes for every day items.
Our latest art therapy sessions are proving you don't need a classic brush to create something deeply meaningful.

Lydfords at the Uckfield Business Awards 2026

Posh frocks and Dinner Suits were the order of the evening recently when Carole our Activities Co-Ordinator and Gary, our Home Services Advisor attended on behalf of Lydfords the Uckfield Business Awards organised by the Uckfield Chamber of Commerce which was held at the East Sussex National.
 
Gary who was also part of the organising team for the awards, co-hosted the evening which saw awards given out in 16 categories including The Young Employee Award, Retailer of the Year and Business of the Year.
 
Congratulations to all the local businesses and people that were winners on the night.

80th Annual Art Exhibition Visit

Our residents had a fabulous day out at the 80th Annual Art Exhibition held at Ocean on Exmouth seafront. Our activities team took the residents down in our minibus and had a browse through all of the artworks which had been produced and put up for sale by a number of different local Devon Artists. 

A Masterpiece of a Morning!

This week we enjoyed an outing to Southampton City Art Gallery, where we got to admire their impressive collection of artwork by some of the world’s greatest masters, including Monet, Van Dyck and Rodin. 
We look forward to returning again in the future to explore more of the collection
 

Outstanding award for Health and Safety

Following an inspection by Andy Hollingshead, Health and Safety Manager for Barchester, staff at Tewkesbury Fields were delighted to retain their Outstanding rating for health and safety.
The main objective of the inspection was to ensure that our residents and staff are able to live and work in a safe, healthy and supportive environment,
A massive thank you to the whole team for their continued hard work and commitment.
An exceptional thank you goes to Eddie, our fantastic Head of Maintenance, for all that he does to help keep Tewkesbury Fields safe and well maintained.
Well done, everyone

Residents enjoy a day on the canal

Our residents and staff enjoyed a wonderful day out along the beautiful sharpness canal. They had the chance to take in the lovely scenery, enjoy the fresh air, and connect with nature. The highlight of the day was that everyone even got the opportunity to have a go at steering the boat.
It was a fantastic day full of smiles, new experiences, and lovely memories.
Many thanks to the Willow Boat Trust for inviting us and organising yet another fabulous day. And many thanks to our wonderful staff for ensuring the day went so well for al