Chestnut GardensBarchester Healthcare

Activities at Chestnut Gardens Care Home

Name: Chestnut Gardens Care Home
Address: 95 Foxley Lane,, Purley, CR8 3HP, GB
Telephone: 020 8053 0236

Our teams are trained to enrich the lives of residents through stimulating the mind, body and soul, and taking the time to learn about each person to ensure everyone receives support that adds enrichment to their life.

Activities are an integral part of life at our care home. We want to ensure that the people we support have as much fun as possible during their time with us, so it’s important that our activities programme is created with the interests of residents in mind. Our skilled Activities Coordinators bring a certain uniqueness to the home that can’t be found anywhere else, and which is reflected in the activities they organise.

Read our brochure ‘Life-enriching activities’ for more information about life in our care homes.

Read our brochure

Louise Pittman

Activities Lead

Louise brings warmth, creativity, and a deeply person‑centred approach to her role as Activities Coordinator at Chestnut Gardens. With a natural gift for making people feel seen, valued, and included, she designs meaningful experiences that celebrate each resident’s individuality and life story. Her work blends imagination with compassion, ensuring that every activity supports wellbeing, dignity, and joy.

Before joining Chestnut Gardens, Louise built a rich and varied career rooted in care, community, and emotional connection. In 2018, she founded a dog rescue that continues to thrive today, a testament to her dedication, resilience, and belief in second chances. Her years in rescue and rehabilitation taught her the power of patience, trust‑building, and creating safe, nurturing environments. These values now shape her approach to supporting residents, especially those living with dementia or adjusting to new surroundings.

Family is at the heart of everything Louise does. She is a proud mum of four, three boys and a girl and grandmother to five wonderful grandchildren.

Louise is passionate about crafting uplifting moments, from quiet reminiscence sessions to lively celebrations that fill the home with music, laughter, and creativity. She works closely with residents, families, and the wider team to ensure that everyone has opportunities to flourish in ways that feel authentic and empowering.

[JS(G1]

Celebrating life at Chestnut Gardens Care Home

PUPPY THERAPY AT CHESTNUT GARDENS

We welcomed the super cute pup Teddy to Chestnut Gardens today for cuddles and he melted everyone's hearts

See you again soon Teddy for more cuddles

Purley Bowls and Chelsea Pensioners Day

We had a wonderful afternoon at the Purley Bowls Club today!

Our Chestnut Garden residents were treated to a fantastic display by the Chelsea Pensioners, who showed us all how it's done on the green. There was plenty of laughter, friendly competition and a few impressive shots that had everyone cheering. A lovely day and a brilliant reminder that good company and a bit of friendly sport are all you need for a perfect afternoon.

St George's Day

St George’s Day brought a brilliant burst of fun to Chestnut Gardens today. From lively Bingo to a proper knees‑up filled with laughter, our home was buzzing with energy and togetherness.

And of course, no celebration would be complete without a hearty pie and mash lunch enjoyed by residents, & families.

A day full of tradition and making memories.

Potting Fun!

Our residents recently enjoyed a gardening day at the home with some indoor plant potting! These regular sessions have proved to be very popular with our residents and guests that we are now looking to purchase our very own potting shed.

We do our best to provide a wide range of activities and entertainment at Chestnut Gardens as part of the lifestyle enrichment programme and this has provided residents so much joy! living in a care home doesn’t put a stop to celebrating life, and our engaging activities are designed to be enjoyed by all who want to join in.

Fun Golf Afternoon

The residents of the home enjoyed a fun afternoon of golf in our Bistro area. We think Tiger Woods would be impressed by some of their putting skills. We will be holding more sporting themed events in 2026 as this has been very popular among residents , guests and the staff.

Sunshine Smiles and Fun

Our residents are enjoying the beautiful weather. It’s wonderful to see everyone staying active, social, and making the most of the sunshine together. Days like these bring so much positivity and joy!

TRAVELS IN OUR ARMCHAIR EVENT

What an fantastic day we had experiencing the culture, food, dress and fun of all of what Mexico gives.
From creating an environment with a Mexican theme to enjoying music, games, dishes, tastes, dance, costumes and a special guest speaker 'Petra' from PK Travels who shared her insight in travel and what her company provides for amazing accommodation tips.

The day was 'ESTUPENDO'

Tamil New Year at Chestnut Gardens

We had the joy of celebrating Tamil New Year with one of our lovely residents Sri.
She shared her traditions with us, and we shared the moment with her, complete with delicious marruku and parytham paryinia for everyone to try.

Bailey

Bailey brings so much joy to our residents, every week they cannot wait for his visit. We all love and appreciated Bailey and his owner for the special moments he brings.

Yoga Sessions

An early morning seated Yoga session . The residents love activities and one of their favourites is a seated yoga session led by Rik one of our Activities team members.

VICTORY FOR THE PRESSURE COOKERS IN CHARITY COOK OFF

We are over the moon because our very own inspirational Managing Director, Michelle Macadangdang, from Barchester’s South East Division, and her team of fellow MDs have really brought home the bacon and won the Barchester Charitable Foundation Cook Off 2026.

Michelle’s team, the Pressure Cookers, made up of Managing Directors and a Hospital Director from five of Barchester’s divisions, went head to head with members of Barchester’s Executive team, the Rolling Scones, to cook up a storm and win the coveted Cook Off crown whilst raising vital funds for Barchester’s Charitable Foundation. With money still coming in, so far the Cook Off 2026 has raised an extraordinary £53,000.

The Charitable Foundation helps connect vulnerable people and those living with a disability to community groups in their local area by providing grants to improve mobility and quality of life. Each year the Foundation distributes thousands of pounds to individuals, small community groups and charities across England, Scotland and Wales. In 2025 the Foundation achieved a donation milestone of £424,000 which enabled the charity to provide vital help to a staggering 262 small groups and charities, plus 123 individuals in one year alone.

Chestnut Gardens Open Day Brings Community Together

Our Open Day brought the sunshine inside and outside with a warm welcome to those who came to our home.

Both residents and guests enjoyed a glass of fizz, canapes, cakes as well as some relaxing hand massages...

Bailey our Therapy Dog

Every week, Bailey pads through our doors with his wagging tail, gentle nature, and that special kind of magic only a therapy dog can bring. He has a way of brightening the room, softening worries, and creating moments of pure comfort for our residents.

This month, we’re excited to celebrate Pet Therapy Day here at Chestnut Gardens.On Tuesday 28th April @ 11.30am, Bailey’s owner, Brian, will be joining us to share a heart‑warming talk about the incredible work Bailey does. Sharing why pet therapy is such an important part of wellbeing in care homes.

From calming companionship to sparking memories and conversation, Bailey reminds us that sometimes the smallest paws make the biggest impact

Employee of the Month For January 2026

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.

Kingswood Shetland Ponies

Chestnut Gardens welcomed recently the Kingswood Shetland Ponies to the home as part of the December Christmas activities.

The first stop was to visit the residents who were all eagerly waiting in the Bistro area and what joy they brought.
But hey they did not stop there , they were so well trained they popped into the lifts and visited each and every floor to meet all the residents.

It was so such a memorable and magical experience not only for the residents but for all the guests and staff and we will look forward to another visit soon in 2026.