Activities at The Dales Care Home
We understand that the people we support have passions and interests that could be difficult to pursue after moving into a care home – but that doesn’t mean we don’t encourage them to try! Some hobbies can define a person, so our Activities Coordinators are dedicated to ensuring that everyone we support is able to do what makes them happy to the best of their abilities. Social events are organised with individual tastes in mind and with the idea that residents have the opportunity to try new and exciting things.
Kay Thompson
Hi, my name is Kay and I am the activities coordinator here at the Dales. I joined the team in June 2021 and I love spending time with the residents each day, delivering meaningful activities that keep our residents active and social stimulated, more importantly we have fun! Our life enrichment programme is varied and we have lots to do!
Before I joined the home I was a lecturer teaching young individuals with high needs, it is very different being an activities coordinator but it does help with understand how to ensure everyone is happy each and every day in everything that we do.
I look forward to meeting you when you visit our home.
Read our brochure 'Life-enriching activities' for more information about life in our care homes.
Read our brochure
Activities and Events Partnerships
As part of our bespoke life-enrichment programmes, we host a number of live virtual events in the home on a regular basis through a number of partnerships with places of interest and world class performance companies
Life at The Dales Care Home
Voyage of discovery
Staff and residents at Barchester’s The Dales were treated to a photographic tour and talk about the era of ocean travel by V&A Dundee Curator, Charlotte Hale. The presentation forms part of a series of six talks and virtual tours that V&A Dundee is hosting for Barchester Healthcare’s care homes and private hospitals across the UK.
Charlotte’s presentation took residents on a journey through V&A Dundee’s inaugural exhibition Ocean Liners: Speed and Style. Though the golden age of ocean travel has long since passed, the ocean liner still remains a potent symbol of 20th century modernity. The talk explored the romantic and remarkable age of ocean travel through the design stories of the Titanic, Normandie, the Queen Mary and the Canberra, from their engineering and interior design to the creation of an aspirational lifestyle and the stunning fashions worn on board.
Mental Health Awareness Week
Staff and residents at Barchester’s The Dales care home in Skipton were treated to an armchair work out courtesy of the Green Goddess, Diana Moran, and Shackleton’s furniture company, followed by a mindfulness session led by Shackleton’s Emma Raybould.
Diana rose to fame as a glamorous fitness guru on BBC’s Breakfast Time in the 1980’s and has made an outstanding contribution to improving the health and wellbeing of people in the UK. She now brings that experience to Shackletons as their Health and Wellness Adviser.
National Vegetarian Week
To celebrate National Vegetarian Week, staff and residents at Barchester’s The Dales care home in Draughton were treated to an interactive virtual cookery demo courtesy of chef, Alex Connell, from Vegetarian for Life.
Chef Alex whipped up some tasty, healthy vegetarian snacks in a live, interactive cookery demo. Much to residents’ delight, Patrick Bonus head chef had prepared the same recipes so that residents could try all the dishes. Residents sampled delicious, light and summery veggie dishes including Borlotti bean and dill pate, Greek fritters with Tzatziki and Coronation 'chicken' pastries. All finished off with a sweet and simple but totally yummy banana bread.
Home receive gift from a family
All the staff at The Dales would like to thank a residents family for sending in such a thoughtful box of goodies all the way from Scotland.
Virtual travels
Virtual Reality week, last week Kevin Green, Chef brought in his Virtual Reality Console. Whilst the rest of the world is in lock down the residents at the Dales were able to go travelling around the world. They went to New York, sat with a pride of lions on a safari, had a picnic by the lakes of Italy and the most popular was when they went deep sea diving.
Nurse celebrates 35-years service
A Registered General Nurse at The Dales in Skipton has received a prestigious 35 Year Service Award in celebration of working at Barchester Healthcare for 35 years.
Joy Pickles now Registered General Nurse started at Barchester in 5 March 1986 and has worked with residents and their relatives to ensure that their needs have been met over the years.
Roisin Doyle, General Manager of the Dales said: “We’re delighted to be celebrating 35 years of loyal service with Joy Pickles. She has demonstrated her dedication and loyalty to this home and its residents year after year. I speak for all of us here at The Dales when I say that I’m looking forward to many more years of working with Joy!”
Upcoming events
