Dudwell St MaryBarchester Healthcare

Activities at Dudwell St Mary Care Home

Name: Dudwell St Mary Care Home
Address: Etchingham Road, Burwash, TN19 7BE, GB
Telephone: 01435 667 736

Our activity coordinator provides our home with a fun-packed weekly programme to engage all residents. Past activities include bread making, pottery, knitting, and card making. Not only do we run regular exercise programmes for the residents but we also have our regular entertainers come in to entertain our residents and their families. The activity coordinator visits residents on a one-to-one basis, for a chat, manicure and hand massage. The activity co-ordinator said "Residents love the one-to-ones and especially enjoy the manicure and hand massage, as not only is it stimulating but it boosts their confidence and pride in their appearance.''

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

Read our brochure

Linda Lawes

Activities Coordinator

My Name is Linda and I am one of the Activities Co-ordinators at Dudwell St. Mary care home.

I joined Dudwell St Mary in April 2008 as a Housekeeping Assistant and later became the Head of Housekeeping. In 2018 I then became an activities co-ordinator where I brought lots of new exciting ideas to the role.

I am passionate about my role within the home and aim to bring a smile to all our residents’ faces through different types of activities. My personality is bright and bubbly so aim to share this each day at work.

As I gather the residents likes and dislikes if you would like to come and chat with me about your family member please contact the home to arrange.

Celebrating life at Dudwell St Mary Care Home

Autumn Wreath Making at Dudwell St Mary’s

What a wonderful success our autumn wreath-making event was!

It was lovely to bring together our residents, their families and members of our local community to share creativity, laughter and special moments together. Everyone enjoyed getting involved and creating their own beautiful autumn wreaths, celebrating the season in the best possible company.

A massive thank you to our brilliant Activities Jackie, for delivering such a fantastic event. Your passion for bringing people together and creating meaningful experiences for our residents is truly appreciated!

At Dudwell St Mary’s, we’re proud to be a home at the heart of our community, where friendships grow and wonderful memories are made.

Little Moments Can Mean The Most

It’s often the little moments that mean the most.

Not every meaningful moment needs to be a big activity, a busy afternoon, or a special event.

Sometimes it’s the quieter things that bring the greatest joy sitting together with a cup of tea, sharing a story, listening to favourite music, having a gentle chat, enjoying a little fresh air, or simply spending time side by side.

These small moments create connection, comfort and memories. They remind us that meaningful engagement isn’t always about what we do, but about who we share the moment with.

Because sometimes, the quietest moments can speak the loudest.

Dudwell St Marys Sunflower Competition

Our sunflower competition has certainly grown into something special.

With the support of Dave, head of maintenance and Jackie, activity cooridnator who helped plant them and lovingly cultivated them alongside the residents. The time has come to announce the winner.

After lots of care, watering and watching them grow, we’re delighted to announce that Julie is our winner, with an incredible sunflower measuring over eight feet tall.

This was a fun competiton and the talk of the home. The beautiful sunflowers have made everyone smile.

Ladies Day

Many of the ladies at Dudwell St Mary’s have enjoyed going to the races in the past, which was the inspiration behind celebrating Ladies' Day in style.

With glasses of Prosecco, delicious strawberries and cream, and plenty of smiles, everyone embraced the glamour and excitement of this much-loved tradition. A wonderful afternoon enjoyed by all.

Happy International Women’s Day

Today we celebrate some of the incredible women who make Dudwell St Mary Care Home – Barchester Healthcare such a special place. Our wonderful residents have lived through decades of change, shared countless stories, and continue to inspire us every day with their strength and wisdom.

From cherished memories to laughter shared over tea or a glass of sherry, these remarkable women remind us of the resilience and spirit that shapes generations. We are so proud to celebrate them today and every day.

Please join us in wishing all these amazing women a very Happy International Women’s Day.

Music, memories & community at Dudwell St Mary’s

Every Tuesday, residents and our amazing team head to Etchingham Village Hall to take part in the wonderful Music memories Choir.

It’s a fantastic local group supporting people, bringing people together through the power of music, friendship and shared memories.

Residents absolutely love being involved, and it’s wonderful to see them singing, smiling, connecting with others and becoming part of our local community.

We’re so proud to support such a special group and look forward to our Tuesday choir sessions every week!

MacMillan Coffee Morning

What a wonderful morning everyone had raising money for Macmillan Cancer Support.

A huge thank you to our amazing housekeeper, Jess, who went above and beyond to make the morning so special. Jess worked her magic in the kitchen, baking a fantastic selection of delicious cakes for everyone to enjoy.

Her time, effort and care really helped make the event a success.

Residents, family and friends attedned the morning to support this important cause, enjoyed the cakes and spedning time with each other.

Burwash Car Show

Residents had a wonderful time admiring the amazing selection of classic and modern cars on display at the local car show.

A special highlight for Peter was seeing his son proudly showcasing one of his own cars that he had inherited from his German grandfather. It was a lovely moment for everyone to share in Peter's pride and celebrate such a special family connection.

Ice cream for everyone

The residents and staff at Dudwell St Mary were all treated to some proper ice cream from Alfie’s awesome ice cream van.

There were plenty of smiles all around as everyone enjoyed a delicious treat. A huge thank you to Alfie’s for bringing such wonderful ice cream and helping to create special moments for our residents and staff.

Care Awards Celebrations

Staff and residents at Dudwell St Mary care home, in Burwash, East Sussex, are celebrating their fantastic General Manager and Unit Manager.

Emma Rich-Spice, Senior General Manager, was nominated for two care awards and was selected as a finalist at both. Emma has worked in care for over twenty-five years and was announced as a runner-up and highly commended in the outstanding contribution to health and social care category at the East Sussex Care Awards. She was also nominated at the Female Business Awards for health, beauty and wellbeing business of the year for Dudwell St Mary, the only care home to be a finalist. Nick Stefanescu from Dudwell St Mary was also a runner-up for nurse of the year at the East Sussex Care Awards. Emma said: “I am super proud and honoured to be nominated for these awards and super proud of my team. Nick, the rest of my team and residents inspire me every day in everything I do.”

Dudwell St Mary is run by Barchester Healthcare, one of the UK’s largest care providers, which is committed to delivering high-quality care across its care homes and hospitals. Dudwell St Mary provides nursing care and respite care.

Bridging Generations At Dudwell St Mary’s

Resdients enjoyed a truly special visit from the children from Dallington School, along with their wonderful teachers. The school joined residents for an afternoon of intergenerational fun, laughter and connection.

From playing games to creating beautiful artwork, residents and the children shared smiles, stories and precious memories together.

Intergenerational visits are about so much more than an activity. They create a beautiful connection between generations giving residents the opportunity to share their experiences and memories, while the children learn, listen and build meaningful relationships.

Different generations, different stories, but so much in common.

Summer BBQ

What better way to enjoy a bank holiday Monday than with a delicious barbecue on the patio!

Residents, family and the team had a wonderful time enjoying tasty food, fresh air and, most importantly, each other’s company. There were lots of smiles, laughter and happy conversations as everyone made the most of our lovely outdoor space.

It was so heartwarming to see so many of residents enjoying a relaxing afternoon together.

Shopping trip

We love to go out into the community and recently some of our residents enjoyed a shopping trip into Heathfield today, browsing the local shops. With the hot weather, a stop at the Co-op was the perfect opportunity to cool down with their air-con and relax with some refreshing cold drinks.

It is always wonderful to get out and about, enjoy the community, and spend time together.

School visit

We had a wonderful visit from the pupils of Dallington School here at Dudwell St Mary Care Home - Barchester Healthcare.

Our residents really enjoyed spending time with the pupils. Together we played charades and a lively round of Game of Fives, which brought lots of smiles and laughter. The pupils also kindly read to some of our residents, and we loved hearing all about what a typical day at school is like for them.

It was such a lovely opportunity for different generations to come together, share stories, and learn from one another. Thank you to the pupils and staff from Dallington School for such a special visit. We look forward to seeing you again soon.

Intergenerational connections

We were delighted to welcome pupils from Dallington School for a very special visit this week! It was the first visit of the new term, so we met lots of new faces for our residents to share memories, wisdom and to listen to some reading their books.

It was heart-warming to see friendships bloom across the generations. A huge thank you to the teachers and pupils of Dallington School for brightening our day. We can’t wait to see you again soon!