Activities at Hethersett Hall Care Home

We had the best day at the Royal Norfolk Show. We have lots of interest from our residents in going to this every year due to many having farming backgrounds. Janet and Mary used to have lots of cows when they were growing up, so it was really nice for them to have a look at all the cows and the other animals. 

We watched the parachute show, which everyone enjoyed. We had a look around at some of the stalls and played some target games at the Priscilla Bacon Hospice Charity stall. It was so lovely to see our residents engaging in everything that we did together. 

We all shared a yummy picnic together at lunchtime, then had an ice cream on the way home. We had a special guest with us this year, Mary. She’s been a lifelong member and vice president of the Norfolk show. Mary was wearing her special badge. We all felt honoured, especially when she’s 100!! Mary, you are remarkable, as are all the residents that we shared this special day with. We hope you enjoyed every moment. 

Well done team Hethersett for making this special day happen. 

We had a really lovely morning at the Forget me not cafe in Hethersett, We do love getting together with the community of Hethersett it’s somewhere we can share all our stories together, We got treated to some yummy scones and cream with fresh strawberries on top, We joined in with a Tea Party Quiz, coloured in some tea pots and had a show and tell of all the different types of tea pots people have brought in to show. To end the morning we had a sing-a-long to some songs that are tea related. 
Our resident Neil is fantastic with meeting the community any chance he gets to come and meet and greet with anyone he will be by our side. 
We visit the Forget me not café twice a month on a Tuesday and we open up our café lounge which we now name the forget me not café, everyone is welcome In the community on the 3rd Tuesday of every month we offer a variety of hot foods and cakes.

What a wonderful place it is, we felt very welcomed by everyone and there dogs, Such a friendly atmosphere we went into the fields to watch all the dogs running about then walked to the Cafe to have a nice coffee and a piece of cake the chocolate cake was the favourite, we met some gorgeous dogs had some lovely cuddles, we also had some lovely chats with some people we met along the way.
We walked over to the fields to have a look at the alpacas we had the best time. 
Very friendly staff and highly recommended. 
Animal therapy is the best therapy so many happy smiling faces. 
Our resident Gwen was so overwhelmed by this outing she cant wait to go back again, she said it was one of the best days of her life. 

It was a rainy day, but it’s always full of smiles here at Hethersett hall. We started off the day by welcoming the community to our forget-me-not café, which is becoming very popular. It’s so nice to have the community engaging with our lovely residents. This runs on the 4th Tuesday of the month 10:00-12:00. We’ve had some wonderful feedback from the community. This is from one lovely lady: “Once again, Hethersett Hall made us very welcome. Thank you”

Tuesday is Juli’s Art class, which is fantastic. The residents are working really hard to create lots of beautiful paintings which they will be looking to sell at our summer Fête. Our Art class is just getting bigger and bigger. There’s no stopping our talented residents. 

We love a good party at Hethersett. All it really brings everyone together and creates so many wonderful memories. We enjoyed a gorgeous afternoon tea made by our brilliant host, Bev. A big thank you to you and all the kitchen team and a massive thanks to everyone who helped out. It really was a team effort. We all enjoyed music by one of our favourites, Steve Carmel and Rachel.

Everyone had such a lovely day at our garden party, lots of smiles and happy faces, and the weather was great. We received lots of lovely comments on the day in our comments book. 

We support Priscilla Bacon Hospice Charity, so thank you to all that donated. We managed to raise an amazing amount of money for this special charity. We raised £438.71p, and we have now managed to reach the 1k target.   

In May, we went on a coach trip to the rural kitchen with our local forget-me-not café, which is a Dementia support group. As it was Dementia Action week, it was a lovely idea to get the community of Hethersett together.

We all met up at the forget-me-not Café to have a coffee, then we set off to Brooke to have a lovely meal at the Rural Kitchen. It was a lovely sunny day and the food was delicious, very well-organised. Everyone was so happy. We all sat outside in the glorious sunshine and had a look around the little shop and butchers. 

The restaurant was brilliant, and the food was top-notch. We couldn’t have asked for a nicer group of people.  

Birthday celebrations are important. It's an opportunity to gather with loved ones, share stories, and make memories. Your birthday is a chance for your friends and family to show their appreciation for you, and to celebrate the unique qualities that make you who you are. 

Violet who has lived at Hethersett Hall for over six years, and is truly one of the family enjoyed her centenary birthday celebrations in style. Head chef Becky prepared a special 100th birthday menu and a 100th birthday cake. Violet was joined by family and friends. Violet’s son David said “aside from all the efforts with balloons, banners, and flowers the fact the home made a cake and prepared a special menu was beyond our expectations. Mum’s friends who came to join her were all thoroughly impressed with the effort and arrangements and really enjoyed the occasion almost as much a Mum” 

Taking part in intergenerational activities such as social engagements and interactions, bring together younger and older generations for a common purpose. These activities build on the strengths that different generations have to offer, as well as nurture understanding, respect, and challenge ageism.

Our Residents enjoyed a visit from some of the children from Treetops Nursery. They brought flowers, cards and smiles as part of their "watch me grow" project. They also brought various potted seeds for our Residents and joined them to sow them in our new outdoor planting area. We can't wait to see updates of the growing progress. 

This sort of activity is made possible through our close links with local schools, colleges and nurseries. Intergenerational activities are a cornerstone of our life enrichment program. 

At Hethersett Hall we know that being able to continue lifelong hobbies or interests is a key part of our resident's identities, and we make every effort to encourage and support each resident to be able to do so.

The Residents requested that we create a veg garden this year. We’ve been working hard to start our crops. We’ve built Veg Trugs filled them with soil and started to sow some seeds, so far we’ve planted tomatoes, courgettes, broad beans, peas, carrots and lettuce. 

At Hethersett Hall we support our residents to continue with their favourite hobbies, and encourage them to share and teach others about these too.

One of the cornerstones of our life enrichment program is live musical entertainment. Resident involvement in choosing genres along with feedback after each performance means that we are able to constantly improve our activities calendar.

At the request of our Residents we invited the Ukuladies to return to Hethersett Hall as our Residents love a sing a long to some of their old time favourites and the ladies definitely brought a smile to our Residents and a massive thumbs up.

At Hethersett Hall we celebrate birthdays not just as a mark of ageing another year but as a celebration of life, achievements, and personal growth. It's a time for reflection, gratitude, and looking forward to future possibilities. Birthdays provide a special opportunity for us to help residents to gather with loved ones and create lasting memories.

It was one of our Residents Shirley's 90th birthday and we made the visit extra special for her family with a Birthday display in the Reception and cake and sparkles.

Birthday Celebrations for our Residents our treasured at Hethersett Hall and we always like to do as much as we can to make every celebration special.

Supporting residents to enjoy outings, shopping, meals out and other trips is a key aspect of the weekly activities calendar. 

We enjoyed a trip to a Local Garden Centre as we had heard their lunches were sumptuous. Our Residents certainly agreed and there were smiles all round as the bangers and mash arrived and topped with a Yorkshire pudding.

Regular trips and outings are the cornerstone of our activity programme and we always take regular feedback from our Residents as to where they would love to visit.

Supporting residents to enjoy outings, shopping, meals out and other trips is a key aspect of the weekly activities calendar at Hethersett Hall.

Our Residents enjoyed a trip to Wymondham Garden Centre this week and picked up some fresh flowers for display at the Home. We even enjoyed a sumptuous cake and coffee at the restaurant.

Regular outings are just one aspect of our life enrichment program and all the trips we take are at the request of the residents. Our monthly activities calendar boasts a range of outings and entertainment.

At Hethersett Hall we love hosting events that we can open up to our relatives, friends and the wider community. Life at Hethersett Hall is about being part of the local community and enjoying life long hobbies whilst also exploring new experiences.

Our Activities Team is dedicated to ensuring that we organise events that encourage our residents to host their families and friends . Our home is always open to loved ones who wish to take part in our life enrichment program. 

We would like to take this opportunity to recognise and thank our wonderful Activity Coordinators here at Hethersett Hall.
We are proud of Caroline and Rachel for their unique approach to delivering the Homes lifestyle enrichment programme. They deliver outstanding activities and entertainments and love to bring our residents together every single day. They always go above and beyond their role and for this the team at Hethersett Hall we are truly grateful. 

The methods and mediums may change but the heart of live music - the communal joy, the shared emotions, the collective energy - remains untouched. As we look to the future, one thing is clear: live music will continue to be a cherished experience at Hethersett Hall, even as its form and format evolve.

Our Residents enjoyed a visit from one of their favourite entertainers to warm there hearts in a cold January. Svetla plays popular songs with a Polka beat and always gets our Residents to join in with percussive instruments.

At Hethersett Hall that's what we like to do - create memories, and ensure our residents are leading full enriched lives.