Activities at Hickathrift House Care Home

We have two Activities Coordinators here at Hickathrift House. We have a wide range of activities within the home, including musical entertainment, arts & crafts, clubs for like-minded people, such as flower arranging and gardening, board games, baking (where the best bit is the eating afterwards!), and we celebrate special events throughout the year. We also have trips out on a regular basis using our own minibus, where we find out places of interest each person would like to visit.

It is important to us that each individual who we support can get as much from these activities as possible, so we try our best to arrange activities that reflect their interests and capabilities, and encourage them to participate in any way they can. We also encourage relatives to join in with activities and events as often as they can.

For the less mobile residents, we unique one-to-one session, such as simple chats over a cup of tea, reading or listening to music. Activities are some of the most important aspects of a care home, so it is essential that our team are dedicated to ensuring that residents are entertained, and that life at Hickathrift House is fun and active.

Enriching life
Watch our video on life enrichment in our homes.

Kat Colangelo

Activities Lead

Hello, my name is Kat and I am the Activities Lead here at Hickathrift House.

Since 2017 I have been working in the field of well-being and I am passionate and enthusiastic about enriching all our of residents' quality of life. 

As the Activities Lead at Hickathrift House, my focus is learning about each of our resident's likes and dislikes and supporting them to remain receptive and active in addition to supporting them to engage with our local community friends.

I organise activities to stimulate the mind, body and soul in an enjoyable, comfortable way. My aim is to diversify and increase activities ensuring that there is something for everyone - from Wine and Cheese events, excursions on our home Mini Bus as well as individual bespoke person-centered activities.

 

Life-encriching activities booklet

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 Hickathrift House Care Home

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Wishes Granted at Hickathrift

Den's wish was granted by our home's 'Post A Wish' initiative. Den enjoys reminiscing about fishing, his greatest catches and early mornings at Buttonhole Lake, so our team worked on preparing a beautiful fishing trip for him and his friends. Chris, owner of Buttonhole Lake was more than happy to have us and joined us all morning chatting away while fishing by the lake. The gentlemen thoroughly enjoyed sitting in the sun, looking at the catches of the day and reminiscing about life.
Den said, "The trip has taken me back. I helped dig this lake many years ago and fished it many times. I've had some beautiful fish out of it. This has inspired me to dig out my tackle and get fishing again."

To continue Den's passion for fishing we've designed a fishing sensory box and planning on many more fishing trips.

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Sandringham Trip

Residents took a wonderful trip in our Coronation-themed minibus to Sandringham. Everyone enjoyed a stroll around the beautiful greenery, a visit to the stunning St. Mary Magdalene Church, and a hot cup of tea in the sunshine while reminiscing about past visits. Den, shared stories of when he worked at Sandringham and Betty about when she visited with her husband as well as many other fond memories. Before heading back we couldn't help ourselves and popped to Hunstanton for some quality fish and chips and of course, a Mr Whippy ice cream while taking in the seaside sights.

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Celebrations fit for a King

Excitement was in the air as we all celebrated the highly anticipated Coronation of King Charles III in style. Hickathrift House was beautifully decorated by residents and the Activities Team with themed flags, banners and 12 handmade fabric buntings by our superb carer, Julie. 

The whole home came together, along with families, friends and local community members to celebrate our new King and talk about the new era the country is entering. KJ & the Catt were our incredible singers for the Grand Royal Party and our talented chef, Kerry, prepared an assortment of delicious treats for our themed dining experience and afternoon tea fit for a King.

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Home hosts Intergenerational toddler morning

Hickathrift House Care Home, in Marshland St James, Wisbech have recently started an intergenerational Toddler Morning for residents and members of the local community on the first and third Saturday of each month, 10:30am until 12:30pm. The residents and staff at Hickathrift House welcome groups of parents and their toddlers who live locally as well as carers with babies to enjoy nursery rhymes, games and activities with residents at the home.

Coronation history

Across our services Residents had a wonderful time participating in an interactive virtual talk with Pippa Catterall, Professor of History and Policy at the University of Westminster, where we delved into the rich history of coronations.

During the talk, we explored fascinating topics such as the coronation chair, the crown, and other significant aspects related to King Charles' upcoming coronation. Our residents were thrilled to have the opportunity to immerse themselves in the memoirs of past coronations from 1937 and 1953, as well as learning about the coronation oath and what to expect from the ceremony, including the music, guests, and pageantry.

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Norfolk County Youth Orchestra

Residents thoroughly enjoyed attending the King's Lynn Corn Exchange to watch the Norfolk Country Youth Orchestra perform. The evening was filled with delight while listening to these talented children and the world premiere of Alex Rudd's composition. It sparked lovely memories of visiting other concert halls and conversations about famous composers and orchestra performances.

Dorothy said, "They played so lovely. They're all very talented and should be proud of tonight. It's been wonderful having an evening out with friends again".

We're all looking forward to seeing them perform again in the future.

Upcoming events

Spring Fair

Come and join us at our annual Spring Fair - there is lots for everyone!

Newsletter - March

We are delighted to share our newsletter - March / Easter edition.

Bingo fundraiser

Eyes down for our bingo fundraiser! come and join us....

May

May is the gateway to summer and we have lots of fun filled activities planned - all welcome.

Newsletter - April

Enjoy reading our April edition of our newsletter.

Dementia Cafe - 3rd Friday of the month

We extend a warm invitation for you to join us at our monthly dementia cafe.

Knit and Natter - Bi-monthly

Do you enjoy knitting? Come along and make new friends at our bi monthly Knit and Natter group - all welcome.

Gentleman's Club - Last Sunday of the month

Come along and enjoy a variety of activities over a beverage or two!  Make new friends - all welcome.

Emergency Services - Take a break on us!

Calling all emergency personnel!  Come and take a break on us - there may be a cake or two available!

Coffee Morning

We extend a warm invitation for you to join us at our monthly Coffee Morning - make new friends and enjoy a slice of homemade cake.

Volunteer Coffee Morning - every Tuesday

We recognise the special impact volunteers can have on the lives of our residents and we hope you can join us.