Activities at Kirkburn Court Care Home
Here at Kirkburn Court, we aim to facilitate a personalised programme of meaningful activities, which are designed to promote independence, social stimulation and cognitive function. We strive to create a comfortable and safe environment where fun, creativity and individuality are encouraged. We feel it is important for us and residents to place value on yesterday, today and tomorrow – which is why we invest heavily in getting to know residents and learning their life history.
Our inclusive, yet respectful ethos is reflected in the wide range of activities we offer – ranging from larger structured group activities to one-to-one sessions. Our monthly activity programmes are extremely varied, but some of the activities you may expect to find include concerts, crafts, games, exercise sessions, reminiscing and outings. We also have a strong relationship with the local community and often invite external guests into the home, including performers, schools, and choirs.
Claire Burden
I began my career with Barchester in December 2017. Having worked within the teaching profession for the preceding 8 years, I feel that I bring a range of transferable skills to the activities team.
I strongly believe that the provision of activities is about so much more than just structured, planned events – capturing and celebrating the little moments in daily life, such as enjoying a chat and a cup of tea together, are equally as important.
Activities, no matter how big or small, should be at the heart of every home and that individuality should be celebrated. In addition, I feel that activities should take a person-centred approach, which is why I enjoy spending time with the residents and learning about their preferences and their history.
My own interests include football, politics, crafting and drinking tea, and I enjoy nothing better than engaging with residents on these topics! I aim to bring energy, a friendly smile and a willing ear to the home each day.
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 Kirkburn Court Care Home
The Kirkburn National
In honour of this year's Grand National, we decided to hold our own horse racing event - we give you 'The Kirkburn National.’ We all had a great time donning our fancy hats and sipping glasses of fizz! Our trusty foam dice was brought out for the occasion and was accompanied by our very sophisticated horse racing track and horses!! Competition was fierce but of course was all good natured! A great time was had by all!
Intergenerational Fun
We have recently had the most amazing heart-warming day here at Kirkburn.
We were delighted to welcome the children of the Buchanhaven nursery, who brought along some of their favourite things to play with including play dough, colouring and puzzles. It was amazing to watch the residents faces light up as soon as they saw the children and the interaction between them was just brilliant - it was as if they already knew each other! The photos do not capture the true magic but it was so endearing watching the residents and children work together side by side - they even shared snack time too! The children also gave us a wee performance of 'Twinkle Twinkle' before they left! True intergenerational activity if ever there was!
Easter Activities
We had a very busy time here at Kirkburn celebrating Easter. Our residents and staff had great fun joining in with a range of activities including making Easter bonnets and decorating eggs. Although the highlight of the week was the Easter egg trolley going around making deliveries! It is safe to say we have all enjoyed eating lots of chocolate!
St. Patrick's Day
We have had great fun this month celebrating St Patrick’s Day. As well as donning some of our fancy dress attire, we have joined in with a range of different themed activities. We have tested our knowledge with our Irish quizzes, attempted to do some seated Irish dancing, tried our hand at reading some limericks and even played a few games of gold coin toss! The greatest hilarity came when we assigned everyone their ‘Leprechaun Name’ based on their first name and birth month. A great laugh was had by all.
Nutrition and Hydration Week
In March, we marked National Nutrition and Hydration Week by trying our hand at making some fruit smoothies! We selected a range of different recipes including a breakfast style smoothie, a blueberry smoothie and a peach melba smoothie. We all pitched in to chop up the required fruit and to measure out all the ingredients - before giving them a blitz in our blender. Our residents really enjoyed trying ‘something different’ and they went down a treat – with the blueberry coming out as overall favourite. A great team effort once again.
International Women's Day
Our ladies were invited along to a lovely tea party where we enjoyed some cakes and chat. Of course, our lovely gents were also invited to join us if they wished! We spent some time reminiscing about the important women in our lives and also had a go at a Women in History Quiz - where we learned some interesting facts about some amazing women. We also dusted off our record player and listened to some of the great female voices including Tammy Wynette and Patsy Clyne. Our lovely ladies then enjoyed some pampering including hand massages and nail painting. A lovely time was had by all.
