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
Celebrating the King's Coronation
Our residents and staff have had a great time joining in with various activities. We enjoyed a lovely tea party whereby we all came together to share our stories and memories about the Royal family, along with playing some royal themed games. We were very lucky that King Charles was also able to pop in by for an appearance too! We also had the crowning of our very own Kirkburn King and Queen! Everyone enjoyed watching the Coronation itself and we had a running commentary on who had the best outfits!
We rounded off our celebrations with a special visit to Buchanhaven School nursery, who had very kindly invited us along to join in with their celebrations. We were treated to a lovely afternoon fly and the residents and children had a great time together. A huge thank you to them for inviting us along.
The Puppet Gang
We have recently been delighted to welcome back The Puppet Gang.
It was absolutely brilliant seeing our resident’s faces as they were introduced to some very famous characters - including Elton John and Elvis Presley! The residents loved getting to meet all the different characters and having a chance to interact with them.
All of our photos are natural reactions and we think the facial expressions say it all!
What a great afternoon and we would like to say a huge thank you to The Puppet Gang for putting on a great show!
Magic Moments
As part of our 'Magic Moments' series, we like to create individual experiences for our residents. Cathy has recently enjoyed a trip out to the Waulkmill Menagerie. Cathy had lived on a farm with lots of different animals and had one special pal - a donkey named Toyah. Cathy has always loved when animals come to Kirkburn to visit us so we thought it was about time that Cathy went to visit some of them!
Cathy had the opportunity to interact with various different animals - including goats, turkeys, horses, sheep and dogs. Of course, there was also time with two donkeys called Winston and May. Cathy was in her element and spent some time brushing them. The smile and affection was radiating from Cathy and it was so lovely to see.
Cathy also met a tortoise and was told that he could live until he is 150 years old - Cathy joked "I don't think I'll live as long as that!" Another heart-warming experience.
Jo Jingles
We have recently began a brand new partnership and have hosted our first ever intergenerational music and movement class with Jo Jingles!
The sheer joy on our residents faces as they saw the children arrive was magical enough and then to see them interacting with each other was so heart-warming. Everyone joined in with lots of singing and also having a go at playing a few musical instruments too. It was amazing to watch our residents sing their hearts out and remember every word - as well as the actions to some songs too! It has been brilliant so far and we continue to greatly look forward to our weekly classes.
Magic Moments
As part of our 'Magic Moments' series, we like to create individual experiences for our residents. Sylvia recently enjoyed a trip out to our local driving range. Sylvia was an avid golfer and had memberships at several local golf clubs. She also enjoyed several years as the captain of the Peterhead Ladies Team.
Despite not playing for many years, Sylvia still naturally adopted the correct stance and was very careful with her grip placement too. Sylvia was quite cold to begin with, but soon got going, giving us a demonstration once she saw how terrible the staff were!
It was lovely to have Sylvia's son join us for the occasion and he even brought along a few of Sylvia's old personal clubs! We rounded off with a fly cup in the cafe afterwards! Well done Sylvia!
Coronation virtual talk
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.
