Activities at Marple Dale Care Home
Activities are the cornerstone of a wholesome home experience and our Activities Coordinators are always putting their creative minds to the test by organising new and exciting social events for residents to partake in. Of course, we take into account the likes and dislikes of those we support, so if someone doesn’t feel like trying something new, there will always be something on offer to reflect their personal interests. For the people who may just prefer some peace and quiet instead, we also offer one-to-one time that can be enjoyed with a nice cup of coffee or just a simple chat – whatever they desire.
Lewis Timperley
Hi, my name is Lewis. I joined the team in September 2021 as a general assistant and then moved to the activities team in January 2022. Most recently I became Activities Team Leader in December 2023, it has been a great journey here at Marple Dale and can’t wait to continue. I love my role as one of the homes Activity Coordinators, and love finding out new and exciting ways to engage residents with activities and each other.
Here at Marple Dale we try to do as many different activities as we can, to keep our residents as active as possible, as it is so important to keep active. I love what I do and love knowing that our residents have so much enjoyment from such a wide variety of activities.
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 Marple Dale Care Home
Home Hatches Easter Plan
Staff, residents at Marple Dale celebrated Easter with the home hosting an Easter bonnet competition which saw staff making the colourful bonnets with residents as their critics and judging.
There was also a chocolate feast with a raffle created by Easter egg donations, with all funds raised going to the residents' comfort fund. Residents made a beautiful Easter display as everyone got all crafty and made Easter jars for our family members. Residents also tucked in to a delicious Easter meal before sitting back to relax.
Mother's Day
As we celebrated Mother’s Day here at Marple Dale, daffodils were seen everywhere and residents enjoyed FaceTime, Skype and telephone calls from their children. We had a good old singalong to lift everyone’s spirits during the day, and there was plenty of chatting about the old times when the children were young. The team and residents shared stories and made it a day to remember.
Residents at the home were treated to a delicious home-made chocolate cake by the home's chef, which was enough to get those taste buds tingling! Everyone enjoyed sitting out in the garden, chatting and taste this chocolate feast over their afternoon tea!
We’ve all had such a special day. The ladies were really impressed by everything the staff did to spoil everyone rotten! Thank you to everyone for making the day so special.
Messages of Kindness
To combat loneliness and isolation, staff at Marple Dale reached out to the community as part of their extended social network to seek pen-pals of all ages to remain connected during the current coronavirus crisis.
Residents were delighted to receive colourful pictures and letters delivered to the home. Thank you for adding a little colour and sunshine to our residents' days and for your heartfelt message. It was very touching to receive such nice letters from the children.
It is amazing how a simple letter, short story, poem or even a photo or drawing can brighten someone’s day. The residents of Marple Dale will reply as part of our busy social activity sessions. We are happy to receive things via post, which can be sent to directly to the home, or you can email us directly at marpledale.activities@barchester.com.
Residents Enjoy World’s Largest Garden Wildlife Survey
This year’s RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch saw residents at Marple Dale well prepared, with bird feeders filled and binoculars in hand. Residents enjoyed looking for birds around the home. Residents spotted long tailed tits, Jays and finches using their binoculars and making our own bird feeders to attract them into the homes beautiful grounds. One of the homes volunteers, Mark came to make the bird boxes with residents to put up around the home.
Resident, Len really enjoyed the wood work and said he used to be always making things out of wood when he was younger. Throughout the week Residents took part in a variety of activities related to their feathered friends including their bird watching session. Everyone enjoyed their birdwatching fun and enjoyed delicious treats served by the homes chefs throughout the afternoons.
Love is in the Air at Marple Dale
Marple Dale was filled with flowers, cards and sweets in celebration of St Valentine’s Day. Staff, residents and guests started their celebration of love with a family and friends valentine’s themed afternoon with tasty homemade delicious treats as they shared all things love with each other.
Residents exchanged cards, fresh blooms and a small gift with their loved ones supported by the home before an afternoon of song and conversation. Married couple, Keith and Kerry who live in the home were delighted to have dinner together where Keith presented his wife with a rose!
Sea Life Centre
Activities team took a group of residents to the Sea Life Centre in Manchester last week, they got to look at various sea life creatures and fish, we also had the opportunity to have a hands on experience touching a live starfish and shrimps, all the residents had a wonderful day finishing off with a nice meal at the local carvery.
