Activities at Ouse View Care Home

As part of Ouse View’s ongoing community engagement programme, the home teamed up with St Oswald’s CE Primary School, Fulford for a newly launched pen pal scheme connecting residents with its creative writing pupils. Year 5 pupils recently started a new topic about the war, and have been incredibly kind in sending many letters to residents at Ouse View. The beautifully written letters introduce themselves, and ask residents to share stories they might have about their own wartime experiences. Residents will be writing back to each pupil, and as you can see from the photos, they were totally captivated by the content of the letters.

Residents and staff took part in Ouse View's very first Harvest Festival, with hymns and prayers enjoyed in the home's cinema room. 'Morning Has Broken', 'We Plough the Fields and Scatter', 'All Things Bright and Beautiful' and others, were followed by a nice cup of tea and a slice of cake on a glorious autumn afternoon.

Activities Coordinator, Richard Sweeting is pictured leading the service, and behind him can be seen the home's Harvest Festival display which is entered into this year's Barchester competition to find the best Harvest display featuring a sourdough basket.

Enriching the life of residents through a fun, engaging and stimulating programme of activities is of paramount importance at Ouse View, and indeed Barchester Healthcare. And rolling (no pun intended) activities, care and nutrition all into one, saw residents enjoy making some delicious home-made tarts during one of the home's regular baking sessions. In the oven they went, ready for afternoon tea and cakes on a gloriously sunny outdoor terrace. It may be October now, but as Pop Larkin used to say, "Perfick!

Friday 25 September is Macmillan Cancer Support's Coffee Morning, and to support this wonderful cause, Ouse View held its very first Bake Off to help raise funds and awareness for the charity's invaluable work.

In the run up to the day, cook books were dusted off, techniques honed, equipment tested, and recipes pored over and meticulously fine-tuned. Things soon became very competitive!

The event raised £70 (and counting) and was a great opportunity for residents to sample some fabulous culinary creations whilst chatting to staff. The eventual Bake Off winner was Head of Housekeeping, Sharon Ward, who is proudly pictured with her winning cupcake entry.”

As part of Ouse View's ongoing desire to provide the very best life enrichment programme to its residents, we have partnered with nearby Hearing Dogs for Deaf People. Under 'normal' circumstances its Bielby-base provides tours of the centre between 2-4pm on Thursdays, which include a tour of the training facilities + tea and a cake. Virtual sessions are also available, and these include a talk from a trainer (in the presence of a hearing dog) providing insight into how its dogs are trained and the practical applications of that training for deaf people. We're sure that our residents - many of whom will be hard of hearing themselves - will thoroughly enjoy watching the dogs in virtual action, and will find the talks both educational and heartwarming.”

A meal with a view, courtesy of alfresco dining at Ouse View.

After a gloriously sunny autumn day, what better way to enjoy a freshly prepared evening meal than sat out on the balcony of one of the home's three dining rooms. There's definitely nothing half-baked about this fine dining experience!”