Activities at Queens Manor Care Home

We understand that the people we support have passions and interests that could be difficult to pursue after moving into a care home – but that doesn’t mean we don’t encourage them to try! Some hobbies can define a person, so our Activities Coordinators are dedicated to ensuring that everyone we support is able to do what makes them happy to the best of their abilities. Social events are organised with individual tastes in mind and with the idea that residents have the opportunity to try new and exciting things.

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

Shannon Cullen

Senior Head of Lifestyle

Hi, my name is Shannon and I am Head of Lifestyle and Enrichment here at Queens Manor. I have come to Queens Manor with 6 years of experience in the planning, activities and events sector.

I ensure that myself and the team get to  know each resident's preferences so that we can deliver a person-centred programme of events and activities within the home -  Including activities that positively impact physical, emotional and mental wellbeing. I strongly believe that creating great moments and memories for our residents and embracing their individuality with tailor made activities is the way forward.

In an era of developing technologies, we are using new ways of reaching out to family and friends - though Zoom, Skype and Facebook Portal. We hope that our residents never feel alone or too far away from their loved ones this way.   Each day I like to ensure that our residents enjoy themselves in a calm, stimulating and fun environment, whilst creating bonds with each other and staff.

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 Queens Manor Care Home

I, Robot with the V&A Dundee

We enjoyed a wonderful virtual introduction to the world of robots with V&A Dundee Curator, Kirsty Hassard.

Kirsty talked us through the history of robots and their early beginnings, the presentation traced the fascination of all things wired and wonderful and considered what the future might hold for our relationship with a multitude of mechanical machines.

It was absolutely thrilling to learn what robots can do now and what they might be able to do in the future.

Fun in the sun

Well considering the lovely weather we have been having, we thought it only right to bring out our very own Queens Manor Ice Cream Trolley! The residents had such a fun time pushing the trolley, choosing their favourite ice cream and sitting in the sun!

Hidden jewels of Blenheim

We had a lovely time exploring the amazing gardens of Blenheim Palace through a virtual talk, hosted by the Historian - Antonia Keaney.

We enjoyed a virtual look at how the gardens at Blenheim have developed over the past 300 years - from the formality of Henry Wise through to the ‘natural’ landscape created by Capability Brown and beyond.

Everyone was very impressed by the many jewels hidden within the 150 acres of beautiful gardens.

Dartmoor Zoological Park Adventure

We were able to virtually dive into the impressive wildlife of Dartmoor Zoo.

We explored its grounds and learnt about the unique history of the park from the zoo’s educational team. The culmination of the tour was the live tiger training demonstration, which was wonderful to see and enjoyed by all.

Our residents were delighted to see amazing photos and short videos of the animals and take a peek inside their home.

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Icelandic adventures for Queens Manor

Staff and residents at Barchester’s Queens Manor care home in Edinburgh were treated to a virtual tour of the wonderful world of SEA LIFE Trust’s Puffin Rescue Centre at the Beluga Whale Sanctuary in Iceland, hosted by General Manager, Audrey Padgett and her expert team.

Audrey’s presentation took residents behind the scenes at the Puffin Rescue Centre and showcased the work that the animal care team do every day to rescue the Atlantic puffins and keep them safe.  Her talk covered the life of puffins in the wild, the puffling rescue programme in Westman Islands where the Rescue Centre is based and how the team nurture these charismatic little birds and rehabilitate them back into the wild.   

Audrey says: “It was wonderful to be able to show the Barchester residents around our Puffin Rescue Centre here at SEA LIFE Trust and to share the important work our brilliant teams do.  We were so happy to be able to shine a light on our unique world here and our experiences of working with these beautiful birds.”

Virtual talk with Blenheim Palace

Ahead of Armed Forces Day, we were transported back in time for a World War II themed talk and tour of Blenheim Palace, hosted by Antonia Keaney, the Palace’s social historian and author.

Entitled ‘Evacuees and Espionage,’ Antonia’s wartime themed talk focused on how the Marlborough family, estate staff and the Palace itself played a full and energetic part in the war effort.

The talk and tour told the story of how the Palace prepared for the worst, survived the onslaught of 400 boys being evacuated to Blenheim and kept the secrets of MI5.  

It was a lovely experience, enjoyed by all.

Upcoming events

May

May is the gateway to summer and we have lots of exciting things planned - all welcome.

Newsletter

We are delighted to share out latest newsletter! We hope you enjoy reading...

Coffee Morning

Come along and make new friends over a refreshing coffee and slice of homemade cake - every Friday from 11.00 am

Volunteers - Could you make a difference?

Your time could make a difference! If you are interested in becoming a volunteer we'd love to hear from you!

Knit and natter

Join us for a natter whilst you knit - every Thursday from 3.00 pm.

Emergency Services - Take a break on us!

Come and take a break on us! There may be a cake or two.....