Activities at Rivermead Care Home

Staff and residents are celebrating because their wonderful Managing Director, Fiona Fagan, from Barchester’s North East and Scotland Division, has stepped completely out of her comfort zone to compete in the Barchester Charitable Foundation Cook Off 2024.

Fiona went head-to-head with the Managing Directors from Barchester’s four other divisions and cooked up a storm to raise a phenomenal £24,595 for Barchester’s Charitable Foundation which helps connect vulnerable people and those living with a disability to community groups in their local area by providing grants to improve mobility and quality of life.  Each year the Foundation distributes thousands of pounds to individuals, small community groups and charities across England, Scotland and Wales.  

Residents across our homes had a fantastic time exploring the Eden Project virtually - an educational charity and visitor attraction based in Cornwall, featuring sprawling outdoor gardens and breathtaking biomes that house the largest indoor rainforest in the world.

During the session, residents who joined were reconnected with nature through their senses, memories and stories.  A big thank you to the community team at the Eden Project for the wonderful event.

Residents across our services enjoyed a fantastic virtual tour of The Deep, an award-winning aquarium in Hull.

Our residents dived into the underwater world of some fascinating creatures such as sharks, turtles and stingrays.

It was a truly immersive and educational experience that brought the wonders of the ocean right to our screens.

As the weather had been getting nicer, we decided to have a spontaneous trip out in the minibus. The sun stayed shining on us but it was rather breezy; this did not stop us! We wrapped up warm and took a packed lunch with us. The residents loved the scenery as we drove the country lanes to castle Howard, sparking many conversations from the blossoming fields to their own memories of visiting castle Howard with their families.

We all enjoyed exploring the walled garden, seeing some of their new sculptures and lovely hot cup of tea in their café.

Rivermead had a fluffy visitor to support dementia action week, Lilly the lamb.  Lilly got an amazing response from our residents including kisses and cuddles. Some of the residents had been farmers all their life and this visit was so special for them, reminiscing and sharing stories of their life on the farm.

The residents all had a smile on their face as Lilly was bleating up and down the corridors. There were many residents who had never stroked a lamb/sheep before so this was a completely new experience for them!

Residents across our services had a wonderful time joining Cadbury for an interactive virtual talk on their fascinating 200-year history.

Residents joining learnt interesting facts about the chocolate giant, shared memories, and reminisced about their favourite sweet treats.

It was a heartwarming experience filled with laughter, nostalgia, and plenty of chocolatey goodness!