Activities at Thistle Hill Care Home

Our activities team are great at building the activities programme around the likes and interests of the people we care for. Ensuring that our social events offer fun and adventure is part of the ethos of our home; it’s important that those we support can enjoy an active and social lifestyle. Of course, there will always be those who prefer peace and quiet, and in these instances, a cup of tea and a chat are always welcomed.

Enriching life
Watch our video on life enrichment in our homes.
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 Thistle Hill Care Home

Icing on the cake for cupcake day!

National Cupcake Day has been a real treat at Thistle Hill where sweet-toothed staff and residents got out their aprons and mixing bowls to raise money for the Alzheimer’s Society.    The day, organised by the Alzheimer’s Society, encourages groups and individuals to host a cupcake day to raise money for the charity, where funds will be put towards finding the cure for dementia. Dedicated Cupcakers have raised £2.7 million since 2016, and this year the charity hopes to raise even more to continue to support those affected by dementia.

Working up an Apetite

Residents and staff at Thistle Hill ate their fill and then some at The Big Lunch – an initiative that aims to get as many neighbours together for lunch as possible. With lock-down in place and unable to invite visitors to the home, they created their very own virtual lunch party and welcomed relatives to join them via Skype during the course of the day.  

Residents and staff got together in the home for an all day party with food, music and decorations. Everyone joined the organised lunch in the welcoming environment that is the home's Memory Lane balcony lounge. This is a hub of the home and was integral to engaging everyone in this simple act of friendship, fun and food.

World’s Greatest Flower Show

An international pandemic was not going to let organisers of the Royal Chelsea Flower Show, or residents at Thistle Hill, stop celebrating the event, as it was moved to a digital format. Taking place between 18th – 24th May, the world’s greatest flower show went digital, and brought an exciting line-up of world-leading designers, plant experts, and practical gardening advice – all enjoyed from the comfort of your own home.

In celebration, the RHS and BBC1’s The One Show, joined forces to launch a competition to celebrate ‘Virtual Chelsea’, asking green fingered fans to share images of green spaces and gardens – and hear how plants are helping them through these challenging times. Of course, residents at thistle hill were keen to get involved. 

Residents thoroughly enjoyed watching the virtual flower show on our big screen via YouTube, taking part in a flower show themed quiz and taking advantage of our wonderful gardens and woodland walk to go flower and leaf spotting.

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VE Day Festivities

The beginning of May saw a trying time for the nation and our residents and guests, but this would not diminish the great British spirit, as our residents rallied to celebrate the 75th anniversary of VE Day

Our residents and guests had a wonderful day singing along with the old time songs from that era! They had a wonderful time dancing the day away and telling stories of times gone by. They only stopped to take a moment of reflection during the two minute silence and to listen to Winston Churchill’s speech at 3pm, before they joined the nation in raising their glasses.

Thistle Hill Hatches Easter Party

Staff, residents at  Thistle Hill celebrated Easter with an Easter egg hunt in the glorious spring sunshine as well as taking part in an Easter bonnet completion and other Easter themed activities

Thistle hill enjoyed eggs-tensive range of Easter activities, from an Easter Bonnet parade, egg painting and games, with tea parties consisting of hot cross buns and a variety of other lovely refreshments, Residents also tucked in to a delicious Easter meal of prepared by our fabulous team in the kitchen, consisting of delicious roast beef and lamb with all the trimmings

General Manager, Mandy Scott said: “As always, we’ve all been looking forward to Easter. It’s such a nice time of the year – the residents love all the colourful Easter eggs and all the fun activities that coincide with the celebrations, It’s really been an eggs-cellent day!”

Chippy Treats

Residents and colleagues at Thistle Hill were delighted when local fish shop, Drakes of Knaresborough, donated and dropped off at the home's door, fish and chips boxes to the delight of all to enjoy for their lunch. Who truly doesn't like fish & chips?

It was great lunchtime experience for both staff and residents to have a chat from a distance, along with a traditional brew of Yorkshire tea to wash down the mouth-watering treat. It was a great conversational time too, as everyone remembered their favourite fish and chips from their past.