Events and Activities
Our Activities Co-ordinator organises a regular programme of activities and entertainment, such as film afternoons, sing-songs, flower arranging, light exercise, bingo and board games. There is a weekly church service at the home.
We arrange regular outings throughout the year. For example, weather permitting, we walk to town for lunch and stroll around the local market to support local businesses. Residents can meet with old friends in local cafés. We often walk to the park and visit local gardens and garden centres to get ideas for Springfield summer pots and then chat about it over coffee and cakes or lunch.
Daycare visitors are invited to take part in all our activities including outings.
Activities at the home
Our events and activities include:
- Regular friendly bingo game for residents and their families with a variety of prizes.
- Film afternoons in the main lounge, e.g., "Oh, What a Lovely War" with Dick Bogarde and Laurence Olivier.
- Board games such as "Pastime" which help residents remember and talk about historical events, e.g., what they were doing when the Queen's coronation took place.
- A gentle exercise programme for residents organised by our Activities Co-Ordinator.
- Singers, such as KJ & The Cat, a husband and wife singing duo, who get the residents and staff singing and dancing with them.
- "Living Eggs". Residents and their families love watching chicks hatching from their eggs.
- Visits by petting animals such as Basil the Donkey!
Church services
The pastor of our local church, Jonathan, conducts a weekly service at the home with the assistance of some residents’ relatives. Jonathan plays his guitar and encourages residents to join in their favourite hymns. Jonathan is helped by Nora and Janet, whose mums were past residents, and they still like to continue to support the home.
Seasonal events
Each year we arrange a number of seasonal activities. For example, at Easter we make Easter bonnets and do flower arrangements with the residents. The residents hold an Easter parade and a prize goes to the best bonnet.
At Christmas we hold a Christmas party in the week before Christmas. All residents are encouraged to attend. Santa comes too, with personal presents tailored to each resident. There is also a bus trip to see the Christmas lights. We usually start the day with a full cooked breakfast, followed by a singalong. Then we have a break for our specially prepared buffet including sausage rolls, open sandwiches etc with jelly cake, fruit, ice cream and much much more. On Christmas Day itself, we do the traditional Christmas lunch with all the trimmings and also a “Ritz” afternoon tea. Of course there are Christmas crackers, coloured hats and the other Christmas extras. We provide special meals also on Boxing Day and New Years Day. Families and friends of residents are invited to all these events.
Our team are busy arranging craft and other activities around other seasonal events such as Halloween, St Valentine’s Day and Pancake Day.
Coffee mornings
We welcome residents, families and other visitors to coffee mornings throughout the year including a bric-a-brac stall, grand prize draw and a variety of home made cakes and biscuits. Proceeds go to our social fund.
Birthdays and anniversaries
We celebrate each resident’s birthday with banners on the resident’s door and in communal areas. A cake is made and decorated and staff and residents sing happy birthday. For special birthdays or other occasions, we arrange an afternoon buffet with sandwiches, cakes etc in the dining room.
Below is a local newspaper cutting showing one of our residents celebrating her 100th birthday at Springfield.
Trips out
Weather permitting, we walk to town for lunch and stroll around the local market to support local businesses. Residents can meet with old friends in local cafés. We often walk to the park and visit local gardens to get ideas for Springfield summer pots and then chat about it over coffee and cakes.
Photo: High street bridge and canal, March, Cambridgeshire.
Credit: Wikimedia Commons, user Cmglee.
