Delicious Dive into Indian Cuisine at Barton Lodge With Hands-on Cooking Workshop

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At Barton Lodge, we recently had the pleasure of hosting an unforgettable Indian Cooking Workshop for our residents, their families, and members of the local community. We couldn’t have asked for better hosts than Hima and Bhu from the amazing Barton Lodge team. Their enthusiasm, expertise, and passion for their culture and cuisine made the event truly special.

The workshop focused on two beloved Indian snacks – vegetable samosas and potato pakoras. Under Hima and Bhu’s expert guidance, everyone got hands-on, crafting their own delicious creations.

 

 

To complement the savoury treats, Hima and Bhu also prepared a refreshing, creamy mango lassi. This chilled, sweet drink was an instant hit with our guests!

 

Our guests had nothing but praise for the workshop. Here’s what some of them had to say:

Yvonne, a relative of our lovely resident David, described the event as “wonderful and unique,” adding that her and “her husband, David, thoroughly enjoyed the afternoon and the food and drink.”

Charles, a relative of our resident Jackie, shared that they had a “truly lovely afternoon and would love to join us for another similar event in the future”.

Commenting on the event Barton Lodge Care Home Manager, Amanda Cooper, said: “A huge thank you to Hima and Bhu for sharing their knowledge, culture, and delicious food with us. The Indian Cooking Workshop at Barton Lodge was an afternoon full of fun, learning, and fantastic food.

“All of the feedback we have received from residents, families and guests has been amazing. We can’t wait to host more events like this!”

 

Keep an eye out for more events at Barton Lodge on our Facebook page!

Handmade Gifts from Barton Lodge Residents Bring Joy to Visiting Kittens

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Barton Lodge’s talented knitting club, known for their dedication to crafting handmade toys and blankets, had their efforts celebrated in a special way when they welcomed a group of playful kittens from the Lymington Cat and Kitten Rescue Centre.

The knitting club, always busy creating thoughtful gifts for the centre’s cats and kittens, saw their work come to life as five adorable seven-week-old kittens and a charming two-year-old, harness-trained cat visited the home. Residents were thrilled to see the kittens playing with the toys and blankets they had lovingly made.

Jon and Theresa, the joint managers of the rescue centre, arranged a delightful day for the residents. They took turns cuddling the kittens and playing with them, while the older cat made special visits to residents in their rooms, spreading additional joy and warmth.

Amanda Cooper, Barton Lodge’s Registered Manager, shared her enthusiasm: “It was wonderful to see the joy and companionship the kittens brought to our residents. We’d like to extend a big thank you to Jon and Theresa for bringing the kittens. Seeing them play with the toys and blankets our residents had lovingly made was truly special. Moments like these make a lasting difference in the lives of everyone here at Barton Lodge.”

The impact of the visit was deeply felt by the residents. Jean, one of the residents, reflected: “It brought back wonderful memories of my childhood pets.” Another resident, Val, added: “I won’t forget this afternoon for a long time.”

Barton Lodge has maintained a meaningful relationship with the Lymington Cat and Kitten Rescue Centre, which was founded over 40 years ago by Jeanette Frankland. The centre, with its capacity to house up to fifty cats, thrives with the support of community partners like Barton Lodge. Last Christmas, the care home raised £100 for the centre, showcasing their ongoing commitment to supporting its vital work.

Barton Lodge looks forward to continuing their support for the Lymington Cat and Kitten Rescue Centre and eagerly anticipates the next visit from their furry friends.

Barton Lodge Volunteer Named Finalist in Hampshire Care Awards

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We’re excited to announce that Margaret Bailey, an incredible volunteer at Barton Lodge, has been named a finalist in the Hampshire Care Association awards for Volunteer of the Year!

For the past six years, Margaret has been a dedicated volunteer at Barton Lodge, forming remarkable bonds with our residents and providing them with invaluable comfort and support.

Margaret’s creativity shines through in her innovative ideas that engage everyone. Whether she’s assisting on outings, organising entertainment, or spearheading projects like the knitting initiative for an orphanage school in Tanzania, Margaret consistently helps our residents create cherished memories.

Commenting on the nomination, Barton Lodge Manager, Amanda Cooper, said; “We’re immensely grateful for Margaret’s tireless contributions, and we couldn’t be prouder to have her as part of our Barton Lodge family. Congratulations, Margaret, on this well-deserved recognition!”

Stay tuned for updates as we cheer Margaret on in this well-deserved honour!

 

Manucourt awarded ‘Top 20 Small Care Homes Group Award’ for eighth year in a row

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We are thrilled to announce Manucourt has been honoured with the ‘Top 20 Small Care Homes Group Award’ from leading UK care home review site carehome.co.uk, for an impressive eighth year running.

We are so proud to receive this prestigious national award, as it recognises the top-rated care homes based on over 310,000 reviews from residents, family and friends across 16,721 care homes in the UK.

Woodley Grange team & residents

This incredible achievement is a true testament to the dedication of our staff at our Romsey-based care home, Woodley Grange, and New Milton care home, Barton Lodge, for delivering outstanding care and making our homes among the best in the country.

Barton Lodge team & residents

Upon receiving the award, Manucourt’s Director of Operations, Rizwan Walji, said: “We are thrilled to have won this award for the eighth time. It is a tremendous achievement that recognises the dedication and commitment of our staff to delivering outstanding care on a daily basis.

“We would like to thank our residents, friends and family, we couldn’t have achieved this recognition without your support. It just goes to prove, together, we can achieve great things and we look forward to what the future brings.”

Our remarkable achievement has featured in the Hampshire Chronicle, please click here to read the full article.

For more information about the exceptional care we provide contact us, and keep an eye on our blogs for more information about our latest events and activities.

Luxury redevelopment wows guests at Barton Lodge’s Open Day

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We hosted a special Open Day at Barton Lodge in March to reveal our extensive redevelopment. We’re really proud of the impressive transformation, and are delighted that our guests were wowed by our dedicated new dementia, enhanced residential space, plus five-star amenities.

We were honoured to have the New Milton Town Mayor and Chairman of New Milton Town Council, Cllr David Hawkins, return to Barton Lodge to open our luxury redevelopment, with a memorable ribbon cutting ceremony.

 

Throughout the day, we offered guided tours, showcasing our new dedicated dementia area on the first floor and enhanced ground-floor residential space, both offering stunning views of the Isle of Wight, Barton Golf Course and The Needles.

   

Our guests were really impressed with our five-star amenities, including a new activities room, an upgraded hair salon, welcoming drinks area and updates such as new flooring, wallpaper, furniture, lighting, themed corridors and bedroom schemes

The Open Day was made really memorable with incredible live music and delicious food prepared by Barton Lodge’s talented in-house chefs.

 

Reflecting on the day, Amanda Cooper, Manager of Barton Lodge said: “We are thrilled with our redevelopment and were delighted to welcome so many people to our event and get such incredible feedback.

“We would like to extend a big thank you to everyone. It was such a special day, and having the Mayor return to officially mark the occasion with a ribbon cutting ceremony, after he helped open the care home in 2014, made it even more memorable. We can’t wait for the next 10 years!”

New Milton Town Mayor and Chairman of New Milton Town Council, Cllr David Hawkins, added: “It’s wonderful to return to celebrate this remarkable redevelopment. It was evident from everyone I met how dedicated Barton Lodge is to delivering exceptional care and luxury amenities for their residents. I’m excited to see Barton Lodge continue to flourish in the years ahead.”

   

In case you missed it, or just want to relive the fantastic day, we’re thrilled to share our video:

Watch our Open Day video below.

To arrange a tour of Barton Lodge, or discover more about the outstanding residential and dementia care we provide, please contact our dedicated team on 01425 209235.

Join us for Barton Lodge’s Open Day to celebrate our extensive redevelopment

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We warmly invite you to our open day at Barton Lodge on Friday 8th March, from 12-5pm.

It will be a fantastic event to celebrate the extensive redevelopment of our award-winning care home.

Don’t miss the Mayor’s ribbon cutting ceremony at 2pm

We will be welcoming New Milton Town Mayor & Chairman of New Milton Town Council, Cllr David Hawkins, to officially open the new areas of our home, with a not-to-be-missed ribbon cutting ceremony at 2pm.

Incredible live music & delicious food

Enjoy incredible live music and sample our scrumptious local fayre created by our talented in-house chefs.

Tours of our new spaces

Join us for guided tours showcasing our enhanced ground-floor residential space and our new dedicated dementia area on the first floor, both boasting stunning views of the Isle of Wight, Barton Golf Course and The Needles.

Our entire home has been completely transformed, featuring a new activities room, an upgraded hair salon, welcoming drinks area and updates such as new flooring, wallpaper, furniture, lighting, themed corridors and bedroom schemes.

     

We’re excited to share these changes with you!

Date: Friday 8th March 2024

Time: 12-5pm (Don’t miss New Milton Town Mayor cutting the ribbon at 2pm!)

Address: Barton Lodge, Barton Common Road, New Milton, Hampshire, BH25 5PR

We expect this event to be very popular. To avoid disappointment, please email rsvp@lovingcare-matters.co.uk to reserve your place by Monday 26th February.

Woodley Grange awarded ‘Top 20 Care Home’ for the seventh year in a row!

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We are thrilled that Woodley Grange has been recognised as one of the ‘Top 20 Care Homes’ in the South East, for the seventh year running, by leading care home reviews site, carehome.co.uk. What an incredible achievement and very well deserved!

Manucourt Ltd was also named as a ‘Top 20 Small Care Home Group’ in the UK for the seventh year in a row! To receive these awards for the seventh consecutive year, really highlights our ongoing commitment to our residents’ outstanding quality of care.

Rizwan Walji, Manucourt’s Director of Operations said: “We are immensely proud and grateful to all our staff for their outstanding efforts.”

Liliana Macieira, Woodley Grange’s Registered Manager added: “We’d like to say a massive thank you, receiving a 10 out of 10 rating from residents and families reviews is incredible and really shows how valued our staff are!”

To read the full article, published in the Hampshire Chronicle, please click here.

 

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Joan's sweet shop trip

Resident Joan relives sweet memories thanks to Barton Lodge team

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Barton Lodge’s lovely resident, Joan Fuggett, 99, has very fond childhood memories of growing up above the family chocolate shop!

To help Joan take a walk done memory lane, the Barton Lodge team arranged a very special trip to Truffles in Lymington, home of traditional pick ‘n’ mix and delicious truffles.

Joan's person-centred activity
Special trip

On the day, Joan met owner Bev and reminisced about her time working at the family business as a girl.

Joan was so happy to see all the old sweet jars and was given a box of chocolates to take back with her – which didn’t last long!

Joan’s story

Joan was born in London and grew up in Reading where her father’s shop, The Chocolate Box, was based before it became a fish and chip shop in recent years.

She moved to New Milton with her father, where she met husband Charlie and the pair bought a house in nearby Bashley.

Joan reflects on happy childhood memories

“I really loved visiting the shop and it was amazing to see all the sweets in big screw top jars, like I remember them being. The smell in there brought back so many happy memories!

“It made me think of the chocolate bar sandwiches I had as a child. My favourites were always the Nestle milk chocolate bar, butterscotch or just a quarter of mixed sweets.

“My dad never used to let me help myself to anything there even though it was tempting! But I was always given anything I asked for and so were my friends when they came to visit.

Joan added: “It was such a lovely day out and I’m so thankful to everyone for arranging it for me. The whole thing brought back so many fond memories!”

Excellent reminiscence therapy

Barton Lodge’s Care Home Manager, Amanda Cooper, said: “Our team love to find new and exciting ways for our residents to relive their most cherished childhood memories.

“We all know how fondly Joan remembers her days living in the shop as a girl and since she’s come back she can’t stop smiling about it.

“Moving into a care home doesn’t mean you have to stop doing the things that you love and we were all delighted to arrange this for Joan.

“It’s so important for all of our residents to be able to continue having new experiences but also to be able to reminisce about the wonderful memories they have.”

For more information about the exceptional care Barton Lodge provides, please contact our dedicated team on 01425 209235.

Follow us on Facebook or see our blogs for all our latest activities!

Residents received the royal treatment at our Jubilee parties

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We were very lucky that the sun shone on our Jubilee parties at Woodley Grange and Barton Lodge earlier this month, making them the perfect celebrations fit for the Queen!

At Woodley Grange, Romsey’s Mayoress, Celia Dowden, opened the street party for the residents, their family members and our neighbours. Guests were treated to an afternoon of traditional games, entertainment from a local singer Mike Sideway, as well as a pop-up bar!

One of our Woodley Grange residents said: “It was the best day ever. The music, the food and the decorations were all fantastic.”

Another said: “It was a lovely day indeed – what an amazing thing to do!”

We also held a raffle which raised £137 for the Alzheimer’s Society.

Our Jubilee street party at Woodley Grange was even featured in the Romsey Advertiser! Click here to read more.

Leading up to the celebrations, the residents at Barton Lodge helped with preparations, colouring in different decorations and accessorising different T-shirts. On the day, everyone had a fantastic time wearing crowns and dancing away to guest singer Stephen’s tunes.

Rizwan Walji, Manucourt’s Director of Operations remarked: “We would like to thank the families and local residents who joined us for our Jubilee parties, it was great to celebrate together.

We must also give a big thank you to all our wonderful staff, who worked incredibly hard to make the day so memorable. The residents had a fantastic time!”

Baby chicks bring back egg-cellent memories for Barton Lodge resident

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Baby chicks bring back egg-cellent memories for Barton Lodge resident

Barton Lodge recently brought back treasured memories for one of its residents, a former chicken farmer, by hatching a brood of chicks.

Kathy took over her farm in 1998 where she looked after around 700 chickens, ducks, sheep, and cows.

When our activities team at Barton Lodge discovered more about Kathy’s background in farming they decided to organise eggs for Kathy and the other residents to hatch.

Kathy said: “I was extremely excited to see the chicks. Working on the farm was very hard but lots of fun.

“My greatest love was always incubating the eggs and watching the chicks hatch. This experience has brought back such lovely memories of my time on the farm.”

Kathy’s farm also had a large poly tunnel where they grew fresh produce to sell to local businesses and she even helped to set-up the Sway Farmers Market.

As she got older, Kathy cut back her involvement in the farm before moving to Barton Lodge in 2019.

The eggs were donated by a local farm and staff lovingly incubated the eggs over a three-week period before seven beautiful chicks finally hatched.

Barton Lodge Manager, Amanda Cooper, said: “Raising these chicks has been a wonderful experience for all our residents and we’re so grateful to our staff for organising this wonderful initiative.

“For Kathy it brought back some amazing memories of her time on the farm and this kind of reminiscence is so important.

“It’s been wonderful to see her smiling when they finally hatched.

“The chicks will eventually return to a local free-range farm, but we all wish we could keep them here with us!”

To find out more about activities at Barton Lodge, follow our Facebook page here.