July at Ashley Gardens 🌸

Ashley Gardens Care Home
5 days ago
4 min read

Updated: 2 days ago

July has been a wonderful month at Ashley Gardens, filled with sunshine, laughter, meaningful connections and plenty of special moments shared together.

Sweet Summer Days 🍦

What better way to enjoy a warm summer’s day than with a delicious ice cream?

Our residents had a wonderful time at our Afternoon Ice Cream Social, enjoying a cool and refreshing treat on a beautiful summer afternoon. There were plenty of smiles as Sue served everyone their ice cream, making sure our residents could sit back, relax and enjoy the occasion.

It was a simple yet delightful activity that gave everyone the opportunity to socialise, enjoy a chat and share a well-deserved sweet treat together.

Sometimes, it’s the simplest moments that create the happiest memories — and nothing quite beats an ice cream on a beautiful summer’s day!

Celebrating Ethel’s 96th Birthday 🎂

This month, we had a very special birthday to celebrate — our lovely Ethel’s 96th birthday!

Ethel enjoyed her special day surrounded by family, fellow residents and staff, who all came together to make the occasion happy and memorable.

There were plenty of warm birthday wishes, smiles and, of course, a delicious birthday cake to enjoy together.

It was wonderful to see Ethel sharing such a special milestone with the people around her and enjoying every moment of the celebrations.

From everyone at Ashley Gardens, we would like to wish Ethel a very Happy 96th Birthday once again. We wish her many happy returns and lots of wonderful moments in the year ahead!

A Lovely Afternoon at Our Local Church ⛪

Our residents recently enjoyed a wonderful visit to Victoria Baptist Church, following their kind invitation to join them for a special afternoon of cream tea, cakes and delicious scones.

It was a lovely opportunity for our residents to spend time in the local community, socialise and enjoy some wonderful hospitality.

The afternoon was made even more special by the familiar hymns and cheerful singalong. It was heart-warming to see our residents singing along, reminiscing and enjoying the music together.

We would like to say a big thank you to everyone at PARCHE for their warm welcome, kindness and generosity.

Our residents had a truly enjoyable afternoon and returned home with happy memories and plenty of smiles.

It was a beautiful afternoon filled with friendship, music, delicious treats and community spirit.

Isobel’s Grand Day Out with the Family 💕

We were delighted to receive some lovely photos and an update from Isobel’s daughter, Lorna, following a very special family outing.

Isobel enjoyed a grand day out and a picnic in the park with her family, made even more memorable by the beautiful weather.

One of the most special parts of the day was spending precious time with four of her grandchildren.

While Isobel enjoyed being surrounded by her loved ones, the grandchildren had plenty of fun making the most of the water fountains and children’s play equipment.

moments shared by everyone.

It was truly wonderful to hear

There were lots of smiles, laughter and precious moments shared by everyone.

It was truly wonderful to hear about such a special family day. We always love hearing about our residents enjoying quality time with their families and creating new memories together.

Learning, Growing and Making a Difference – Staff Training 🌱

Our staff recently attended the first batch of Tier 2 face-to-face Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training on Learning Disability and Autism.

As part of the training, we learned about Makaton and the “Hello, my name is…” campaign.

Inspired by what we learned, we wanted to put this into practice straight away. We updated our staff ID badges to include “Hello, my name is…” along with a cheerful smiley flower, helping make them feel warmer, friendlier and more welcoming.

We were especially pleased when our resident Diane and Community Nurse Sam noticed the change. Diane told us how much she liked the new badges and shared a lovely observation: when she looks at the staff ID badges, the little smiling flower makes her feel as though the staff member is smiling at her.

It was such a thoughtful comment and a wonderful reminder that even the smallest changes can make a meaningful difference.

We are proud to continue learning, developing and finding new ways to help our residents feel welcomed, valued, respected and connected.

Paws, Smiles and Cuddles with Freddo 🐾

We always look forward to the regular visits from our four-legged friend, Freddo, who never fails to bring smiles and happiness to our home.

Our residents love spending time with Freddo — whether it’s giving him a gentle stroke, enjoying a cuddle or simply watching him make his way around the home, saying hello to everyone.

His visits create plenty of lovely moments, conversations and happy memories.

For some of our residents, Freddo’s visits also bring back fond memories of pets they have loved and cared for over the years. It is wonderful to see the comfort, companionship and joy that a furry friend can bring.

A big thank you to Freddo and his handler for continuing to visit us. There really is nothing quite like a wagging tail to brighten everyone’s day!