At Tanglewood care homes, we offer activities for every interest and ability, in groups, small groups or one-to-one. Taking part is always optional, but we encourage it for the friendship, mental stimulation and, above all, the enjoyment. Each home’s Lifestyles Coordinator holds monthly residents’ meetings, so no two calendars look the same. Explore the highlights below, then visit your local home’s activities page to see what’s on.
Every home starts with a simple question: what would you like to do? At Tanglewood, residents don’t just join in. They help decide what happens. At Holbeach Meadows, residents’ meetings led to new indoor games, including mini golf and table tennis. Beeston Rise residents named the care home’s own pub and even help interview new team members. Cloverleaf’s Grapevine Wine Club started with a resident’s fond memory of wine evenings with friends.
Some residents are first on the dance floor. Others would rather sit back and listen. Our homes make room for both, from a quiet afternoon of harp music at Abbey Wood Lodge to an ABBA-fuelled 1970s disco at Avocet House and Cedar Falls’ very own Glastonbury. At Cloverleaf, music and movement sessions turn favourite songs into gentle exercise. Whatever the volume, the aim is the same: shared moments everyone can enjoy.
Few things start a conversation faster than a four-legged visitor. Therapy dogs Jessie and Freddie visit Holbeach Meadows even calling on residents in their rooms. Therapy horses have gone room to room at Avocet House. Cloverleaf welcomed reindeer at Christmas and spring lambs brought back memories of farm life at Richard House. Some residents love a cuddle; others prefer to watch from a comfy chair.
Every resident brings a lifetime of stories. At Abbey Wood Lodge, wartime photographs prompted residents to share memories of evacuation. Cloverleaf residents cooked the dishes of their childhood, from liver and onions to treacle tart. Beeston Rise’s Life Library records residents’ stories digitally, so families can add their own chapters. At Avocet House, two lifelong friends were even reunited after decades apart.
Gardening gives our residents fresh air, gentle exercise and a sense of purpose. For many, it’s a chance to return to a lifelong hobby; for others, it’s simply somewhere peaceful to sit and watch the seasons change. Our homes run gardening clubs and seasonal planting sessions, growing flowers, fruit and veg. At Meadows Park, the garden even gives back: surplus produce is donated to the Louth Community Larder.
Staying connected to the local community is part of life at all Tanglewood care homes. One Beeston Rise resident returned to the rugby club he played for. Trent Bridge residents relived Nottingham’s Goose Fair while Cloverleaf stepped back in time at the Museum of Lincolnshire Life. Elsewhere, residents have been bowling in Boston, taken a boat trip with Richard House and explored Tropical World with Bingley Park. Each trip is a change of scenery and a story to bring home.
Visits from local children are some of the most anticipated dates in any calendar. To bring generations together is our pleasure, as it benefits everyone. Across our homes, nurseries, schools, Brownies and Scout groups visit regularly for crafts, songs, stories and games. At Holbeach Meadows, sessions with local childminders have grown into friendships that everyone now looks forward to. Both generations get something out of it: new friends, new games and plenty of laughter.
Staying active supports strength, balance and independence and it’s often the most sociable part of the day. What that looks like varies from person to person. Our care homes host armchair exercises, carpet bowls, dancing and gentle walks, so everyone can take part at their own level. Some homes go further, Richard House works with Be Great Fitness on dedicated strength and balance sessions, and every year our homes go head to head in the Tanglewood Olympics.
For residents living with dementia, meaningful activity supports confidence, communication and wellbeing. Some of our homes have dedicated floors for dementia residents. Our teams use sensory resources, rummage boxes and familiar tasks like folding laundry, pairing socks or laying tables to help people keep using lifelong skills. Several homes also run dementia cafés offering residents, families and local people a relaxed place to talk, share experiences and find support.
Being part of a local community gives us all a sense of purpose and belonging. Our homes host fayres and coffee mornings, collect for food banks and support national charities from Macmillan to Children in Need. Residents often lead the way: one Richard House resident used her knitting skills to make 100 hats for premature babies while Avocet House hosts weekly breakfasts for local blue light and NHS teams.
Seasonal events give residents something to look forward to, and familiar traditions are a natural prompt for memories. Alongside Christmas, Easter and summer fayres, our homes celebrate cultures from around the world, from Burns Night to Chinese New Year. Residents often help plan them too, choosing themes, decorations and menus. Holbeach Meadows’ 1940s day even featured ration books, memorabilia and wartime music.
Families are part of everyday life, which is why there are no set visiting hours at any of our homes. Birthdays, anniversaries and milestones are celebrated together, from a 71st wedding anniversary at Richard House to Edith’s 100th birthday at Abbey Wood Lodge. At Cloverleaf, one resident was reunited with his sister, children and extended family for an afternoon to remember. Relatives are always welcome at our fayres, themed afternoons and live performances throughout the year.
Live music, gardening, gentle exercise, crafts, games and days out are all part of everyday life across our homes. Each home has its own calendar, shaped by the interests and wishes of the people who live there. That means there’s always room to pick up a lifelong hobby or try something new.
