Basingstoke care home surprise residents with seaside trips

A care home in Basingstoke made ‘shore’ residents didn’t miss out on a trip to the beach this summer. 

To help residents enjoy a summer to remember, team members at Care UK’s Dashwood Manor, on Bradley Way, organised ten trips to the beach – complete with fish, chips and ice cream.

Throughout August, residents visited Southsea, Burton on Sea, New Milton, and Hayling Island and enjoyed leisurely strolls along the seafront, dipped their toes in the sand, tried their hand at crabbing, and visited the amusement arcades - all topped off with a well-deserved ice cream. 

During one of the trips, residents also visited Portsmouth Naval Memorial. While there, two of the residents on the trip lay red roses in front of their fathers’ names. 

One resident, Jennifer Hinchcliffe, aged 86, said: “Having the cold water touch my feet made me feel alive! There is nothing better than fish and chips on the beach, especially when it’s with people that make you laugh.”

Dil Perera, Home Manager at Dashwood Manor, said: “Residents have fond memories of the seaside and often share stories from their beach holidays over the years – which is why it was so important for us to arrange trips to the coast in our minibus.

“Over August we pledged to take as many trips to the beach as possible. Overall, we organised ten beach days, meaning residents were able to enjoy the seaside.

“Residents came back from every trip grinning from ear to ear and it was a topic of conversation for a long time after each group returned. It was certainly a summer to remember!”

Dashwood Manor – which opened in September 2021 – is designed to enable residents to live active and fulfilled lives while also promoting independence. The new care home incorporates space for hobby and leisure activities with luxury facilities, including a café, hair and beauty salon, cinema, bar and gardens.