Exeter Gateway Centre

With the pleasant April weather, many members have been busy out in the garden and greenhouse. Under the watchful eye of Jane, Suzanne, Tracy and Michelle potted on the tomato and basil seedlings plus planted some courgette, pepper and chilli plants in the greenhouse.

Jonathan took Suzanne, Tony and Tracy into the garden area to tidy and sow some wild flower seed. Hopefully, along with the already blooming bedding plants the garden will be very colourful and fragrant come summer.

We have celebrated Jamie and John’s birthdays, with Cathie creating two fantastic cards for them both.

Rachael, among others, has been busy decorating tins and pots with pictures of their choice, ranging from pop stars to model trains. The usual colouring and word searching has been popular and the bingo prize box needs refilling!

As the weeks progress we look forward to many more familiar faces coming back to the centre and old friends can be reunited.

Since reopening on the 8th March, the returning members have been keeping themselves busy in the centre. There have been plenty of safe activities to partake in, from bingo to gardening and cooking to colouring.

Suzanne and Tony spent a time planting and tidying the garden, helping Daryl to repurpose the bbq into a planter and also filling the pots around the exterior of the building. Tracy, Michelle and Emma made some delicious Easter treats and most members had a go at designing their own eggs, with some fantastic results!

We are looking forward to the weather improving and getting outside-there are sweet peas to plant as well as fruit and veg to go into the greenhouse and beds.

Hopefully, the current situation improves, we can welcome back more members to the centre

It is with great sadness that one of our members, Sarah, passed away recently. She was a long time attendee at the Gateway Centre and spent many a happy day taking part in the activities with her friends. Sarah was very popular-her infectious smile and raucous laugh were loved by all and she left a lasting impression on all those that met her. Her love of Abba was no secret, entertaining members and staff on the karaoke machine. Sarah will be sorely missed.

The last four months have flown by, and members and staff alike have certainly become used to the new way in which the centre operates. Everyone has coped admirably, and despite the smaller numbers, we have managed to maintain a vibrant atmosphere and enjoy a host of activities in and outside the centre.

With the build up to Christmas, members have been colouring, card and gift making, cooking and of course playing bingo! Hopefully, as the situation improves, we can welcome back more members and increase the range of opportunities.

We would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas, in whatever form it takes, and a Happy and Safe New Year from everyone at The Exeter Gateway Centre.

The members have been very active over the past few weeks, with plenty of word-searching, colouring, bingo, painting and generally having fun being amongst friends. Safety measures are being well adhered to, and everyone is now familiar with the routines within the centre.

On the days leading up to Halloween, some members (and staff) came in suitably scary outfits and activities were linked to the theme.

We’ve managed some socially distanced cooking, with Paul and Emma baking some very tasty cheese scones. In the next few weeks, some members will be making and decorating Christmas cakes.

Prior to closure, several members had worked hard on a mosaic sign to put out the front. Gareth had put in a particular amount of time and was pleased to see his labours on display-all we need now is people to notice both the new and existing sign and realise that we are not the Sycamore Centre!

The centre has been reopen for four weeks now and members have settled into the new routine of keeping a safe distance, hand washing and wearing face coverings. Activities are continuing mostly as before, with adjustments where necessary but everyone seems happy to be back in with their friends.

As the weather has been fine, several members have been using the outdoor space to sit, colour, chat and eat their lunch. Suzanne and Gareth have planted the first of this Winter’s vegetables (red and white onion sets), with their crop marked out for some friendly competition! They also planted up some Spring bulbs, so hopefully outside the entrance will be a wash of colour.

Inside, members have been using the computers and pool table (all cleaned down prior to and after use), as well as playing games of the ever popular bingo (using pens and paper cards) during the afternoons.

Everyone has adapted incredibly well to the new measures, and, despite having fewer friends at sessions, members are very much enjoying socialising again.

After nearly six months. the centre finally reopened on the 1st September. All the necessary safety measures had been put in place and the first session members arrived. The numbers had to be cut drastically to allow for social distancing but everyone was happy to see those who had come back.

As usual, there were plenty of activities on offer and members soon got back into the feel of the centre. With the addition of a small marquee in the garden, we were able to get outside and enjoy the good weather, enjoying lunch and a chat (all at a safe distance).

Well, the weeks seem to have flown by and we’re already half way through June. Members have been keeping safe, yet occupied-plenty of making the most of the glorious weather. Lisa has been to Bicton Park; Robbie on several walks along the river; Vincent to the allotment and others out and about. Indoors, jigsaws are still very popular, with Lisa and Robbie completing many over the past weeks.

The weekly Zoom meetings have had upwards of 17 members and staff ‘meeting’ for a chat, quiz and general catch-up. It has been great to see how well everyone has coped admirably under the current conditions and hopefully, when safe to do so, we can look to reopen.

This week, several members (and carers) plus Jonathan and Daryl had a catch up online. For nearly an hour, we caught up on what we’ve been doing to keep occupied and showed friends examples of our handy-work. In particular, Robbie has been making more jig-saws, Rachael has been colouring in St George’s Day Dragons and Lisa baked some ‘melting moments’ biscuits to share with family and friends.

It was not only a chance to see each other but also to introduce ourselves to carers and family members that we hadn’t ‘met’ before. It was a resounding success and has been scheduled in again, hopefully this time with a quiz and a few other activities!

The name’s Bond, Vincent Bond!

Members and their families have been keeping occupied over the past weeks. As well as  honing her football skills in the garden, Rachael has been busy crafting and also making a second batch of Oaty Crunchies (apparently delicious!).

If you fancy giving them a go the recipe is as follows:

1tsp bicarb. of soda
1tbsp tepid water
4oz margarine or butter
1 tbsp golden syrup
4 oz porridge oats
4 oz granulated sugar
4 oz dessicated coconut

Heat the oven to 150C or 300F or Mark 2
Dissolve the soda in the water.
Melt the fat and syrup in a pan and mix all the ingredients together.
Roll the dough into small balls ( makes about 20).
Cook on baking tray for about 15 mins.
Eat and enjoy!

Please do let us know if it’s something you try…