The DurhamGate Care Home

17/11/2025

Feel Good. Move Better.

We had a vibrant afternoon as our residents joined Mary from Gfitness for an energising movement & mobility exercise class, with a bit of Motown classics to get us moving.

From gentle stretches to upbeat chair exercises, Mary made sure every move was safe, fun, and tailored to each resident’s needs.

These much-loved weekly sessions help improve balance and flexibility.

15/11/2025

A Thank-You to Nigel Miller

Yesterday, our care home had the pleasure of welcoming a truly lovely guest, Nigel Miller. He joined us in the cinema room to share a beautiful collection of wildlife photographs—each one taken by Nigel himself—and he brought them to life with his thoughtful stories and commentary.

Our residents were captivated by the images on the big screen and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. It sparked conversation, smiles, and a real sense of wonder throughout the room.

On behalf of myself, Joanna Stanford, and all of our residents, we would like to offer our heartfelt thanks to Nigel for his time, his talent, and the joy he brought into our home. We are deeply grateful

13/11/2025

A touch of luxury, a note of nostalgia.

Yesterday, familiar songs drifted through our elegant lounge as our residents and team enjoyed a wonderful afternoon of live singing entertainment with Tony DaSousa Entertainments

As we welcome new residents to DurhamGate this week, a shared song is the perfect way to make new friends and celebrate good ones.

11/11/2025

The Lovely Loki

PAT (Pets As Therapy) dog Loki visited today. He's such a gentle soul, spending hours with us, making personal visits, and showcasing his expert treat-gaining skills in our lounges. Loki’s visit formed part of our ongoing commitment to promoting residents’ emotional and physical wellbeing through a range of stimulating and therapeutic experiences.

Thank you, Angela, for bringing Loki to see us. 🐾

10/11/2025

It’s another lovely week here at DurhamGate! Our residents are enjoying a mix of crafts and quizzes, PAT dog visits, and exercise classes.

Tomorrow, on Armistice Day, we’ll join the nation in a two-minute silence to reflect on the service and sacrifices made by the Armed Forces past and present.

It's set to be an interesting week peppered with plenty of singing, reminiscing, and even a walk or two before we settle down for a cosy screening of Notting Hill on Sunday. We'll be sure to share some photos along the way.

A video showing life at both Weaver's Court and the DurhamGate Care Homes.

09/11/2025

We had a very good turn out for the film this evening, we watched 'it runs in the family' and all but one very much enjoyed it, not to mention the choc ices. Its been a very nice evening!

08/11/2025

Our lovely Eileen, enjoying Stone painting today as we sat in the garden room.

06/11/2025

The Music Sounds Better With You

As Steve, our singer this afternoon, reminded us, a song can evoke so much emotion, reminding us of a special moment, a favourite day, or a person.

From Sweet Caroline to That's Amore, we foot-tapped and sang along.

Big thanks to Steve for performing for us even when feeling under the weather, you didn't miss a note 🎶

05/11/2025

Sweet Smiles from DurhamGate🧁

This week, our Lifestyle Manager, Joanna, teamed up with one of our lovely residents, Helen, for a community mission spreading joy one cupcake at a time.

Our talented kitchen staff baked some tempting cupcakes, and once they were ready, Joanna and Helen took to the local bungalows around us, knocking on doors and sharing our homemade treats with our neighbours. A simple act of kindness that brightened everyone’s morning and was reciprocated by one of our neighbours, who treated us to a big box of chocolates that our residents enjoyed later in the day.

At DurhamGate Care Home, we love finding ways to connect with our community and share a little happiness beyond our doors.

04/11/2025

🦉 We had an absolute hoot when three feathered superstars from Gosling Raptors swooped in for a visit yesterday!

Our residents had the chance to see the owls up close, learn about their lives, and enjoy a calm, peaceful afternoon together.

Visits like this are more than just fascinating they can really support our well being by helping people relax and spark great conversations and memories. It was wonderful to see everyone so engaged and enjoying the experience.

19/09/2025

We hosted a Macmillan coffee afternoon today organised by Rachel, lifestyle assistant. Special thanks to our creative kitchen team, Shona and Sue for their amazing home baking!

14/08/2025

🎭 A Night at the Musicals 🎶

A message from Samantha.....

Last night was one of the most emotional evenings of my time at DurhamGate Care Home. As Front of House Manager, I’ve been here since before we even opened our doors, more accurately, before the doors and windows were even fitted, working alongside Karen, our General Manager to get the home ready to welcome a new community. I've welcomed every single resident who has come to stay, whether they’ve made DurhamGate their permanent home or joined us for a respite stay.

To mark my farewell, we celebrated with A Night at the Musicals, and I was completely overwhelmed by the turnout. Residents, families, friends, and colleagues all came together, and it was wonderful to see everyone dressed up for the occasion from sparkling outfits to smart suits and plenty of smiles. ✨

It was such a privilege to have the chance to say goodbye in such a joyful, music-filled way. Thank you to everyone who has made my years here so special – you’ve truly been my DurhamGate family, and I will miss you all dearly. 💛