Retirement home activities for our homeowners
Our low maintenance homes, amenities and lifestyle are all specifically designed to free up your time from mundane tasks so you’ve more time to enjoy retirement hobbies and leisure activities. Whether that means the satisfaction of completing a jigsaw or cooking for family and friends in the privacy of your new home or a round of golf or bowls at the local club, there are plenty of opportunities for you to pursue your favourite pursuits from your retirement apartment.
But did you know that you can also enjoy a wide range of (entirely optional!) events and clubs from the convenience of the shared spaces at a McCarthy Stone development? From yoga to wine tasting, these activities are led by the interests of the homeowners and supported by our helpful House Managers. You’ll find a wealth of new things to try on the doorstep and everyone is welcome!
Five popular activities for seniors in our retirement homes
1. Fitness and wellness classes
Fitness is important to maintaining an active and independent retirement, which is why many of our communities offer weekly classes for all abilities. Albert Court, a Retirement Living PLUS development for the over 70s in Oxfordshire, for example, does a weekly Sit-Fit class with specialist Personal Trainer Ben (you can read his exercises for the over 70s here). Brenda, 87, is an enthusiastic regular.
“Everybody knows everybody at Sit-Fit,” she beams. “It’s such a fun and friendly activity, and often we’ll have a cup of tea afterwards”. Read Brenda’s story.
Yoga, Pilates and tai-chi are also popular in our communities, while some offer options like carpet bowls or table tennis.
2. Gardening
While most of our homeowners don’t miss the mowing and maintenance involved in keeping a garden pristine, many relish the chance to flex their green fingers. For some their private balcony or patio is the perfect place for a plant filled paradise, but many of our retirement developments also offer gardening clubs, shared sheds and raised beds for people to get together and grow everything from vegetables to summer flowers.
Homeowners from Herriot Gardens, a coastal Retirement Living community for the over 60s in Tyne and Wear, shared their considerable skills at a very successful gardening workshop for people in the local area.
3. Arts and crafts
You can try out a wide range of arts and crafts at our retirement properties, including painting, drawing, pottery, jewellery-making, knitting—Knit and Natter groups are extremely popular—and so much more, often in purpose-built hobby rooms.
For instance, keen artist, Phil, 86, started a weekly art class at Turner Place—a Retirement Living development for the over 60s in Thatcham, Berkshire. Fellow homeowner, Connie says, “Phil is an excellent artist and I find his classes incredibly relaxing and enjoyable. They’re especially good for mental health, as well as the companionship of others.” Such is the talent he unearthed the development put on an exhibition to raise money for charity!
4. Social clubs
All McCarthy Stone developments feature beautiful communal lounges with amenities like free Wi-Fi, tea and coffee making facilities, bars and audio/visual equipment. These quickly become hubs for social activities, both informal and regular. Coffee mornings are often a weekly feature, film nights and book clubs are also popular.
Some communities offer things like games afternoons, Fizz Fridays, Fish and Chip Fridays or Sunday ‘Papers and pastries’. And while most clubs are open to all, we recognise that men, being in a bit of a minority in many of our communities, sometimes need their own space. For instance, Knox Court in Rugby, Warwickshire holds a monthly Gentlemen’s Breakfast in the bistro. Read more about our clubs for men.
5. Special events, talks and workshops
On top of all the regular clubs and activities described, our retirement developments like to put on special events. Some of these are seasonal: Christmas parties for instance, or afternoon tea while watching the Wimbledon final. Others are just for fun, whether that’s a performance from the local ‘Elvis’, wine tasting with the vineyard down the road or a summer barbeque. Some communities arrange trips out to the theatre, for example, and the event rooms are also used for celebrations: weddings, big birthdays and anniversaries.
Try out new retirement home activities with McCarthy Stone
McCarthy Stone retirement properties offer the perfect base for making the most of your retirement. Discover how our Retirement Living and Retirement Living PLUS homes can give you more time to do the things you enjoy, in locations across the UK. Find retirement housing for sale or rent today or get in touch online or via the phone on 0800 201 4811 to speak with a member of our friendly team.
