This week marks National Activity Professionals Week 2026, an annual awareness week led by the National Activity Providers Association (NAPA). The week recognises the vital role that activity, lifestyle, and engagement professionals play in supporting wellbeing, purpose, and connection for people living in care settings. It is an opportunity to celebrate the creativity, dedication, and impact of Lifestyle and Activities Teams across the sector.
The evolving role of Lifestyle Teams in care
Whilst the day-to-day life of a Lifestyle Lead and a team of Lifestyle Assistants is never the same, this is true of every valued member working within care homes. Lifestyle Teams deliver daily, weekly, and annual lifestyle programmes that offer residents opportunities to engage in activities that support physical, cognitive, and emotional wellbeing through person-centred approaches.
However, the role continues to evolve. At RCH Care Homes our Lifestyle Teams increasingly seek out and create opportunities that go beyond a structured programme, ensuring residents have space for their voices to be heard, their experiences to be recognised, and their contributions valued. Central to this work is enabling residents to remain actively connected to their communities and to continue playing a meaningful role within them.
To highlight the breadth of this role, and the impact it can have, Lifestyle Lead Miranda Robinson has shared her own perspective and experiences from recent months.
Meet Miranda Robinson
Miranda Robinson is the Lifestyle Lead at Orchard House Care Home, a nursing, residential, and dementia care home in Wisbech. Miranda has held the role for
seven years and, in 2025, was awarded Highly Commended Lifestyle / Activity Organiser at the Great British Care Awards – East of England region.
The judges praised Miranda’s commitment, stating:
“Miranda’s dedication to enhancing residents’ lives through meaningful activities and inclusive engagement is exemplary. Her continuous learning, fundraising initiatives, and celebration of individuality redefine perceptions of care home life. Her energy, compassion, and creativity inspire residents, staff, and the wider community alike.”
Miranda and the team are also finalists in the Activity Team of the Year category at the NAPA Awards, with the awards ceremony taking place in Liverpool on Friday 23 January.
Miranda’s perspective: A Lifestyle Lead’s role
We always actively engage in conversations with residents, their families, and friends to understand individual backgrounds and interests. This information helps us create a My Life Story book, which supports meaningful conversations and guides the development of person-centred activities. These discussions often open the door to rich and varied conversations, helping us understand each individual’s life in greater depth.
We hold regular residents’ meetings, allowing people living in the home to contribute to weekly, monthly, and annual planning of events and activities.
Alongside this, there is a full schedule of regular activities that support emotional and physical wellbeing in a person-centred way. These include exercise, music, arts, gardening, themed events, and celebrations. We also welcome many groups into the home, such as pet therapy providers, weekly visits from the local nursery school, religious services, and live entertainment. However, we always aim to go beyond this and think creatively.
A large part of the Lifestyle Lead role is building meaningful relationships and connections within the local community and across a wide range of organisations, charities, key stakeholders, and community projects. It is through these relationships that opportunities for residents to be involved in unique and meaningful initiatives arise.”
Community projects and meaningful engagement
“Over the past year, several projects have been particularly impactful.
One highlight was supporting residents and their families to take part in Untold Stories, a project celebrating Fenland’s farming heritage. Working alongside Creative Fenland and lecturers from the University of Cambridge, residents shared lived experiences through conversations captured using drawings, photography, and film. This project ensured personal histories were preserved and shared with a wider audience.
Supporting the wider Wisbech and Fenland community is also important. Over the past two years, residents have contributed to the Feed Fenland project
through an allotment at Fenland Orchard. Residents are involved at every stage — from sowing seeds in the home’s greenhouse, to planting and tending crops at the allotment, before produce is passed on for community distribution.
Another memorable experience was a meticulously planned trip on the Ladybird Boat, a fully accessible narrowboat run by dedicated volunteers and funded by a local charity. Travelling from Hartford Marina to St Ives, residents enjoyed river cruising, wildlife spotting, historic locks, and the Cambridgeshire countryside in comfort and safety.
We also organised a special ceremony to recognise residents and staff who are veterans. Certificates and badges from the Ministry of Defence were presented by Councillor Susan Wallwork, Armed Forces Covenant Champion for Fenland District Council, and Councillor Nick Meekins, Armed Forces Covenant Champion for Wisbech Town Council.
Regular initiatives such as Winter Warmers, a Community Café, and professional networking events help bring local residents, businesses, and organisations together, reinforcing the home’s role as a community hub.
Seasonal events are another important part of our work. A summer community picnic brought together local organisations and neighbouring care homes, while the recent Christmas Wonderland welcomed over 300 local families to a free festive event. Children enjoyed personal visits with Father Christmas and received gifts, all provided free of charge through a community collaboration with Tesco and W Bailey and Son Funeral Directors.
Each year, we also run a Blue Light Hamper initiative on 999 Day, delivering hampers to local emergency services as a thank you for their service. This is particularly meaningful given that some residents previously served in the police force or other emergency services.
Fundraising is another area we actively support, with events held throughout the year for causes such as Children in Need, Macmillan Cancer Support, Red Nose Day, Brew Monday, and local food banks. Many of these causes are close to residents’ hearts, making their involvement especially important.
Residents are at the heart of everything myself and the Lifestyle Team do. We approach our work with dedication, creativity, and compassion, always striving to ensure that people living in the home experience engaging, meaningful, and fulfilling lives.”
