After weeks of travelling across Europe and the Caribbean, the Lynwood Explorer has reached its final destination with a colourful celebration of Nigeria, giving our wonderful residents the opportunity to experience the country’s rich cultures, traditions, music and creativity.
Our residents were welcomed with a warm Nigerian spirit of “Ẹ káàbọ̀” or “Ndewo”(welcome) as another week of immersive activities brought us all together to learn, create and celebrate.
Design your own Nigerian Fabric

One of the week’s creative highlights saw our residents designing their own Nigerian-inspired fabric patterns. Surrounded by colourful textiles and traditional Nigerian clothing, everyone took inspiration from authentic formal and everyday garments to create their own unique designs. A particularly special addition was a beautiful traditional Nigerian wedding dress, brought in by our truly incredible Customer Relations Manager, Alison, which gave our residents a real insight into Nigerian celebrations and life outside the day-to-day activities.
Nigerian Dance and Music Session

The celebrations continued later in the week with an energetic afternoon of Nigerian music and dance in The Pantry. Our residents were joined by a couple of familiar faces to many with one of our carers, Elizabeth, and Adaobi, one of our long-standing nurses, alongside her two daughters, who introduced everyone to traditional Nigerian dancing.
The room was filled with so much energy and joy from all of our wonderful residents, dancers and team. We wanted to keep the activity open to all so we had the option for people to join in and dance, or to sit back, enjoy the music and dancing – allowing everyone to take part in a way that felt right for them. We just wanted to create a truly inclusive afternoon filled with movement, connection and joy for everyone involved.
Alongside these highlights, our residents also explored the flavours of Nigeria during A Taste of Nigeria with Chin Chin, Fried Plaintain and Puff Puff with a Supermalt to go with it. We reflected on traditional African proverbs, enjoyed a Blue Planet screening showcasing Africa’s coastlines, admired a Nigerian clothing exhibition and took part in quizzes and picture guessing games throughout the week. Together, these activities encouraged curiosity, conversation and lifelong learning while celebrating one of Africa’s most diverse and vibrant nations.
And a Very Special Birthday…
The week also brought a very special celebration as everyone came together to mark Judith’s 80th birthday. Judith, who is always one of the first to embrace new activities and experiences, was surprised as our residents and team members gathered to sing Happy Birthday together. It was a wonderful moment for a truly remarkable lady who brings so much enthusiasm, kindness and positivity to life at Lynwood Care Centre.
As we begin to disembark the Lynwood Explorer as it has now reached its final destination, it marks the end of an extraordinary journey. Over the past four weeks, our wonderful residents have explored different countries through authentic food, music, dance, arts, traditions and meaningful conversations, creating experiences that many may never have the opportunity to enjoy otherwise.
For many people living in care, travelling abroad is no longer possible, but that shouldn’t mean the opportunity to discover new places, cultures and experiences comes to an end. The Lynwood Explorer was created to bring those moments directly to our residents’ doorstep in Ascot, reminding everyone that adventure can be found at any stage of life.
A huge thank you goes to our incredible team, whose creativity, dedication and months of planning transformed ordinary spaces into destinations around the world. Their passion made each stop on the journey feel authentic, engaging and accessible for every resident, creating memories that will continue to be talked about long after the Lynwood Explorer has returned home.
