A fine art – Kingston Vale care home shortlisted in national awards

Home news

May 14, 2021

A local care home is celebrating after making the finals for a national award. 

Care UK’s Sherwood Grange, on Robin Hood Lane, has been shortlisted for ‘Best Home for Sporting, Social or Leisure Activities’ category of the Care Home Awards 2021.

The national awards recognise and reward excellence and innovation in UK care home management, operation and delivery.

The home, which is rated ‘Outstanding’ by the CQC, has developed a reputation for being an innovative, creative hub that empowers residents to live life without barriers since it opened five years ago.

Kimberley Atkin, who leads the lifestyle team, said: “Everyone is encouraged to feel comfortable by the Home Manager, Rick – to get stuck in, and enjoy themselves. The breadth and scope of what we do reflects the residents we have at Sherwood Grange. Many are cosmopolitan, educated and well-travelled. Just because they are living in residential care shouldn’t mean that their adventures should stop.”

When she started working at Sherwood Grange, Kimberley took time to learn about residents and discovered that many of the residents enjoyed art. She immediately set up a weekly art group where residents have tried everything from traditional painting to still life drawing. Since then, artistic and creative activities at Sherwood Grange have grown exponentially.

Prior to the pandemic, groups regularly visited the nearby Dorich House Museum undertaking art workshops and meeting artists. Residents living with dementia attended 'In Minds' sessions facilitated by the Royal Academy of Art, which focused on art as a tool to boost wellbeing. Regular trips to art exhibitions and theatre performances around London also took place.

Rick Mayne, Home Manager at Sherwood Grange, said: “Creating art is one of our favourite activities at Sherwood Grange because it promotes positive social interaction, self-expression and a sense of calm. It improves wellbeing and provides an opportunity for sensory stimulation and reminiscence. It can also mean expanding people’s experiences and doing things that are out of the ordinary.

“I’m thrilled to see the team’s hard work and creativity recognised in this shortlist – we’ll be keeping our fingers crossed for a win later this year!”

Despite the challenges of the last year, art has continued to give Sherwood Grange residents a creative focus, and the ability to engage with the outside world via competitions. As a result, residents won the top prize in a VE Day art competition, raised £500 for Meals for the NHS from artwork auctioned off in honor of the 200^th anniversary of Florence Nightingale’s birth, and had artwork displayed at the Mall Galleries as part of the Daily Mail Spring Painting competition.

The winner of the ‘Best Home for ‘Sporting, Social or Leisure Activities’ categrory in the Care Home Awards will be announced on 10^th September 2021.

Sherwood Grange has been designed to encourage residents to live active and fulfilling lives, while remaining as independent as possible in a safe environment. The ‘Outstanding’ rated, state-of-the-art care home features a cinema, hair salon and art studio, and incorporates space for hobby and leisure activities. The layout of the building is configured into a series of individual suites, each having a dedicated lounge/dining room, to help facilitate the creation of close-knit communities.

To find out more about Sherwood Grange, please contact Customer Relations Manager, Jonathan Fahy, at jonathan.fahy@careuk.com or call 020 4502 8956.

For more general information, please visit: careuk.com/Sherwood-Grange