Chester care home rewards local heroes

A Chester care home held a tree planting ceremony to honour three special local residents. 

Anthony Wilcox, Dave Whitehead and Tony Woodward were named Local Heroes by Care UK’s Deewater Grange, on Chester Road, and were invited to the home to receive their reward.

The Local Heroes competition aimed to reward residents, charities, groups or clubs making a positive difference to the Chester community.

Both active members of the Parish Council, Anthony was commended for his dedication to improve green spaces in Huntingdon, while Dave was praised for his crucial contribution to keeping all defibrillators operational, plus tending to the local war memorial and performing repairs to the library. Similarly, Tony’s mission to keep the streets and public areas clean at all times was lauded by the home team and residents. 

On the day, the local heroes joined residents to plant a Paperback Maple in the home’s garden as part of a special tree planting ceremony in the home’s garden. A time capsule, filled with messages from residents, newspaper clippings, local information, plus details on current prices for common grocery items and technology was also buried, and will only be reopened in a century. 

Additionally, all three winners received a framed certificate of appreciation, a plant, as well as some chocolates and a bottle of wine. 

Sally Cooper, Home Manager at Deewater Grange, said: “We all know someone in the community who goes above and beyond for others – here, it’s Anthony, Dave and Tony. 

“The nominations we received on their behalf were so heartwarming there was no doubt in our mind that they embodied what it means to be a local hero. It was great to welcome them to the home to present them with their prize and mark the occasion with a symbolic tree planting ceremony. 

“Now, the trees will always be a reminder of their selflessness, and we look forward to watching them grow!”

Deewater Grange is a state-of-the-art home which provides full-time residential, dementia and nursing care. The home has been designed to enable residents to live active and fulfilled lives, while also promoting independence, and incorporates space for hobby and leisure activities, including its own café, bar, cinema as well as a hair and beauty salon. 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.