Poole care home residents team up with youth group for shared DIY project

A care home in Poole has teamed up with a local youth group and joined a nationwide campaign ahead of International Repair Day.

Residents at The Potteries, on York Road in Broadstone, have been rolling up their sleeves and getting stuck into some hands-on DIY, all in the name of sharing skills with younger generations.

As part of Care UK’s ‘Fixer Uppers’ programme, residents teamed up with the 4th Broadstone Guides and the 1^st Rangers to revive traditional repair skills, such as fixing furniture, mending clothes, and tackling small maintenance jobs. The initiative, launched in the run-up to International Repair Day, aims to celebrate the invaluable knowledge older generations can pass on while promoting sustainability.

At The Potteries, creativity stitched its way into the heart of the community as the residents, guides, and rangers upcycled old shirts into new cushions.

Fredda Thickins, a resident at the home, would often make most of her clothing and garments herself. With a sewing needle in her hand, she took the lead in teaching the teenagers to use a sewing machine.

Joining Fredda was resident Phyllis Bentley, who had never sewn a stitch before, although quickly picked up the skills to make her first creation.  

Resident Eileen Harvey said: “I enjoyed being able to turn an item that would have been thrown away into something useful. It is so important to upcycle items for the environment, and I loved being able to pass on these skills to the children!”

All the residents were delighted to be able to collaborate with the Guides and Rangers, rekindle old skills and learn new ones. 

Zita Turner, Home Manager at The Potteries, said: “Residents have honed their DIY skills over a lifetime, and the Fixer Uppers’ project has been a fantastic way for them to connect with young people and share practical knowledge in a meaningful way.

“It was wonderful to see everyone fully engaged and residents swapping stories, learning from one another, and genuinely enjoying the process.

“We’d like to thank the Broadstone Guides and Rangers for coming to the home to help create cushions. It was a brilliant afternoon, and we look forward to many more visits in the future.”

The Potteries offers full-time residential, nursing and dementia care, as well as short-term respite care. The home has been designed to enable residents to live active and fulfilling lives in a luxury environment, and also boasts plenty of space – both indoors and out – for relaxation and recreation.