Birmingham care home residents team up with schoolchildren for DIY project

A care home in Birmingham has joined forces with a local school and joined a nationwide campaign for International Repair Day.

Residents at Edgbaston Manor, on Speedwell Road, have been rolling up their sleeves and getting stuck into some hands-on DIY – all in the name of sharing skills with the next generation.

 

As part of Care UK’s ‘Fixer Uppers’ programme, residents teamed up with pupils from Harper Bell who got their creative juices flowing during the intergenerational activity. Together, they built and decorated bird boxes for the home’s garden area. 

Betty Rouke, resident at Edgbaston Manor said: ‘’I really enjoyed spending time with the children and watching them pick up new skills that will help them thrive as they grow up. Decorating birdhouses was something unique and fun for us all. 

‘’Sustainability has always been a big part of my life. When I was younger, we rarely bought anything new, so I understand the value of fixing things and the bonding experience that comes with it.’’

Zoe Steventon, General Manager at Edgbaston Manor, 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 Harper Bell for coming to the home to take part in the DIY bird box crafting activity. It was a brilliant afternoon, and we look forward to many more visits in the future.”

Launched in the approach to International Repair Day, the initiative aims to revive traditional repair skills – such as fixing furniture, mending clothes and tackling small maintenance jobs – and celebrate the invaluable knowledge older generations can pass on while promoting sustainability.

The bird box building and craft session was overseen by Edgbaston Manor’s dedicated sustainability champion as part of Care UK’s bid to embed environmentally conscious practices across all homes. Sustainability champions work closely with the Care UK ESG advisory committee to identify opportunities for greener ways of working, from reducing waste to encouraging biodiversity in care home gardens.

To find out more about Fixer Uppers, please visit careuk.com/Fixer-Uppers.

Edgbaston Manor has been designed to deliver the very best standards of care and enable residents to live active and fulfilling lives, while also promoting independence. The home provides full-time residential, dementia and nursing care, as well as short-term respite care, and has been configured into a series of neighbourhoods to facilitate the creation of close-knit communities and encourage social interaction among the residents. There is also plenty of space – both indoors and out – for relaxation and recreation.