Hailsham care home residents’ team up with local school for a DIY project

A care home in Hailsham has joined forces with local children for some home-grown DIY.

Residents at Care UK’s Bowes House on Battle Road have been rolling up their sleeves and getting stuck into some hands-on home improvements all in the name of sharing skills with the next generation.

As part of Care UK’s ‘Fixer Uppers’ programme, at Bowes House, residents were joined by grandchildren and family members to rejuvenate a raised bed area and give the home’s garden a makeover. Leading the efforts was keen gardener and resident Alan, 78, who planned the layout and contents of the raised beds before giving them a new lease of life, sharing his top garden tips with the young helpers and maintenance team.  

Resident Alan said of the activity: “I am looking forward to watering and weeding the area to keep it looking nice. It's good to have something to focus on and to be able to use my gardening skills still, and even better to be able to pass those skills on to future generations.”

The ‘Fixer Uppers’ 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.

Natasha King, Home Manager at Bowes House, 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 our maintenance team and our residents for their help in preparing for this activity, and our residents’ relatives coming to the home and helping to give the raised beds a much-needed makeover. It was a brilliant afternoon, and I know the children are looking forward to seeing how the plants grow over their future visits.”

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

Bowes House is a state-of-the-art care home that provides full-time residential, nursing and dementia care, as well as short-term respite care. Designed to enable residents to live enjoyable and fulfilling lives, the care home features its own café, cinema and music room. The home offers a comprehensive activity programme, featuring a mix of themed events and group activities both inside and outside the home.