Knutsford care home residents’ team up with youth group for a DIY project

A care home in Knutsford has joined forces with a local Beavers group and joined a nationwide campaign for International Repair Day.

Residents at Care UK’s Cranford Grange on Hall Lane 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, at Cranford Grange, residents teamed up with Knutsford Beavers to get stuck into a series of DIY-related jobs, including building bug hotels and learning new woodwork skills using bygone woodworking tools.

The young Beavers efforts went towards their Beavers Builder Activity Badge, Community Impact Staged Activity Badge and Beavers My World Challenge Award, and they all passed with highly commended results. 

97-year-old resident Bazil Mortley, who was a former Scout leader and Knutsford Scouts assistant District Commissioner, said: ‘’I was delighted to participate, holding fort amidst the Knutsford Beavers. It brought back fond memories from my time as a leader.

‘’It was lovely to share my skills with the Beavers who were eager to learn and participate in the activity. The results were outstanding and demonstrated the value of building things by hand.’’ 

Dan Cole, General Manager at Cranford Grange, 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 Knutsford Beavers for coming to the home to take part in a series of interactive DIY activities. It was a brilliant evening, 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 DIY activity was overseen by Cranford Grange’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 

Designed to enable residents to live active and fulfilled lives, while also promoting independence, Cranford Grange provides residential, dementia, nursing and respite care, and incorporates plenty of space for leisure activities and hobbies. The home has its own cinema, pub and hair and beauty salon, and has been configured into a series of neighbourhoods to facilitate the creation of close-knit communities and encourage interaction among the residents.