Littlehampton care home residents team up with Men’s Sheds for DIY project

A care home in Littlehampton has joined forces with a local community group to take part in a nationwide campaign.

Residents at Care UK’s Darlington Court, on The Leas off Station Road in Rustington, have been rolling up their sleeves and getting stuck into some hands-on DIY all in the name of sharing skills with the community.

As part of Care UK’s ‘Fixer Uppers’ programme, residents teamed up with Littlehampton & District Men's Shed West – a group that focuses on reducing isolation and improving men’s wellbeing while repairing, repurposing and supporting local projects. 

Together, they set to work on building, decorating and creating the set for the care home’s upcoming puppet show, trading DIY anecdotes and advice in the process. 

Resident Ron Sadler said: “As a former member of the Worthing Men’s Sheds, I found it very enjoyable to be doing something manual with my hands and interacting with others. Also, I believe it is important to recycle and reuse items to lessen the effect that we have on the planet.”

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.

Lukasz Wojciechowski, Home Manager at Darlington Court, 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 the community 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 Littlehampton & District Men's Shed West members for coming to the home to help build our theatre set. It was a brilliant afternoon and we look forward to many more visits in the future.”

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

Darlington Court has been designed to deliver the very best standards of care and enable residents to lead active and fulfilling lives. The home provides full-time residential, nursing and dementia care, as well as short-term respite care.