Sutton Coldfield care home residents team up with local nursery for a DIY project

A care home in Sutton Coldfield has joined forces with a local nursery as part of a nationwide campaign to prevent DIY skills from being forgotten.

Residents at Care UK’s Bishops Manor on Jockey 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, at Bishops Manor, children from Little Ripley Day Nursery joined the residents to build and paint bird boxes for the home’s garden.

Jeanette Underhill, resident at Bishops Manor, said: ‘’It was lovely having the little children visit. They were so well-behaved and had lovely manners, and we all enjoyed making the bird boxes together. It reminded me of when my own were little. It’s nice to make something by hand that will be enjoyed in our garden."

Thomas Bampfield, Home Manager at Bishops Manor, said: “Residents here at Bishops Manor have a wealth of skills and life experiences, and the ‘Fixer Uppers’ project has been a wonderful opportunity for them to share their knowledge with the younger generation.

“Whether it’s building, planting, or simply lending advice, there’s a real sense of pride and purpose that comes from creating something with your hands. We’re also really excited to be supporting our local wildlife with our creations, so we’re really looking forward to seeing a host of friendly birds appear in our garden!

“A big thank you to Little Ripley Day Nursery for joining us to build bird boxes – it’s been a real pleasure working together!”

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 Fixer Upper was overseen by Bishop 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 

Bishops Manor has a dedicated team offering a range of care options, including residential, dementia and nursing care. Designed to enable residents to live active and fulfilled lives, while also promoting independence, the home incorporates plenty of space for leisure activities and hobbies, and the building has been designed to help facilitate the creation of close-knit communities and encourage social interaction among the residents. It even has its very own café, hair and beauty salon, and pub.