Waterlooville care home residents team up with schools for DIY project

A care home in Waterlooville has joined forces with local schools for International Repair Day.

Residents at Pear Tree Court, on Portsmouth Road in Horndean, 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, the home invited pupils from Catherington C of E Infant School and Horndean C of E Junior School to take part in a DIY workshop.

From crafting garden planters to sewing colourful patches onto second-hand shirts, the care home’s upcycling team stitched together a weekend full of fun. A tired chest of drawers benefited from a full makeover too, with vibrant paint and decoupage. 

A knitting and crochet station was led by some of Pear Tree Court’s sew-perstar residents to help the children create cheerful squares they could take home. With a sprinkle of imagination and a stash of unwanted craft materials, everyone got to create their own ‘worry monsters’ – little companions designed to bring comfort when stresses creep in.

Resident Margaret Brennan, 89, said: “I had a fantastic time joining in on all the different DIY activities and chatting to the wonderful children.”

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

Aimee Sparks, Home Manager at Pear Tree 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 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 both schools for joining our DIY workshop. 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. 

Pear Tree Court 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 has its very own cinema, pub and hair and beauty salon, and boasts plenty of space indoors and out for relaxation and recreation.