Whitstable care home residents and team members come together to transform outdoor space

Team members and residents at a care home in Whitstable have joined forces for International Repair Day.

The community at Harrier Lodge, on Thanet Way, has been rolling up its sleeves and getting stuck into hands-on home improvements – all in the name of sharing skills.

As part of Care UK’s ‘Fixer Uppers’ programme, residents, their families and the home’s team renovated the outdoor area, which included repurposing old pallets into a beautiful raised planter.

Residents then visited their local plant nursery to fill the planters with colourful blooms and potted the new plants as part of their weekly gardening club.

Resident Pam said of the activity: “I loved looking around the nursery and getting to choose our own plants for the garden! I’ve always loved spending time outdoors and working in the garden, so it was wonderful to reconnect with that part of me, and I’m so looking forward to seeing the garden grow and flourish.” 

Launched to celebrate International Repair Day, the Fixer Uppers initiative aims to revive traditional repair 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.

Susan Simmonds, Home Manager at Harrier Lodge, 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 nature 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 residents, their families and team members for dedicating their time to give Harrier Lodge such a wonderful makeover. It was a brilliant initiative and we look forward to many more in the future.”

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

Harrier Lodge is a purpose-built care home that has been designed to enable residents to lead active and fulfilled lives, while also promoting independence. The expert team provides full-time residential, nursing and specialist dementia care for up to 65 older people in Whitstable, and the building incorporates plenty of space for leisure activities and hobbies, including its own cinema, hair and beauty salon and pub.