Residents give back to their community with upcycling project

Our residents came together to refurbish a second-hand wooden chair, sanding, repainting and finishing it to a high standard so that it can be re-sold at a local charity shop. The project marks our home’s first upcycling initiative, which reconnected them with familiar life skills.

Resident Vince Greatorex, 81, who has lived with us for just over a year, said, “I used to help my dad, so I got all my DIY experience from him. I used to thoroughly enjoy painting but then on apprenticeship money I had no choice but to do it myself. I have always said if you want a job done properly, you have to do it yourself and the chair looked great when we’d finished. It was great to get back into DIY, and we love that someone else will get to enjoy it.”

“Watching our residents work together on a project that was about giving back to the community has been really heartwarming.” said our home’s lifestyle lead, Tina Charlwood.

“They encouraged each other throughout the project, and they helped deliver it to a local charity shop too. It was wonderful to see them proudly admiring their finished work when it was displayed for sale in the shop.”

Duncan Hillman, our home’s mini-bus driver was among the team members who enjoyed assisting the residents throughout the process. “They were working on the chair for a few months, and they’ve loved seeing the progress along the way,” he said.

The chair was donated by and then given back to Furnistore in Redhill, a charity which has been supporting the local community since 1995. The organisation helps families turn houses into homes by providing quality, affordable furniture to people facing financial hardship. It also offers free items to those in crisis and prides itself on giving pre-loved furniture a second life while keeping it out of landfill.

Here at Acorn Court, we are very passionate about sustainability and are committed to activities throughout the year which reflect these values. We will be celebrating Earth Day on April 22 and World Environment Day on June 5 to name a few.

For our residents, the project was also a sensory experience. From the smell of the paint and the feel of the materials, from the rough sandpaper to the smooth wood, the activity sparked memories and conversations. This can be especially beneficial for those living with dementia and memory loss because it helps to create a sense of comfort and a warm feeling of familiarity.

Resident Ken Beaver, 93, who has been with us for a year, and resident Dennis Hamilton 88, who moved in to the home two months ago, bonded over shared memories of decorating their family homes.

“I always did my own decorating,” Dennis joked, “because if my wife Yvonne did it there was lots of patches everywhere. I decorated for all my children too and I always enjoyed helping them.”

Ken added, “I was always keen on making the home special for us. I hung paper but I enjoyed painting the most. I also helped my children decorate their homes when they moved out. It’s lovely to think this chair will help someone out just like we helped our own children.”

As a team we pride ourselves on championing independence and creating meaningful moments for our residents, with this upcycling project being just one example.

“We always want to support our residents to live with purpose,” Tina explained. “This project has done just that and has given everyone a real sense of achievement. There’s been a lot of camaraderie, and it’s been lovely to see residents connecting with each other in a different way.”

Our home manager, Paula Deadman added, “We’re incredibly proud of our residents. This project has been a fantastic way to engage them in practical skills, create a sense of purpose and keep them connected to their local community. We can’t wait to see what they decide to upcycle next.”

Acorn Court Care Home is a dementia and palliative care specialist home with 86 ensuite bedrooms, offering residential, nursing, dementia, acquired brain injury (ABI) and compassionate end-of-life care. Acorn Court Care Home is rated Good by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and holds a platinum accreditation with the Gold Standards Framework for end-of-life care. We also recently received Highly Commended in the South-East region of the Great British Care Awards 2025 for the Dignity in Care Award.