“Doorstep Challenge” won by Derbyshire care home

A “DOORSTEP Challenge” has been won by a Derbyshire care home, after residents and staff all pitched in to create a picture perfect entrance.

Holmewood Care Home, on Barnfield Close, Chesterfield, was named the Doorstep Challenge winner in the competition, which saw entrants from across the north of England.

A total of 17 care homes from Derbyshire, Yorkshire, the North East and North West all took part in the Hill Care Group organised contest.

At Holmewood Care Home, staff were joined by residents as they repainted the reception area, shopped for new plants, painted pots, and tidied the entranceway.

Residents Clifford Watmore, 87, and Anita Renders, 65, helped with the painting. Anita said: “We were stunned with the finished outcome. The reception looked so well when we’d finished.”

Clifford and Anita were then joined by Audrey Allfree, 81, when they helped the care home’s maintenance man, Keith Piggott, paint the flowerpots. Keith said: “I’ll be without a job at this rate. How well the residents have done.”

Anita, June Hodgkinson, 87, Moira Green, 81, and John Botham, 83, all took a trip to Gladwell Garden Centre to choose flowers for the garden area at the front of the care home.

Alongside receiving a winner’s certificate, Holmewood Care Home were also awarded a £75 B&Q voucher, which will be used for a new table and chairs for the garden.

Cathy Shaw, home manager at Holmewood Care Home, said: “The staff and residents were so excited to receive the news that Holmewood came first in the doorstep challenge.

“Clifford and Anita told us that all their hard work paid off and how welcoming the home looks. They were so pleased to be part of the challenge.

“I’d like to say a massive thank you to the staff team for their support in making the home welcoming for our residents and their families and for and getting them involved in their home.

“A big thank you to the maintenance, Keith, who also loves being part of the team and getting to know all the residents. As a manager, I have never been prouder than I am right now of the staff team.”

Mandy Vernon, managing director of the Hill Care Group, said: “Thank you to all the homes that took part in this year’s Doorstep Challenge.

“We had some lovely entries to judge and it was great to see so many residents taking part and teams thinking about reception areas as well.

“The winner this year is Holmewood, who showed great resident involvement with shopping, painting, and planting. The outside of the home looks lovely and welcoming. Well done.”