World Environment Day: Kendal care home celebrates eco initiatives

HC-One’s Summerhill Care Home is marking the United Nations’ day for encouraging worldwide awareness and action to protect the environment.

This year’s theme focuses land restoration and drought resilience, with activity termed ‘Generation Restoration’.

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The home uses its abundance of picturesque green space which has attracted many new residents to the home.

Other green initiatives include the creation of a wildflower meadow to enhance biodiversity, and butterfly and bird boxes handmade by residents.

This has also helped to maintain and increase the numbers of some rare or threatened species. 

Further plans are to install a wildlife webcam in the garden to capture the bird and animal activity and share the footage with residents.

Also to install beehives that produce ‘Summerhill’ honey and the planting of apple trees to produce jam for residents and colleagues to enjoy. 

The “self-sustaining” approach is hoped to elvolve by also growing potatoes and radishes, which will be used by the home’s catering team to produce nourishing and varied meals for residents.

Many of whom enjoy gardening and their green fingers have helped create beautiful flowerbeds.

Residents with mobility issues also enjoy the pretty garden areas from the perches of the home’s new suite of outdoor furniture.

A new pond has been created on the green complete with its own solar-powered water pump which continually generates fresh water.

The water feature is a source of considerable interest to residents - especially when it plays home to tadpoles.

The care home also receives support from the local Neighbourhood Watch group who also enjoy the home’s plentiful outside space. The creation of a community allotment is planned for later in 2024.

Summerhill Wellbeing Coordinator, Sean Moore, is building on his aim of the home’s green becoming a community hub.

Colleagues have also been creating a book share area at the home’s entrance, which was made using wood recycled from a monastery in Nepal, South Asia.

This will enable the local community and children from Ghyllside Primary School to swap books with residents, which will help the home become more 'community-led'.

Sean Moore, Wellbeing Co-ordinator at Summerhill Care Home, said: “We are very fortunate to have such an abundance of green areas and our aim is for all our residents to enjoy this space especially during the summer months and for Summerhill to help preserve our natural environment for future generations.

“We will be continuing our ‘garden to fork’ approach over the summer and I will be working closely with our chef, gardener, and the local community to determine the best fruit and vegetables to plant to devise a series of highly nutritious and enjoyable meals for residents. I would be delighted if we could grow around 30-40% of our own food over time.”