Woodland Grove residents take part in 72-hour garden challenge to raise money for the CWC

Woodland Grove Care Home in Essex has been inspired by the incredible story of Captain Tom Moore, who has raised over £20 million for the NHS by walking laps of his garden, to take part in their very own 72-hour garden challenge.

The Challenge

Woodland Grove is home to 72 residents and therefore came up with the idea of challenging residents to transform a particular area of their garden in just 72 hours. The 72 hours will include everything from the initial planning held by the resident-led garden committee, choosing materials and getting out in the sunshine to make the magic happen.

Lifestyles Manager, Elise Woolnough said: “The 72-hour Garden challenge is a highly inclusive, resident-led project that will see our wonderful residents take control of part of the garden.

“I’m extremely excited to not only see our residents learn new skills and develop old ones but to raise some money for a very worthy cause and of course have a beautiful space to enjoy at the end of it. I am ready to pull up my sleeves and wiggle those green thumbs.”

Race Against Time

Residents will have full choice on how involved they want to be in the project, whether that includes choosing wind chimes to order, digging up soil or potting a plant at their bedside. The 72 hour element of the challenge is what sets the project apart from anything Woodland Grove have done previously.

Elise continued: “We will set a timer each and every time we do something towards the garden and at 72 hours we will stop even if the garden is not finished. This will be a true race against the clock!”

Off to A Flying Start

The initial fundraising target for the garden project was set at £650. In just a matter of days Woodland Grove has managed to raise over £750 for the Care Workers Charity.

After having such a positive response, the fundraising target has now been set at £1,000. Along with all the positive feedback from all of the supporters, the garden project has also received some help from Medipost, a medical supply company based in Weymouth. They have been generous enough to send the residents some supplies to help them undertake the project in the coming weeks including gardening tools, plants, medical supplies and even tea and biscuits.

The Care Workers Charity

The CWC provide crises grants to people in the UK who are involved in or support the provision of care. There are 1.5 million care workers in the UK, contributing to one of the largest workforces, and caring for some of the most vulnerable people in our society.

You can be involved in the project and help us raise money for the Care Workers Charity through our JustGiving Page.

Diary Updates

Elise will keep a video diary of the project to keep everyone updated on the hours and progress on Woodland Grove’s Facebook page. You can view the first two entries below.

Find out more about Woodland Grove Care Home.