A blooming great award for Care UK in Halstead

Home news

Sep 08, 2014

The team at Care UK’s Maplestead Day Centre in Halstead is celebrating after picking up an award from Halstead in Bloom as part of the Royal Horticultural Society’s (RHS) ‘It’s Your Neighbourhood’ campaign.

Green-fingered residents at the day club on Dame Mary Walk, off Colchester Road, joined forces with residents from the neighbouring Care UK care home, Colne View, for the project.  

The amateur gardeners were led by Beryl Kibble, a care assistant at Maplestead Day Centre.  Beryl, who lives in Halstead, is a keen gardener and has previously won several awards for her own garden. This year – which happens to be her last year of service at the day club – Beryl turned her attention to the outdoor space which is shared by day club members and care home residents. 

Together, Beryl and her team of volunteers produced a remembrance-themed garden based on a red, white and blue colour scheme, in respect of all those who lost their lives in the First World War. The judges gave the garden a ‘Thriving’ award, heaping praise on the raised beds and new beds, and making special mention of what had been achieved in such a small amount of time.  

The judges commented: “It was good to hear your plans for the future of and to see your great enthusiasm to help your clients through gardening.”

Beryl Kibble from Maplestead Day Centre said: “With it being 100 years since the beginning of the Great War, we were inspired to produce a very special garden that would honour our fallen and mark the anniversary in a respectful manner. Everyone involved enjoyed being out in the garden and playing a part in the project, and we are all proud of what we have achieved.  

“We were thrilled to have been given a ‘Thriving’ award and we are all very excited about the awards evening in November when we will have the chance to celebrate with friends and family.” 

‘It’s Your Neighbourhood’ is a grassroots community gardening campaign from the RHS which helps people to make lasting improvements to their local areas. More than 1,600 groups take part in the project throughout the UK, cleaning up and greening up their immediate local environment.

‘It’s Your Neighbourhood’ is supported by Halstead in Bloom, which is an initiative aimed at encouraging pride in the environment and ensuring there is a desire to keep the local area clean, tidy and a pleasant place to live, work and visit. 

Maplestead is a modern day club located close to the centre of Halstead. Open from 8am to 5pm Monday to Friday, the day club provides personalised and flexible daytime care for people aged 60 years and over. It is run by a specialist team with expertise in supporting people who have Alzheimer's and other types of dementia, as well as individuals with physical disabilities.  

Just next door, Colne View is a state-of-the-art care home designed to deliver the very best standards of care, and to enable residents to live active and fulfilled lives. Each room includes an en-suite shower room, flat-screen television, an adjustable profile bed and access to a 24-hour nurse call system.

For further information on Maplestead Day Club, please contact manager Jo Ketley on 01787 274200. To find out more about Colne View, contact home manager Ana Tudorache, on 01787 478473.